Who thought it was a good idea to have white bath towels be a thing? I truly don’t understand the idea of wrapping your body into a white towel and seeing all the grossness that develops over time (especially because you used the towel when your naked body was CLEAN…or so you thought). Really guys, what’s the purpose of white towels? Is it because we’re supposed to have them so super fresh and clean all the time and if we see there’s a little dirty on them then we know to wash them because they must be perfectly clean all the time? I understand the argument, but even with pure white, freshly cleaned towels, they’re never really THAT clean unless they’re brand new: Arlyn recently posted a story about stripping her white bath towels and it was a crazy thing to watch…our towels have SO MUCH nasty in them even when we wash them regularly…so why would we make them white?? Emily has also been griping about this exact issue and has shifted to nonwhite towels for their everyday lives. It’s just more practical and she hates feeling like she needs to replace them more frequently than she’d ever like. They just don’t last nearly as long as colored or textured towels and we are over it. So here’s my “hack” if you can really call it that…I just call it “the colorful, textured, and patterned towel.” FEAST YOUR EYES:
THE TEXTURED TOWEL DIFFERENCE
See the difference? Both of these towels are the same age and have been used a lot, but the patterned ones on the right have probably been used TWICE as much and STILL look this good. Two people, daily showers, a lot of washing, and a lot of action. BUT, the white ones on the left have not held up and the ones on the right truly have. In fact, they’re as fluffy as the day we bought them (the white ones, not so much). So why do people immediately think white towels are a staple? Let’s dissect it a bit more & give some examples of how it’s done…
I love that simple stripe towel against that insanely good moody pink. The best part about this towel “hack” (if you consider this a hack) is that it can totally transform your space and give it even more personality. I’m super into how the towel contrasts with the paint and immediately grabs your eye in this photo. It has the power to do it in your real-life bathroom, too.
Here the pattern is a larger scale which complements the small-scale penny tile VERY nicely in my opinion. Proof that the patterned towel can look good even in a more neutral bathroom. Plus these look really soft and plush too. We are definitely not suggesting sacrificing towel coziness for style. Both can exist! If you’re into a more colorful look, scroll down.
Now, this TOTALLY reminds me of a Max Humphrey design (I was shocked when I found out it wasn’t). It’s totally the color palette and wide stripe on the towels (which I love). And while these are primarily white the colorful stripes help to distract from that fact. I’m also VERY into the embroidery because then you can know which towel belongs to who so you’re not rubbing your nakey bodies on the same towel and sharing skin cells. Gross.
Now if you have a busy wallpaper or tile going on and you need to pull it back in the towel department, you too can still participate in this towel idea, just go with a solid color or colorful and texture instead.
THE SOLID COLORED AND/OR TEXTURED TOWEL
Now let’s chat about solid-colored towels briefly…I haven’t experimented with using a solid color towel for a very long time (mine have always been either white or super patterned) so I’d love to know your personal thoughts on this matter, but here is my current opinion:
First off, I’m obsessed with this bathroom. Heavily. Second off, having solid colored towels will look better longer than white towels, because of the quick “dingy factor”. Nothing is more disgusting than an almost grey-ish, non-bright white towel, but over time the terrycloth material starts to get weird too and it makes you have to replace them SO FAST. So having a color other than white takes care of showing all the years of dirt and use. However, the second component is why you have to focus on the quality of material of the towel you’re buying. Low-quality materials will always go bad faster. So if you get a good towel in a good material, it’s going to last you A LOT longer than a white one. The third component is texture. If your towel is textured, the texture will also make it look better longer since it’s a bit more forgiving of things like wrinkles:)
If you’re inspired to shop for non-solid white towels, here’s a little roundup to get you started (FYI, the ones I have in my bathroom are linked as #1 and I could not recommend them enough):
1. Lena Bath Towels | 2. Reversible Gold Stripe Towel | 3. Karla Cement Bath Towel | 4. Casaluna Bath Towel | 5. Arches Towel | 6. Harper Hand Towel | 7. Dashes Lines Towel | 8. Waffle Towel | 9. Green Celine Bath Towel | 10. Nordic Soft Checkerboard Towel | 11. Super Plush Towel | 12. Reversible Black and White Towel
Alright everyone, here is my closing thesis: towels will last longer if they’re not white, patterned, or textured (SUPER POINTS IF THEY’RE ALL 3). The busier, thicker, and better quality the longer they will last also. Let’s stop throwing towels away so fast and let’s make them last longer than 1 year!! Hope this post was helpful –– I’d love to know your longest-lasting towels in the comments…I’m passionate about towels so this will be a fun chat!! Ta-ta for now!
