Author Topic: Towels?  (Read 8940 times)

texastumbleweed

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Towels?
« on: June 06, 2017, 07:54:54 AM »
I loathe having to buy new towels.  Any suggestions?  I've tried target and restoration hardware, is sort of cheap and super pricey and I'm up for either end of the spectrum. 

spicykissa

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Re: Towels?
« Reply #1 on: June 06, 2017, 07:59:06 AM »
Ours are a Target brand via Goodwill (still had tags on them). They are perfectly adequate for drying things. Why do you hate buying towels?

anotherAlias

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Re: Towels?
« Reply #2 on: June 06, 2017, 08:01:30 AM »
Whatever you do, don't get the one's from Kohls!  My mom went nuts at Christmas and got us enough towel sets to last at least a couple decades.  Sadly, they are better at creating red lint all over the bathroom than they are at actually absorbing the water from your skin.  It is impossible to get dry with these things and I wind up covered in lint.  I seriously can't stand these things but I can't bring myself to get rid of them and buy new ones.

SimpleCycle

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Re: Towels?
« Reply #3 on: June 06, 2017, 08:05:10 AM »
We have the Threshold Performance towels from Target, and they are...towels.  I like the bath sheet sized ones.

WSUCoug1994

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Re: Towels?
« Reply #4 on: June 06, 2017, 08:10:40 AM »
IMO the Costco towels are hard to beat.

texastumbleweed

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Re: Towels?
« Reply #5 on: June 06, 2017, 08:11:31 AM »
I don't like buying towels because I feel like they just don't last terribly long before they start looking shabby.  I tried one Turkish towel because they look great but i felt like a wet mop.  I could potentially consider trying a thicker version if someone liked them.  Otherwise just target I guess.

BlueHouse

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Re: Towels?
« Reply #6 on: June 06, 2017, 08:30:08 AM »
I love waffle-weave towels, but they're kind of pricey.  I figure I make up for the upfront cost by how quickly they dry in the dryer. 

https://www.gildentree.com/default.aspx?



Rosy

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Re: Towels?
« Reply #7 on: June 06, 2017, 09:49:36 AM »
My go to for towels is TJMaxx and Marshalls. Basically, you buy top quality at a nice discount. If you get lucky you may even find a set in the clearance section.
Home Goods has quality towels at a discount as well. Bed and Bath - you can always use one of their 20% off coupons.

Cranky

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Re: Towels?
« Reply #8 on: June 06, 2017, 11:20:59 AM »
In the past year I've bought some nice, heavy towels at Sam's Club, and some nice hand towels at IKEA. They've held up to washing much better than the ones I bought at Target.

john6221

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Re: Towels?
« Reply #9 on: June 06, 2017, 11:35:41 AM »
LL Bean is the only brand that I've found that can resist bleaching due to acne medication. Plus if they wear out you can return them with their 100% guarantee. They sell a set that's reasonable in price. Limited color selection, though.

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ABC123

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Re: Towels?
« Reply #10 on: June 06, 2017, 12:01:13 PM »
I don't like buying towels because I feel like they just don't last terribly long before they start looking shabby.  I tried one Turkish towel because they look great but i felt like a wet mop.  I could potentially consider trying a thicker version if someone liked them.  Otherwise just target I guess.

Really?  I find that towels last forever.  Our 12th wedding anniversary is coming up in a few weeks.  We got some towels as shower gifts, and I haven't bought another one since.  And they certainly look like they have been used, but they aren't full of holes and falling apart or anything.  They weren't super expensive either, just the normal Kohls brand.  My mom has some that they got as wedding gifts back in the 60s, but they are starting to look a little worse for wear.

JLee

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Re: Towels?
« Reply #11 on: June 06, 2017, 12:03:37 PM »
http://thesweethome.com/reviews/best-bath-towel/

I have the Target towels they recommended. I like them a lot.

PoutineLover

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Re: Towels?
« Reply #12 on: June 06, 2017, 12:25:53 PM »
My dad got me a set of hotel towels when he worked at one and they've been going strong for 8 years. Not as bright white as they used to be, but I don't really care.

partgypsy

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Re: Towels?
« Reply #13 on: June 06, 2017, 12:29:26 PM »
I buy towels I think look pretty at Target. They are fine I guess. Unlike sheets which I expect to last for a long time, I'm not horribly disappointed if eventually need to replace them.
latest ones: soft and thick, hasn't started fraying yet.
https://www.target.com/p/medallion-towel-blue-threshold-153/-/A-15499010

Nothlit

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Re: Towels?
« Reply #14 on: June 06, 2017, 01:01:07 PM »
LL Bean is the only brand that I've found that can resist bleaching due to acne medication. Plus if they wear out you can return them with their 100% guarantee. They sell a set that's reasonable in price. Limited color selection, though.

