I am NOT someone that has to repaint rooms, move furniture or otherwise "refresh a space" in my house.
My ex? Different story.
Anyway, do y'all use a towel up, or buy new ones on a schedule, or what?

I am still using the one I got back in the early 1970s.

And since I'm clean after a shower, I see no sense in washing it either.

We have a rotation schedule based on wear/fraying.

The "good" towels go in the full bath down stairs and after 2-3 years of constant washing start to fray around the edges.

When the fraying gets to an objectionable point, they are moved to the upstairs half-bath and new towels are purchased for the downstairs bath.

The towels from the upstairs bath are moved to the rag-bag in the garage. Terrycloth bath towels are excellent rags for everything from wiping greasy hands and parts to buffing out wax. (Not the same one, obviously...) I also place them over the ground steel tables on my table saw and bandsaw, as well as using them to cover other shop equipment. This keeps dust and moisture from condensation from building up and causing rust.

I haven't bought shop rags in years.

Just began replacing a set that was about 5 years old. It's just me so the old set of 4 wash cloth/hand towel/bath towel didn't see a ton of use but they were getting pretty beat up in the wash. New ones are from Walmart and are made in the US, which is nice to see.

The older the better. New towels don't seem to dry. They just spread the water around.

Just got rid of my last Army towel. I was discharged in '81.

quote:

Originally posted by darthfuster:
The older the better. New towels don't seem to dry. They just spread the water around.

Laundry tip: DO NOT use fabric softener when washing OR drying bath towels. Leaves a coating that repels water.

I have a couple of monogrammed bath towels that were my wife's before we got married 27 years ago. I use them as bath mats when she isn't around to say something about how ratty looking our bath mat is.

quote:

Originally posted by Fredward:
I was discharged in '81.

I assume that was 1981? Just asking....

We got married in 1970. In 2 days it'll be 47 years. We got ours as wedding presents. Maybe not as bad as it sounds. We got several sets.

I think I was issued a towel and pillow at birth. I have no idea how old either are.

 
I keep mine until there are holes worn in them, if I can. If my wife spots them in that condition, she promptly orders me new ones. Frankly, I'd rather keep the old ones.
 

I buy new towels every 10ish years. The old towels get demoted to dog towels. As the dog towels unravel or otherwise fall apart, they get tossed.

Around 10 years I think

Being a bachelor, I have one bath towel that I wash once a week. But if I forget it I don't sweat it. After all, I was clean when I dried myself off with it, having just stepped out of the shower, right? So it doesn't actually get dirty, just damp. When it starts to get crusty or stiff, then I'll wash it. How old it is, I forgot a long time ago.

The last set I bought was a little before my last deployment to Afghanistan in '09-'10.

Horrible bath towels, for quite some time, initially. They were perpetually exuding fuzz. Even after going through the haji laundry at a couple of out lying FOBs, they still kicked out some fuzz. However, after this long fuzz phase had passed, they became the best, most durable and functional bath towels I've ever owned.

I use them to this day.

Our towels are in service the following, first the bath then the dogs and end up either as rags or in the barn. This process depending on how well the towel is made could take years. Chris

I get 5 new towels every year and at least four of the old ones go in to the rag bag.
thats about as "luxury" as my life gets, these days

We just retired some towels that are about 14 or 15 years old. The rest are still going strong after about 12 years.

I got a set of towels as a graduation gift from high school in '01. They are still in regular use. My wife bought some towels when she moved out on her own around the same time and we still use some.

About the only time we buy a new towel is if we have to throw one out for being stained or ruined in some way. Haven't lost a towel due to fraying/normal use as of yet.

I have several really high quality towels at least 9 years old (the person who bought them died 9 years ago). Still look great, do the job, and don't leave fibers on my face.

My employer moves me every couple years and my last few moves have been very long distance: Texas to Alaska, Alaska to Calgary, and Calgary to Texas. I usually save money by camping out at my new place until my stuff arrives which means buying towels. No matter the amount of money spent, the towels have all shed fibers all over my face.

As far as towels not absorbing water, Sigforum solved that for me 5+ years ago. Fabric softener was essentially making my towels waterproof, and someone posted about replacing fabric softener with vinegar. My clothes are soft, there is zero vinegar scent, and my towels actually absorb water. The bonus is that it's dirt cheap too as the cost of a gallon of vinegar is way less than a gallon of fabric softener.