Houseguest etiquette

[Pennylane]

How often do you wash the towels your houseguest is using? I was surprised when a relative of mine left today and brought down 3 bath towels and 3 washcloths. She was here for 3 days. I had put out two, assuming that would be enough. I am somewhat embarrassed that she had to get a third , but I just assumed that people use them more than once and that 2 would have been enough.

Ann

[jjordan]

I usually put out one set per person and then wash them with the rest of our laundry whenever I happen to do laundry during the guest's stay. I would expect that a guest is able/willing to use a towel for at least two days unless I happened to walk by the bathroom and see the towel in a heap on the floor, in which case I'd assume that the guest wanted the towel washed instead of using it again.

Recently we had guests for 3 nights (who were originally expected to stay for two nights), and I said I'd throw their towels in the laundry so they'd have a fresh towel for night #3 and they acted all shocked, "oh no! You don't have to do that, we're fine!"

I think that there's no reason for you to be embarrassed about "only" having provided your relative with two towels for 3 days. :)

[sunshine873]

You're nicer than me! I would have expected that one set of towels would have been sufficient for a 3 night stay. I can't believe a guest would look around for another set of towels for night 3 if you had provided 2 sets. Wow.

ETA: Even hotels ask you to reuse towels!

[TwinFoxes]

Eh, maybe she used one for her hair. Maybe one didn't get dry because she forgot to hang it. Maybe she accidentally got makeup on one and didn't want to reuse. Don't put too much thought into it. :)

[eagle]

sometimes stuff happens and you have to hunt for a towel. ive been suddenly, unexpectedly incontinent and had to hunt around for extra towels and i didnt want to ask or give a reason since i knew where the linen closet was.

stuff happens. one set for a stay of even up to 4 days is fine by me, but sometimes you need more.

i wouldnt think about it any further. but i know that ill think to leave an extra supply for people to freely use.

[elektra]

I usually only offer one towel but I have never had a houseguest for more than just a few days. I do think it's unusual to use more than 1 or maybe 2 towels over a 3 day stay but stuff happens.
I would rather my houseguest help themselves to a towel to clean up the water that got all over the floor from their shower or something.
But yeah, 3 towels in 3 days would seem a little excessive to me!

[bisous]

I usually use a new towel every day although I realize that this is not the norm. I would provide a fresh towel for a guest each day of their stay just to make sure but it sounds like we're the exception.

[MotownMom]

I usually use a new towel every day although I realize that this is not the norm. I would provide a fresh towel for a guest each day of their stay just to make sure but it sounds like we're the exception.

I agree with this. I change out the towels for my house guests every day. I want them to have the most comfort possible and I think using towels that may still be damp from the prior day is not as nice of an experience. I would not expect anyone in the house (and most certainly not a guest) to use the same towel 3 days in a row.

[cookiemonster80]

Most people 1 towel would be fine- my mother- 3 towels a DAY- amazing how she goes through that many and she doesn't even have much hair. DH and I go 5-7 days on the same towel- our laundry triples when she is here.

[wellyes]

I would put out one set of guest towels for 3 days, too, but let her know where extras are.

[gatorsmom]

Don't worry about about it too much. I think you were right and don't think you need to feel embarassed at all.

My cousin complained that another cousin of ours brought her family of 5 to visit for 4 days and they each used a clean towel everyday! And then they asked her when she was going to be washing laundry because they needed more towels!! They haven't been invited back. :tongue5:

[wifecat]

You're nicer than me! I would have expected that one set of towels would have been sufficient for a 3 night stay. I can't believe a guest would look around for another set of towels for night 3 if you had provided 2 sets. Wow.

ETA: Even hotels ask you to reuse towels!

Yup, me too! I give one set per person.

[s7714]

How often do I wash their towels? Once at the end of their visit.

How many towels do I give them? I don't. I point them in the direction of cabinet where the guest towels are in the bathroom they use and leave it at that. They can use all of them or none of them and it makes no difference to me.

[pastrygirl]

My ILs don't reuse towels. It used to bug me, but now I leave out one set for each person for every day they're visiting, even if it's not my ILs. The linen closet is right outside the guest bath, and I make sure everyone knows they can go in there for more towels if they need it. I leave an empty laundry basket outside the bathroom for their daily wet towels.