Opening Image Credits: Design by Emily Bowser | Photo by Sara Ligorria-Tramp | From: MOTO Reveal: Emily Bowser’s 32-Square-Foot Bathroom Is Packed With Small Space Hacks
An issue I always run into with colored towels is random bleach spots from products. My grey, navy, and green towels always ended up with little pink bleach spots on them where they’d come into contact with a face serum or toner they didn’t agree with. If you use products with acids in them (glycolic, lactic, etc.), you may want to keep this in mind. I’ve recently switched over to white waffle and turkish towels, which I like because they dry quickly (there’s no window in my bathroom) and the occasional oxy bleach + drying them in the sun keeps them pretty white.
i loooove turkish towels! they’re the most versatile thing i own. i’ve hijacked a couple as my winter scarf/travel buddies. perfect for cold planes, lakes, anytime you need a towel or blanket. my ode to them here lol 🙂
I really like your writing styleand approach to sustainable living Sreph!
Hugz, Rusty
Came here to say just that! My non white towels always fade and get bleach spots and I’m too lazy to have a special make up towel that I have to hide away and somehow still let dry. White Turkish towels are the way to go. They dry super fast so you can hang them on a hook and you can wash them in super hot water and they stay bright white.
Thank you, thank you, thank you! I was literally just thinking “I need a bath towel post” last night. My towels are worse than shot. I am not a white towel fan – unless I am at a fancy hotel (I am a huge fancy hotel fan!) – and have never bought one. Want the Brooklinen ones but have always had weirdly good luck with Target towels and am going to be fiscally responsible (doesn’t happen often) and try the Catalina first.
*Casaluna
We just bought the Onsen waffle towels on the Wirecutter recommendation. They come in this beautiful deep blue and I love them. My only regret is not buying more during the pre Holiday sale. They make our marble/light colored bathroom more dramatic and they dry faster than any towel we’ve previously had!
I share Mallory’s concerns regarding white towels. I also bought Onsen towels based on the Wirecutter review. I’ve only been using them for 8 months, but they are lovely – pretty, fast-drying and soft.
Do they get snagged easily? I feel like I read somewhere that waffle towels start to look raggedy fast, so I was nervous to get them.
We haven’t had that problem with ours–but have only had them a couple of months so far. They are so soft and they feel great!
if you like thin turkish towels, linen towels are a DREAM. i’ve been using turkish towels for years, but (frustratingly) the fringe fell apart after the second or third wash. so i’ve just continued using them because i didn’t want to spend more money on towels. but this year after i moved i bought a linen towel to try out–what a dream. dries beautifully (so smooth) and quickly (i live in humid SC), washes up nicely, and no fringe!
Do you have a link for your linen towels? I use Turkish hand towels and I must have been lucky as the fringe has stayed on for years. But, they do not dry quickly.
The shop is called “Thing Stories.” They can be found on amazon and etsy. Here’s the link to the store! https://www.etsy.com/shop/ThingStories
Agree with the other poster. Do you have a link for linen towels? where do you find them? I love my linen bedding and would definitely consider linen for the bathroom.
I buy white towels so that I can bleach the hell out of them when necessary. I can appreciate that people instead use Oxyclean or vinegar or set the towels out in the sun or whatever, but realistically I’m not going to do those things. I can’t do multi-step, multi-ingredient laundry.
I do love the way colorful towels look, but I’ll have to admire them in other people’s houses.
Yup. Ability to bleach is a must. Also agree with what another person said–my colored towels get random bleach spots. I’ve got to stick with white, but I love the idea of a waffle pattern!
Oxyclean seems to work better for my white towels than bleach, but I do white towels and sheets so I don’t have to sort them. I just chuck them all in the same wash load, hot water, soap and oxyclean – done.
Same. Oxi and hot water is the best, bright and clean. No stains. My washing machine has a specific “bright white” setting so I just use that.
Yes! I kept thinking during the post- do you never need to use bleach? I feel like dark towels are like dark carpet- just because you can’t see dirt doesn’t mean it’s clean, it means you can’t see the dirt. Proper keeping of towels is the way to keep them clean-making sure they dry throughly between uses and don’t sit in the washer so bacteria can’t breed. And when necessary bleach them!
