How Many Towels Do I Need?

Towels are as much a necessity for the average person as washing. Without towels, we’d get our homes and personal belongings wet every time we engage in any kind of self-washing. However, even though we use these items every day, there are only so many towels you need.

We encourage you to read through this article before you go buying another towel to add to your linen closet. Find out how many towels you truly need, the benefits of using fewer towels and make the most out of your current collection.

How Many Bath Towels Do I Need?

When it comes to bath towels, the average person typically only needs two towels, if you intend on washing them each week. After around four uses of a towel, you should swap for the other. This metric may change based on an individual’s personal preference or habits.

If your routine involves you doing laundry every other week or longer, you may want to increase the number of towels you own so you’re not reusing the same dirty towels. This choice may also apply if you need to wash yourself more than once per day. When you use towels repeatedly, they may become a source of bacteria, mildew, and other invisible particles. It’s a safer bet to invest in a greater number of towels that you can easily swap out after four or five uses each.

How Many Hand Towels Should I Own?

Hand towels require a different approach compared to bath towels because you tend to use hand towels much more frequently. Multiple people often share hand towels in the bathroom or kitchen, too.

When several people use the same hand towels for drying, you risk sharing a towel with someone that didn’t properly wash their hands. Any bacteria from their hands can spread to the towel and then you. We recommend changing your hand towels every two days and owning at least a total of four hand towels to stay safe.

How Many Washcloths Do I Need?

Washcloths require the highest frequency for changing because they often make contact with your face. If you don’t change your washcloth, you’re more likely to expose your face to bacteria and experience breakouts on your skin. Generally, you’ll want to replace your washcloth after one to three uses. If you’re replacing your washcloth daily, a safe bet is to own at least seven washcloths. You’ll have a fresh towel for your face every day of the week and stay healthy.

How Many Towels Does a Family Need?

The towel metrics we’ve described so far are generally meant for a single person. However, when it comes to an entire family, you’ll need a lot more towels. You want to make sure you have at least two bath towels, four hand towels and seven washcloths per member of your household.

Depending on the ages of your household’s members, you may want to invest in more towels as kids (and pets) may cause messes. If the appearance of your towels is important to you, you’ll also want to plan to replace each of your towels every two years to ensure they look their best.

How Many Towels for Guests?

When preparing your towel inventory, it’s essential to take guests and their comfort into account because visitors will likely use some of your towels. For guests that are staying overnight, plan to have at least two bath and hand towels available per guest, along with two washcloths for each of them. If your guests plan an extended stay, you may need to invest in even more towels.

How Many Towels Does a College Student Need?

Perhaps contrary to popular belief about dorm hygiene, college students need as many towels as a regular person, too! You should plan to give students the same number of towels you would provide any other member of your household.

However, you can typically give them used towels that will handle spills and messy activities. Give your college student towels that you no longer use or need, or you could even pick up some secondhand towels from a college’s abandoned item inventory or a thrift store. As long as you give the towels a good cleaning beforehand, they’ll function good as new for a student’s college experience.

Should You Own Fewer Towels?

Taking a minimalist approach to your towels can be good for you in a variety of ways. When you have fewer towels, you have fewer items that you need to track, maintain and store. You’ll have more room to dedicate your closet space for non-towel items while simultaneously improving your closet’s visual appearance. When it comes to closet design, many believe less is more.

Another added benefit is that with fewer towels, you’ll be less likely to let your dirty towels pile up without washing. You’ll also save money because you’re not constantly buying additional towels and contributing to the overproduction. All of these factors help provide peace of mind and a fuller bank account without costing your hygiene.

How to Make the Most With Fewer Towels

It doesn’t take much to get the most use of your towels before disposing of them. As long as you continue to wash them at appropriate intervals and refrain from using softener, your towels will remain safe to use and feeling fluffy. If you do want to include some sort of fabric softener in your process, you can apply 1/4 cup of vinegar per load.

You should make sure to hang your towels after use instead of just leaving them bunched up on the floor. Hanging them will help reduce the risk of mold and mildew forming, and keeping towels off the floor prevents them from collecting bacteria. If you notice that your towels are developing residue, you can restore them quickly. Use hot water in the washer, letting it run with a cup of vinegar instead of detergent, then run it again with baking soda instead of detergent.

If you incorporate these proper towel habits into your daily or weekly routine, you’ll drastically reduce your household’s need to purchase new towels.

Shop Bath Towels Today

If you’ve realized that your household could use more towels, we invite you to check out selections here at Towel Super Center. We offer hand, bath and other types of towels for various applications with many different qualities. Each of our products is durable, absorbent, soft, fluffy and comfortable. With such an immense assortment of towels, we’re confident that we can help you find what you’re looking for. Shop our high-quality towels today!

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