ddhr.org - Clean towel day

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Clean towel day (13)

Jun 20, 2007

Wendy has a system when it comes to changing our towels: After [x] number of days, put old towels in wash and bring out new towels. That [x] is pretty small; somewhere around 7-10. My system is a little different: After [y] amount of smell develops, put old towels in wash and bring out new towels. The problem with my system is that [y] is usually much greater than [x] (actually they can't really be compared unless smell can be quantified as an integer; but you get the idea). Sometimes [y] reaches an overwhelming value in 7 days. Sometimes it's more like 18. I'm thankful I have a good sense of smell that prevents me from allowing [y] to get too large. As soon as I notice a smell on my towel, it's over. More than likely, it means it's been about 2 months since I started using the towel, and judging from the towel's heartbeat and limb growth, it's time to use a clean one.

The cool thing about clean towel day is that it always makes me happy. What can I say; I'm simple. For an unexplainable reason, it gives me a small but noticeable amount of pleasure. It's like getting your hair cut or getting your car washed. Clean = happy. I wonder if this idea isn't universal. Maybe some people equate dirtiness with happiness? Perhaps. But for me, I like clean things. And since today was clean towel day, it's a good day. #psychology

Comments

#1	Payal	Jun 21, 2007
	I think everyone should have their own towels (hand or otherwise). I think everyone should have 3 sets of towels / week. I think people should minimize the use of damp cloth because it is an incubator to bacteria. I think blue towels are cooler than white, less likely to look dirty. I think I think too much! I think I'm too dorky for my own good.

#2	Shara	Jul 5, 2007
	Growing up, I used a different towel every day. My parents still do this. I used to think that was completely normal, and what everyone else. I don't know the statistics on the number of people that use a different towel every day or use a towel every day till (1) it smells or (2) it's just time to change towels. I wonder. Now I use the same towel every day for about a week. Yet, it kind of bothers me. I feel like I should change the towel every day. It's really kind of silly to change it everyday though. You are clean when you use it so really, it's not any more dirty (dirtier?) after you use it. It would be like using a different dish towel after drying the dishes every time, or after every dish for that matter. Hey, maybe people do that, but it seems silly. Okay, I don't know why I'm still rambling on about this. My point is, I used to use a different towel every day until colllege and now I use a different one every week or so. Just thought you should know. :)

#3	Shara	Jul 5, 2007
	What everyone else did* (sorry, forgot the did in that comment)

#4	Dave	Jul 5, 2007
	Did your family wash the towels after every use, or was it more of a rotation thing (towel 1 on day 1, towel 2 on day 2, towel 1 on day 3, etc.)? Your electric/water bills must've been outrageous, especially with 3 kids!

#5	Shara	Jul 5, 2007
	They washed them after every use! I never even thought twice about drying off and then throwing the thing in the hamper. I know for a fact my mom still does this. I'm willing to bet my dad does too. I have no idea why. I should ask them why they don't recycle towels. I'll let you know what I find out. Because I'm sure you won't sleep until you know why my parents insist on cleaning their towels after every use. :)

#6	Dave	Jul 5, 2007
	I haven't slept since your first comment, which was a little over an hour ago. Please find out soon so I can sleep tonight! Maybe your parents worked in the hotel industry? They wash a lot of towels and sheets.

#7	Shara	Jul 5, 2007
	So....I called my mom. She doesn't know why she does it. My dad apparently uses his multiple times these days but Jimmy still uses a different one per day (when he's home anyway), but that's probably just because he leaves his wet one laying on the ground so he has to get a new one because who wants to use a wet towel? My mom said that since she's the one doing all the washing of the towels in the first place, she can do whatever she wants. She did start laughing when I first asked her though because apparently this is not the first time someone has asked her why she does this. Apparently my mom and Mrs. Loede do the same thing because they had a conversation about it last year on vacation and my dad and Mr. Loede both didn't understand why they did it. So basically, I have no real reason for you....just that she does what she wants!

#8	Dave	Jul 5, 2007
	Weird. I don't understand why someone would do something to make more work for themselves and cost themselves more money. Strange people up there in Stillwater.

#9	Wendy	Jul 5, 2007
	Just so Shara doesn't think she is the only one/family who does this - Rey (from Colgate) did that, too. He got grossed out by using towels more than once but I thought that had to do with the fact that his parents owned a dry cleaning business (seriously).

#10	Shara	Jul 10, 2007
	Haha. That's kind of funny. Yeah, I don't know about my mom. But I guess look at it this way...if you're going to do a load of laundry and have room for towels, then you might as well throw them in there. I guess. My mom is also a compulsive ironer. I hated wearing jeans as a kid because my mom insisted on ironing them. She irons the scrubs she wears to work.....maybe that helps you understand my mom a little better :)

#11	Bhueyhiggy	Jul 20, 2007
	My husband and I had this very conversation tonight. I wash my towels after every use, no questions asked. He did not grow up that way. We have five people in my house and usually run around 6 showers total each day (my husband showers in morning and at night after work). I also switch out the hand towel in the bathroom up to 3 times daily and at least twice in the kitchen. I HATE the feeling of a damp hand towel, knowing someone else has used it and most likely has not washed their hands nearly as good as I have. (I have 3 boys and my husband is in construction. Enough said.) I grew up washing towels after every use and can't understand why so many people aren't grossed out by using a stale, used towel that has assisted in drying your "unmentionables" - clean or not, for women, it's just not sanitary. The last thing I want is to grab the wrong towel and wipe my face where my husband's butt crack has most certainly been. That's my issue with reused towels. I had to put up with it at summer camp, but I never really felt clean. I mean, how hard is it to throw a load of towels into your washing machine? I do 2-3 loads of laundry a day. I also wash our bedding once a week (my boys' every 2 weeks). I know people are concerned with saving resources, but we make sacrifices in other areas and conserve, recycle, and reuse lots of things others consider junk. It's my one luxury to pull a clean towel out of the closet each morning. I'm willing to pay for that and spend the whole ten minutes time in loading the washer, transferring into the dryer, and folding them. I don't get the fuss.

#12	Bhueyhiggy	Jul 20, 2007
	I do want to clarify one thing. I know not everyone has a washer and dryer - and laundromats cost a fortune. I know, I lived in an apartment complex for a year and a half and had to use the community laundry. However, I still only used each towel once. Maybe it's a germaphobe thing. I like to look at it as a cleanliness thing. My dad would be furious if one of our friends stayed the night and would hang up their dirty towel in the bathroom. He would make sure they understood that we didn't practice such "foul things" as reusing towels in our home. The same went for family when they came to visit. He would insist they not keep their towels in the guest room because it made the house stink. Gee, I wonder where I get it? I guess it comes down to simply doing what is comfortable for you.

#13	Dave	Jul 20, 2007
	I think I just don't care enough.