I prefer white towels too. I’m the worst at accidentally splashing bleach on things. I know you can see the change when the grunge builds up but I’d rather see it than not and know it’s still actually there. When my husband is on work trips I’ll get a special ‘bluing’ wash aid and do a couple loads of towels. I also keep a tub of Oxyclean in our laundry room and make sure to use it on white loads periodically. Ours look pretty good and they’re about 4 years old.
Bleach is a real problem on so many fronts.
It even mimicks estrogen in our bodies and ‘eats’ the grout between tiles.
Please, there are alternatives … There is no Planet B. 🌏
This article ssummarizes it:
https://learn.compactappliance.com/cleaning-with-bleach/
Mallory’s opinions on towels are fascinating, if only because I have never had any of the concerns she raises! I have a set of white cotton towels from Lands’ End, and they look… identical to the day I bought them? They get washed after a week of use (hot water, very occasionally OxyClean), and then into the dryer with no dryer sheet. They’re still fluffy and bright white to me! I’ve had them for at least 5 years? So anyway, A+ cotton towels from Lands’ End.
I prefer white because of the bleaching color concern someone else raised – I use a variety of face/body products that can be known to lift color (e.g., benzoyl peroxide), and don’t want to risk that with the sheets (same reasoning I have white sheets). Plus between OxyClean and bleach (not together), there’s a lot you can do with laundry to restore the white!
I do think hand towels may make more sense in a pattern, particularly when you have guests, but I’m going to stick to white face/body towels.
Sunscreen bleaches the heck out of everything! Even my tees! So annoying;)
Another shout out for Lands End towels here. They hold up so well.
I wonder if these younger influencers don’t know that washing machines have a soak function.
Regularly doing a towel/sheet/work out clothes pre-wash soak will keep your linens clean and fresh AND you won’t have to drag wet towels into your bathtub and back to your washing machine.
oooooh this is an interesting idea – i think it’s more about access vs. knowledge! my laundromat doesn’t offer machines with soak functionality. maybe this is just more of a problem for folks without in-unit laundry!! it’s fun to think about.
My last washer had it but now in my apt I’m not that lucky so no soaking unless I do it in my bathtub.
My machine does not have a soak functionality (it’s a very basic model), but there is a pause button. I hit pause once the water has finished filling, and that’s my little hack to soak with Oxy, etc.
Why do you assume that everyone has the same type of washer as you and that “younger influencers” must simply be ignorant? As a younger person, albeit not an influencer, the industrial washers in my building have no function other than a coin slot, a temperature dial, and a start button. You can’t even cancel or pause a load once it’s been started. The machines are also being used by a hundred other people in my building so I can’t leave items in there unless they’re actively being washed – soaking is what my ever-useful five gallon bucket is for.
I do see a lot of people making the mistake of using fabric softener on towels, which only leads to build up and less absorbency.
Many washers do not have a soak function. Mine doesn’t. Don’t blame this on being young and ignorant.
I just re-stocked my kids bath with the #2 towel and they are so soft and cute! But keep in mind the size, they are not big enough for grown up bodies!
I have had white towels for years because I have three bathrooms and don’t want to have certain colors for certain bathrooms. It’s easy to simply grab a white towel from the linen closet and it can be used in any bathroom. To keep them looking nice I only wash white towels together with no other colors in there. They still look great years later – and they are just Target towels. I think the trick is bleaching every once in awhile and not letting any stray colors get in the wash!
Hard agree with everyone mentioning sticking with white towels for the ease of keeping them white vs the difficulty keeping products off of colorful towels. I wish I could have patterns! How do people do it?
Speaking of, I did venture out and buy those West Elm yellow and white dashes towels listed in the round-up. We used them last year for staging when selling our house. The house sold, but the towels suck! They’re super thin, not very absorbent, and way less vibrant of a yellow than in the product photos. Really wanted them to work, but alas.
Yes I recently bought some of the Heather Taylor home west elm towels. I love HTH but the west elm towels were terrible. Small and not absorbent, already falling apart and fading. I stopped using them after a couple months.
I have never bought white towels (or bed sheets) for this exact reason. Plus I love colour and pattern in general so I’ve always gravitated towards those. Kitchen towels too!
Yes! I had white sheets and couldn’t stand it.
I’ve been mulling a question in my mind re: towels for a while now. In luxury hotels the towels are sometimes kind of rough but you can tell they’d wear like iron. Is there anywhere we can find something like that in real life?
Anyone?