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catccc

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Re: Towels?
« Reply #15 on: June 06, 2017, 02:07:40 PM »
We really like turkish towels, but you are right, the thickness can really vary, and the thinnest ones are kinda crappy.

HipGnosis

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Re: Towels?
« Reply #16 on: June 06, 2017, 02:47:31 PM »
Amazon   Home and Kitchen  Towels   Sort by user review rating  Scroll down until you find one at a decent price

I've got 3 bath sheets.  The older two are starting to wear and show their age, but they still dry fine.
My newest one is HUGE.  I stayed at a 4 star hotel (that I didn't pay for) and the towels were the best part.
I bought the heaviest (per shipping weight) bath sheet that Amazon had. It's also one of the biggest - one of the reviewers 'complained' that she kept stepping on it when drying.   It's so heavy that it felt like I was drying with a comforter for quite a while.   I don't use it as often as the older ones - it's kind of a little something special...  and I'd like to keep it that way.

MsPeacock

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Re: Towels?
« Reply #17 on: June 06, 2017, 03:24:59 PM »
I always buy white towels. Most recently, which was some years ago, I bought the cheapest "Black Friday" towels at Kohls for $2.50 or so each. I actually prefer a thinner towel since they dry faster when hung in the bathroom and are easier to wrap my hair with. I have some older thinkers ones from Nordstrom or something. Towels seem to just last forever.

Dee18

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Re: Towels?
« Reply #18 on: June 06, 2017, 09:29:12 PM »
I like thin towels; my current favorites are from Ikea.  My daughter likes thick towels.  Hers are from Tuesday Morning or T J Maxx

Sarah Saverdink

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Re: Towels?
« Reply #19 on: June 06, 2017, 09:45:14 PM »
I always buy white towels. Most recently, which was some years ago, I bought the cheapest "Black Friday" towels at Kohls for $2.50 or so each. I actually prefer a thinner towel since they dry faster when hung in the bathroom and are easier to wrap my hair with. I have some older thinkers ones from Nordstrom or something. Towels seem to just last forever.

A bit expensive, but I bought this Aquis Microfiber towel for my hair 3+ years ago and it is fantastic for wrapping/drying my hair quickly. It's held up great. My only recommendation would be to see if there is a slightly larger size. I have a lot of hair and I wish it was just a little bigger for wrapping around my head.

Goldielocks

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Re: Towels?
« Reply #20 on: June 07, 2017, 12:33:21 AM »
I received two Pottery Barn towels 8 years ago, that are holding up well.  Very thick and plush, no runs or pulls, used nearly daily except for wash day.  DH loves them.  (I like a quick drying towel, myself)

I think they were exceptionally expensive, but I have never had towels look this good after 8 years.   Happy it was a present!

catccc

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Re: Towels?
« Reply #21 on: June 07, 2017, 08:46:55 AM »
Oh, I don't think anyone's mentioned this yet, but fabric softeners often coat fabric fibers and make them less absorbent, so don't use them.  (I never use fabric softeners or dryer sheets, too frugal.  But I remember this advice from cloth diapering days.)

LovesToTravel

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Re: Towels?
« Reply #22 on: June 07, 2017, 06:49:59 PM »
I spent hours upon hours researching towels three years ago when we got married. Bought some first from Macys that i returned.  Wound up getting Pottery Barn towels and they've held up great.   I'm always a proponent of white towels since you can use a little bleach every now and then to brighten them up if needed (and white never goes out of style / matches any decor).  (Don't use bleach often / unless needed, to promote longevity.)

These were the winners - I bought them in January when they have their annual white sale and stacked with a coupon: https://www.potterybarn.com/m/products/pb-classic-820-gram-weight-bath-towels/?pkey=cbath-linens&isx=0.0.220

lizzzi

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Re: Towels?
« Reply #23 on: June 09, 2017, 04:01:31 PM »
What is the big deal about towels? You can get them anywhere. I think the secret to having good, absorbent towels is (as someone else said) to not use fabric softener or dryer fabric softener sheets. Towels pretty much last forever, whether you've spent much on them or not. I used white towels for years, as another poster does. It is nice to use bleach and blue-ing on them and make them so white they almost glow in the dark. But I eventually got tired of all white all the time...now my towels are all different grays, from different stores. Places I've bought towels: J.C. Penney, L.L. Bean, Target, Bed Bath and Beyond, Marshalls, various department stores like Filene's, Macy's. They all were fine. Don't obsess.

cj25

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Re: Towels?
« Reply #24 on: June 09, 2017, 04:34:54 PM »
I love Costco towels.  It's the only place I buy them. 

