uses for old towels

dianadors

anniewoo wrote: »

I gave a load of my old towels to a local animal shelter,they were really grateful for them.

We do this with old towels and blankets - they are always very grateful for them.

foreversomeday

I'd second freecycle as there will always be someone on there in need of a new cosy dog/cat bed, or they can be used to mop up after a home birth.

Actually a great day to day use of towels is to cut them up and use them in most situations you would use kitchen paper. My DF is a very messy eater and uses them as napkins! But they are also useful for wiping up spills in the kitchen etc, most absorbent for catching spilled drinks on carpets and useful for wiping faces/hands after kids eating, cooking or painting.

Another nice thing you can do is cut them up and make a nice patchwork rug for the bathroom instead of a bath mat. If you make two you can rotate them in the wash, too.

Or keep one in the car during the winter to dry/wipe your feet on meaning wet trainers won't slip on the pedals which can be dangerous - and one in the back for children to wipe their feet on and protect your seats/car floor from mud after walks.

You could also use them to stuff cushions if you made your own covers.

stef240377

We use our old towels for when the cat and dog have had a bath saves using ours and kids know when they take their turn to bath them which towels to use.

moanymoany

I have a few 'green' ideas.

• If you cut them into smallish - half flannel size - you can use them instead of toilet paper after peepee. As urine is sterile they can be put in a bucket and washed.
• Second the washable sanitary towels - loads of patterns on other threads.
• Cut them into flannel sized pieces and use instead of kitchen towel.
• Also second the using them for cleaning cloths.
• Cut them into 'hand' towel size for the kitchen.
• Use them as wadding for oven gloves, pan holders.

Penelope_Penguin

Hi there :beer: I'll add this to the existing "old towel" thread to keep ideas together

Penny. x

fizzel81

ive now relegated one of my biggest old ones to a draft excludeder by front door (as i still have a touch of damp/mould as re rending is done but its not been painted yet) ive just rolled it up and placed by front door, has made a huge difference to the draft that was going up stairs and can be washed if it gets grotty

betheebee

moanymoany wrote: »

I have a few 'green' ideas.

• If you cut them into smallish - half flannel size - you can use them instead of toilet paper after peepee. As urine is sterile they can be put in a bucket and washed.
• Second the washable sanitary towels - loads of patterns on other threads.
• Cut them into flannel sized pieces and use instead of kitchen towel.
• Also second the using them for cleaning cloths.
• Cut them into 'hand' towel size for the kitchen.
• Use them as wadding for oven gloves, pan holders.

_pale_ _pale_ am I the only one that cannot be reduced to being that good an O.S'er. Don't think I''ll try the first 2 suggestions, but the other 4 I could.

Ehmm, don't think urine is sterile, would you sterilise your kitchen with it?

kittiej

Hello peeps

I am after a bit of a think-tank session about old towels.

Basically I've got a couple of old towels that are becoming threadbare or have holes in them.

I was thinking about using them as a base to make a patchwork blanket for winter. I thought I'd just sew scraps of material straight onto the towels with my machine, maybe a bit of a 'crazy paving' type of thing.

Has anyone done anything like this or do you have any other suggestions?

smileyt_2

I would use them for cleaning rags myself, or dishcloths.

janb5

I give mine to my mobile hairdresser who uses the small one for her business and the larger ones for her horse! They`re not threadbare but past their prime!