I finally found “rough” towels – dense and not super-fluffy – check out the Spa Bath towels at Boll and Branch. They are mid-weight so they don’t take forever to dry and the channeled texture makes them absorbent!
https://www.bollandbranch.com/collections/spa-bath-collection
I have the Boll and Branch Spa towels, too, and I love them!
I’ve never bought white tiwels ad I never will.
Boring. Stain easily (and I refuse to use bleach bc 🌏).
I have different colour blocked towels, so you kmow whose towel it is.
I LOVE some of the patterened towels shown!
I’ve always been bemused by the default adherence to white towels out there! Maybe it’s just because my family never had them growing up. I remember sage and apricot towels from Mom’s house as well as some textured light beige ones. Bathrooms can be so boring too, that towels seem like an obvious easy button to add color and interest instead of a blank featureless textile. We have had the same gray terry towels for the 11 years of our marriage and they still look good – not even fancy, just Thomas O’Brien for Target way back when. I’m starting to think about replacing them but decided not until I refresh our bathroom this summer 🙂
We have old colored Thomas O’Brien for Target towels, too! For sure more than 10 years old, and just as soft and fluffy as the day we got them. Meanwhile, we were gifted two different sets of white towels for our wedding, much more expensive, and they feel ratty and dingy in much less time. Not sure which Target line is the Thomas O’Brien equivalent these days, but I would definitely buy those again.
these bathrooms are dreamy! i thought i’ve never bought a white towel but i have this lovely turkish towel to prove otherwise. as you proved with they styling – white towels are so boring. dont do bleach, so i’ve never had staining problems.
i cant say enough about turkish towels! and they come in such fun colors and patterns. hijacked that white towel (which might have been a gift) as my scarf and i loooove it. also as a small apt dweller it’s nice that they’re thin and all fit in a drawer.
Years ago (2006 🙃 https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB114494623861325253 ) the WSJ had an article on towels and top rated Abyss deep pile towels by Abyss and Habidecor. Fabulously expensive but I had a fancy job at the time so I bought some of the bath sheets in an ivory color and 12 years ago, I got more to outfit my guest bath with white ones. They’re all still fluffy, absorbent and look great aside from some facecloths that someone used to clean shoes or luggage or something. I couldn’t afford them today but I’ve appreciated that daily touch of luxury for 16 years now! I do buy less expensive, colored hand towel to mix in and change things up from time to time.
Bath sheets! That is the real luxury! Once I learned there was such a thing with a name “bath sheet” I never bought another “towel”. Anyone who is tall who gets a bath sheet stepping out of the shower for the first time and says in surprise “oh did you get this just for me?” will understand.
Bath sheets. Yes. White. Striped. Colored. Patterned. just yes. bath sheets!
Hi, love you all, but boy oh boy that’s a high usage of a word like “disgusting” for something many of us use every day;) Love my white towels; don’t hate the skin flakes of my family. Am perhaps a weird old hippie, but, just in case others might be a little unnerved too.
I thought this was pretty funny but it didn’t offend me. I have sex with my partner, so I’m def not worried about his skin cells hahaha. Also a lot of the dust in your house is skin cells. Colored towels aren’t gonna save you from it.
Maybe I’m a weird hippie in my 30s, but I’ve been skeptical of the towel striping craze. Never had a problem with my white towels!
*STRIPPING
And when you do get rid of your towels, please take them to your local animal shelter!
Yessss! 👍
I love color but I’ll only ever have white towels. My MIL’s towels always stink because she takes them out of the dryer and folds them before they’re really dry. I can’t bleach them because she always buys colorful towels. My kids leave their wet towels in a pile, usually on the floor. I love being able to bleach the funk out of a white towel if necessary.
You can also use a “towels” or “sanitize” setting on some washing machines to get that funk out without needing to use bleach. I use the sanitize setting regularly for colored towels, stinky washrags, etc and it works great.
I use 1 cup of vinegar. You won’t smell the vinegar afterwards but the acidity will kill the bacteria causing those nasty odors.
If anyone’s towels stink, you’re probably using more detergent than your washing machine can handle. The soap doesn’t fully rinse out and then the little smelly mildew loves to eat the leftover soap. I learned this from an appliance repair guy….he said don’t pay attention to the detergent bottle recommendations, use what your machine manufacturer recommends/he told me to use about a tablespoon. (WAY less than I had been using, and still effective!)
I’m scratching my head over this one😂
Towels (whether patterned, colored or white) all do the same job, so the “grossness” you’re referring to doesn’t apply to just one. And saying “if you get a good towel in a good material, it’s going to last you A LOT longer than a white one.”