Lepetitange3

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Re: Towels?
« Reply #25 on: June 09, 2017, 04:45:53 PM »
We were gifted 2 sets of Frontgate towels in white.  They are awesome and you can bleach the white ones (even though it says not to).

better late

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Re: Towels?
« Reply #26 on: June 09, 2017, 07:15:41 PM »
IMO the Costco towels are hard to beat.

+1

I just replaced a bunch of towels that had gotten exceedingly shabby with the Charisma ones from Costco - nice towels at a great price.

mustachepungoeshere

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Re: Towels?
« Reply #27 on: June 10, 2017, 02:58:29 AM »
How often are you wearing out towels?

I was given a pair for my wedding that I used for eight years, cold-washed and line-dried every week.

I only replaced them (relegated them to guest towels, but still absorbent, presentable, not frayed at all) when we moved and I splurged (a $30 gift card) on new towels to match new bathroom.

Rural

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Re: Towels?
« Reply #28 on: June 10, 2017, 07:40:02 AM »
I don't think I've ever bought a towel. One set given to me by my grandmother when I graduated high school and moved out pretty much wore out - holes and bare spots - at about the 20-year mark, but I still have and use one of them, and it's been nearly that long again.


The replacement set is going strong (also a gift, from my mother I think). Now, my husband did come with a bunch of ratty towels, so I use those on dogs and floors by preference when I can, but if there's a spill or a shivering dog and all that's available is one of the set, that's what I grab. Plus husband doesn't notice what he grabs.


What wears out are hand towels and wash cloths.


I've never used a dryer sheet or fabric softener in my life, so there's another data point.

Bracken_Joy

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Re: Towels?
« Reply #29 on: June 10, 2017, 07:47:55 AM »
Oh, I don't think anyone's mentioned this yet, but fabric softeners often coat fabric fibers and make them less absorbent, so don't use them.  (I never use fabric softeners or dryer sheets, too frugal.  But I remember this advice from cloth diapering days.)

+1. And if you HAVE made the mistake of using it, or you use a lot of silicone-containing hair products, you can do what is called "stripping" the towels to get the residue off. Boiling, washing with some vinegar, soaking with oxyclean, lots of options here. I recommend white towels- one, visitors way prefer them, 2- bleaching isn't an issue. I don't use bleach on hardly anything, but will occasionally bleach my towels.

Second consideration- if seams coming undone is how your towels 'wear out' now, or it pills along the borders- don't buy towels with decorative borders and enforce the edges when you buy them. Common issue, and easier to prevent than fix.

Third consideration- big fluffy thick towels take longer to dry and show their wear sooner, IME. I have always found that the 'cheap' price point towels last longer than the fancy towels of the same brand.

Fourth consideration- you can line dry your towels to like 75% dried then toss them in the washer to get fluffed and soft. This will reduce wear substantially, since the dryer is where most damage is ever done to them.

SimpleCycle

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Re: Towels?
« Reply #30 on: June 10, 2017, 08:50:42 AM »
How often are you wearing out towels?

Right?  I just retired a towel from 1986.

texastumbleweed

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Re: Towels?
« Reply #31 on: June 10, 2017, 12:22:09 PM »
Ok thanks for your responses.  I went with target cheap ones.  My last set were from restoration hardware and were super expensive, they lasted 6 years, still in very good shape (I do air dry them) but the color is all dingy.  I think this is a combo of grabbing them for spills really quickly (3 little kids!) or from getting hair dye on them as i dye my hair at home.  Plus we have a constant stream of people in our house and who knows what happens.  Just last week tumeric managed to get all over one hand towel.

Lepetitange3

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Re: Towels?
« Reply #32 on: June 10, 2017, 01:16:44 PM »
That's why I go with all white that can be bleached.  Towels last for years and just bleach them to get them pretty again

chasesfish

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Re: Towels?
« Reply #33 on: June 10, 2017, 02:18:16 PM »
Fourth vote for Costco, really tough to beat the quality/price you get there.   They only allow 1-2 brands to be sold at any given time, so fewer choices and just buy what you need

LaineyAZ

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Re: Towels?
« Reply #34 on: June 10, 2017, 05:16:59 PM »
I've had the best luck with JC Penney brand.  I think they were on sale for $5.99 recently, and they get top marks in consumer ratings.  Also they're a good compromise between too thick and too thin.

 

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