I used to use a single towel for up to a week, and used to expect others to do that, too. I've come around and now use mine for maybe three days, but am completely fine with anyone who wants a brand new one every day. We have plenty of towels and our laundry area is on the second floor, so there's no inconvenience.

[iaam]

This is an aside, so maybe I should start a S/O thread, but I am surprised to hear that some folks don't reuse their towel after the first use. Why is that? We use ours for about 5-7 days before washing them. We hang them to dry after we are done and they are completely dry by the next morning, when we use them again. We do wash pool/beach towels after every use, but those get dirtier (including the chlorine in the pool water)...

[gatorsmom]

This is an aside, so maybe I should start a S/O thread, but I am surprised to hear that some folks don't reuse their towel after the first use. Why is that? We use ours for about 5-7 days before washing them. We hang them to dry after we are done and they are completely dry by the next morning, when we use them again. We do wash pool/beach towels after every use, but those get dirtier (including the chlorine in the pool water)...

I grew up using a new towel everyday. But I shared a bathroom with my brother and would have been "grossed out gag me with a spoon" during my teenage years if I accidently used my brother's towel so I just took a clean one each day. My parents took a clean one each day too. But they at older and had never heard of water conservation.

[elizamom]

This is an aside, so maybe I should start a S/O thread, but I am surprised to hear that some folks don't reuse their towel after the first use. Why is that? We use ours for about 5-7 days before washing them. We hang them to dry after we are done and they are completely dry by the next morning, when we use them again. We do wash pool/beach towels after every use, but those get dirtier (including the chlorine in the pool water)...

Yep. I am surprised too. We use them several times before washing. I can't imagine keeping up with our laundry if we all used a new towel every day.

[sarahsthreads]

Huh. I just had my ILs visit for four days/three nights and DH put (for the two of them) three bath towels in the guest bathroom in addition to the fresh hand towels and some washcloths. (Don't ask me why - I have no idea why three and not two or four. Sometimes I wonder how he holds down a job as an engineer.) I think they only took one shower here during their stay, but I wasn't really keeping track so it might have been twice. But they know where our linen closet is, and we've always told them if they need more towels to help themselves. (And during pool season we just lug piles of towels out to the pool for everyone to use, so they're not using bath towels as pool towels.)

DH and I both grew up re-using towels several times, so I've never felt obligated to put out several sets of towels for my ILs. (And they're really the only people who ever visit us longer than overnight.)

Sarah :)

[Pear]

I reuse towels, but I really appreciate it when my host lets me take 2 bath towels. I can't always bring a full bath robe and have long a hair.

[hellokitty]

For a family of four, I usually leave 4 washclothes and 6 bath towels. I figure the females may need extra towels for their hair. I think that would be more than adequate. I'd also be surprised if a singleton houseguest used 3 towels for 3 nights. Spoiled.

[edurnemk]

This is an aside, so maybe I should start a S/O thread, but I am surprised to hear that some folks don't reuse their towel after the first use. Why is that? We use ours for about 5-7 days before washing them. We hang them to dry after we are done and they are completely dry by the next morning, when we use them again. We do wash pool/beach towels after every use, but those get dirtier (including the chlorine in the pool water)...

:yeahthat: We wash them weekly, sometimes twice a week, but we definitely reuse. DH and I each have a different towel hook, so we don't mix them up. A few years ago I met a friend whose husband expected a clean towel everyday, she went through laundry detergent like crazy. She told us about it at my baby shower and everyone there said they reused the towels and it was crazy for him to expect a clean one everyday: water conservation, spending more on detergent, shortening the towels' lifespan with so much washing, etc. Plus you're clean when you wipe yourself with them so I don't get the ick factor.

OP, for a guest I'd do the same as for us and wash their towels after 3-4 days.

[candybomiller]

I just put a whole bunch of towels in the bathroom closet and tell guests to help themselves. But the people who come to stay with me are generally comfortable enough to use the washing machine to wash their own towels if they run out.

[niccig]

:yeahthat: We wash them weekly, sometimes twice a week, but we definitely reuse. DH and I each have a different towel hook, so we don't mix them up. A few years ago I met a friend whose husband expected a clean towel everyday, she went through laundry detergent like crazy. She told us about it at my baby shower and everyone there said they reused the towels and it was crazy for him to expect a clean one everyday: water conservation, spending more on detergent, shortening the towels' lifespan with so much washing, etc. Plus you're clean when you wipe yourself with them so I don't get the ick factor.