Huh? Love you guys but would much rather have seen this framed as a general roundup (including patterned options) with some tried & true towels guaranteed to stand the test of time, minus the gimmick…patterned towels are not a hack.
Agreed
I don’t love white towels — too boring! And get dingy fast. We have grey waffle towels from CB2 that are awesome. Large size and dry super fast so they don’t get musty. However, my husband did get bleach spots on his — from whitening toothpaste! So there’s a tip: don’t wipe face on towel after brushing teeth 🙂
Yeah, the only time I really want white towels (thick and fluffy!) is when I’m on vacation at hotels / AirBnBs / etc so I know they’re luxurious and CLEAN. Otherwise, I love a good color and pattern! I haven’t had good luck with Target towels as they’re small and don’t hold up well, especially ones with fringe, but they’re colorful and fun for a year or two. My favorite towels have been the Hotel Collection from Macys. We got those for our wedding 10 years ago, and they’re still my favorite and hold up well to washing, drying, and use of products.
In my new house I’m probably going to be using towel hooks, so I may have to switch to thinner / faster drying towels. I’ll check out the turkish and linen towels others suggested.
I don’t have any white towels. I use Lysol laundry sanitizer for my towels and sheets to keep them fresh. I’ve gotten great towels from Land’s End and Target that have lasted years. I do have a few Turkish towels that I find great for travel and washing my hair.
Agree with those who like white towels because of products that discolor towels with color. Teenagers use a lot of products with benzoperoxide (sp?) which leaves little bleached splotches on towels with color!
I have been on team Turkish towel for years. However I bought these Baggu smiley face towels on a whim last year and I love them. The towels are thick and soft and bring the happiest pop of color and pattern to my otherwise boring bathroom. Hi https://baggu.com/products/bath-towel-lemonade-happy
Target’s towel game has been strong for several years now. I have five kids sharing a bathroom and I really wanted to know whose towels were on the floor and I didn’t want them sharing towels. So I hung 5 towel hooks (blessed to live in AZ where I don’t have to worry about towels drying) and bought 5 different, fun towels from Target. Some had fringe, some didn’t. All were fun patterns and NONE were white, because KIDS. I loved the life that those towels brought into the bathroom. It looked super designed even though it wasn’t. Wish I could share a pic because I love it!
That said, my husband and I use white fluffy towels from Costco. He loves the bath sheet size and I get the regular. They are so soft and cheap enough that we can switch them out every year.
I am on team white towel! I’ve struggled with acne for years and most of my medications end up discoloring patterned or colored towels. I wash my hands well after applying my medicated creams and such, but it always ends up discoloring things eventually. I hate to ruin towels like that! Its the worst when I’m visiting someone and they put out their pretty guest towels and I have to ask them for a plain white towel. White towels last a lot longer for me!
My whole adult life (i’m 60) i have never had white towels, white sheets or white plates. With so many fun colours and patterns, why choose boring white!
I enjoyed the article and content. My husband is over 6’4”, he only uses bath sheets and preferably white. I use a colored textured bath towel and a microfiber towel for my hair. Our grandsons use colorful (the smaller and thinner ones from WalMart) beach/pool towels for their bath towels. I use Molly’s Suds laundry detergent, no fabric softener and use clothesline for drying. I am interested in purchasing a couple of Turkish towels for myself (not sure if Hubby could embrace the change).
Yup…drying towels (and everything else) outside in the sun = less use of chemicals.
I understand that not everyone lives in a climate or residence that enables this, byt seriously, in LA? Come on!
Yes, I live in Chicago line dry all year round even in January and February just look out for the weather , things actually dry very crispy over the Winter months
This kind of post is so fun! Thank you for completely changing my mind. White towels = bleaching, which = giant holes in no time. Heading to stock up now.
White towel fan here! I hate that colored towels fade so fast. I’ve done the stripping as well, and it was eye opening. But I was my towels after every use, so I don’t worry about the grime from a dirty towel, getting onto clean skin. I am a fan of the L.L. Bean organic textured towels. Heard about them from Yellow Brick Road blog. I have the white and light grey colors. I’ve had them a couple of years now. The white are just now looking a little drab. The light grey looks pretty good. They are better looking than the white. Think I will get the charcoal the next time. I have separate towels I use for guests.
I got the ‘white towels and linens always’ idea from my mom who said colored towels would turn stinky after a while and no amount of washing would un-stink them. Get white and you can always just bleach em, right?! Well, I turned all crunchy years ago and stopped using bleach in my house. I recently switched to solid grey towels when I chained myself to a husband who makes all white things go gross. And I agree with mom….there comes a point when you can’t de-stink them. I’ve switched myself over to turkish towels and couldn’t be happier; now just need to work on getting him on board.
Old towels are often needed at animal shelters so don’t need to be thrown out. I also use them for my dog.
I think white towels may also appear dingy depending on what kind of water you have.
I like color so I have never owned white towels. When Kohls has their Vera Wang bath sheets on sale I pick up a couple and they last for years and never fade and are always fluffy.
I have well water and don’t use any fabric softener and they are as nice today as they were when I purchased them 7 years ago.
Love this! What I’d love to know is where to put a hanging towel rack in a small bathroom. Currently our hang over the shower, family of 5 here and it always looks a hot mess. I’ve been thinking about doing some timber round hooks, but then does that take up too much space in the entry to the bathroom?
In our house every family member has a hook and/ or a shaker style peg rack in their bedroom. That’s where the towels go to dry.
I bought white towels because I use skincare products that bleach towels, but ours do look super dingy. I finally realized it’s because we have a ton of iron in our water. It turns everything orange over time.
OK. Having not read any other comments yet to see if others agree, I have to say the following statement in the blog post is not logical “So if you get a good towel in a good material, it’s going to last you A LOT longer than a white one.” White is not a material. White is a color. If you get a good towel in a “good material” it will last you longer than something in a not so good material is logical. But to state something in white (note no reference to the material) won’t last longer than something else because the first thing is white… ???? not logical. Suppose the “white” material is very good quality linen, and the other colored/patterned material is tissue paper? Seriously? One reason people like white things, especially in cotton, is because it can be bleached and or “blued” and one reason white things look dingy is because “bluing” has gone out of fashion…. https://www.thespruce.com/how-to-use-laundry-bluing-2146367 I still have towels that I bought at the clearance store over 30 years ago. They’re not the same color (they are very faded), and they’re a bit thinner, but they are still nice towels. I also… Read more »
Maybe it is a guy thing, but I just don’t spend this much time thinking about my towels. I bought some solid colors from Coyuchi and years later they are still going strong.
You can use some bleach or some bluing instead of buying more stuff – that’s the whole point of white. The pictures of your white vs patterned towels both look fine, the white ones are just not smoothed out like the patterned ones? They look fine?
I have been using the same colored towels since the 1980s. The key is no fabric softener or dryer sheets. It might be time for a spruce-up LOL!
I feel the same way about coloured towels as I do about black kitchen sinks and toilets. When I have white towels I can SEE when they’re dirty. Maybe not 100% but more than I would see on a grey one! Yes, I buy a lot of bleach! And don’t ever buy coloured sheets! Who knew all that gunk comes out in your sleep? 🤦♀️
I’ve never had white towels, always matched to the paint color of the bathrooms.
You guys are funny. Sell everybody the white spa look and then try to sell us all something else. What on earth is icky about skin cells? And they get on every towel!!! White goes in every bathroom, I get them at Costco, they are not nearly as expensive as all these, I never use bleach (for anything), Oxy-Clean is the way. Colored towels get weird fast. However, turkish towels (Cacala from Amazon) are great for our motorhome and most of the fringes are holding up. They are very light, dry fast, fold up tiny and like someone else said, work as a scarf.
Can we please “hack” all those WHITE KITCHENS too? Kudos to people with kids and pets that have time to keep an all white & stainless kitchen sparkling?
I dye my towels when they fade.. yes even colored ones. It is easy and fun. you can’t guarantee the exact shade, and I wash them with warm not hot, but they last.( and I run an airbnb so they are washed a lot.( no running after dye either.. have some fun and throw undies, t shirts in too) The key factor in towels lasting its weight, My 600 gram towels have lasted 15 years and are still thicker than target towels.( yes I get bored, they have gone from white, to pink, to lavender and I’m going teal next!).. and folks know bleach is bad for the planet right?
ps. they take longer to dry so I not do 500 gram ons
you can soak anything in a tub..or trash can( got to clean 2 sobirds..) then carry and dump in any machine.
makeup? I just use hand towels
I have a pair of denim blue bath sheets from Bed Bath h Beyond in 1994. They were crazy expensive to a young college student ($19.99) back then, but I only got rid of them about 5 years ago because they had torn edge from a bad drier. Best towel purchase ever. Not a single towell since has held up as well…average is about 5 years.