OP, for a guest I'd do the same as for us and wash their towels after 3-4 days.

:yeahthat: we reuse and wash every 5-7 days. A new towel every day? How about for a 2 week visit - that's 14 towels or several washing loads as reusing washed ones. DS is going to be with me on the trip, so that's more washing to include his towel (more water needed in washing machine). Water conservation having grown up in drought conditions, that's just so wasteful.

Plus, who has the time for all those extra loads of laundry if everyone uses a new towel a day?

[KrystalS]

My DH refuses to use his towel more than once, drives me crazy! He uses a washcloth, hand towel and bath towel every day, and some days he showers twice so that's 2 bath towels! I use my towel for at least 3 days, usually longer. I've always reused towels and I teach my kids the same. My mom and sisters don't reuse towels either, we have tons of laundry when they visit. Just don't understand what the big deal is about reusing a towel that YOU used to dry off.

For the OP, I have towels hanging in the guest/kids bath for them to use, the linen closet is right next to the bathroom so they can get more as needed.

[rlu]

Towels and washcloths are something we have plenty of so I wouldn't do the "guest" towels during a stay. Generally only MIL stays over and she pulls out whatever she needs from the linen closet.

At our house (and growing up) we reuse towels but we use a fresh washcloth every time.

When we visit MIL or SIL2 they both have shown us where the linens are kept and told us to have at it so no issues there either.

[Momit]

We wash our towels every week or so. I do wash DS's a little more often. I have had guests grab extra towels if they need them but most people seem fine with re-using.

[JBaxter]

I don't reuse towels. I know many do. I do for the boys by not myself. I put a set of matching 2 towels 2 hand towels & 2 wash clothes in the guest bath. I have an assortment of extra towels & washcloths are under the sink. I dont care how many they use.

[petesgirl]

I grew up taught to get a new towel each day, and I know my parents and siblings all did the same. And my mom raised 6 kids!! I don't know how on earth she kept up with all the laundry, but she is a bit of a germ-o-phobe so I'm sure that is why she taught us that way.

I changed though, when college came around, and I had to start doing my own laundry :) Now we re-use towels.

[mackmama]

How often do you wash the towels your houseguest is using? I was surprised when a relative of mine left today and brought down 3 bath towels and 3 washcloths. She was here for 3 days. I had put out two, assuming that would be enough. I am somewhat embarrassed that she had to get a third , but I just assumed that people use them more than once and that 2 would have been enough.

Ann

That is funny that your guest used a towel per day. It's not a hotel! I would have thought one towel for 3 days would have been just fine.

[mum-to-be]

I would expect guests to reuse towels, but also be mindful that everyone has different standards for their own hygiene. Eg DH and I shower twice a day, and know of people who shower every other day. I would not feel comfortable showering less, so I understand if someone is used to a fresh towel.

We use our towels for 3 to 5 days (whenever I remember), plus I take my morning shower at the gym and use a fresh towel each time since I have to step on it to dry me feet. No way would I reuse a towel that has been on the gym floor. Did you provide a bath mat? That could have been it.

I only use washcloths once. Using a used washcloth is a great way to get conjunctivitis. I don't actually set out washcloths for my guests unless they are kids though, since I don't use them myself, just on the kids. Maybe I will start setting out washcloths...

[Pennylane]

Well I don't feel as bad now after reading everyone's responses. I have no problem with her using a towel a day, it just felt awful that I didn't think to lay more out and she had to look for one! We use the same towel for 3 days before washing, so it just didn't cross my mind to wash them!

Thanks again,

Ann

[Pennylane]

I grew up taught to get a new towel each day, and I know my parents and siblings all did the same. And my mom raised 6 kids!! I don't know how on earth she kept up with all the laundry, but she is a bit of a germ-o-phobe so I'm sure that is why she taught us that way.

I changed though, when college came around, and I had to start doing my own laundry :) Now we re-use towels.

I grew up the same way. My mom, who also worked full time, collected our towels before she left in the morning and put out new ones for the next day. I don't know how she did everything she did for us and worked a full day. Makes me feel like a total slacker!

Ann