My toilet overflowed and my first reaction was to grab a towel and throw it on the floor to soak up the water. Would it be safe to wash and bleach this towel (maybe several times) and then use it as an actual towel again, or should I just give up on it and throw it away?
poopie towels
Dec 22, 2005
14 Replies
Yes, it would be safe to use it again, but if you bleach it, it is likely to get discolored. Honestly, I'd just keep it as a rag, handy the next time the toilet might overflow.
Nan
AFAIK, mothers had been washing and reusing cloth diapers for decades before disposables were invented.
Yes, it is perfectly safe to use one it is laundered. I hate to bring this up, but don't you think that towels get "poopie" on them sometimes, especially in places like hotels where people do unmentionable things?
I have 4 kids (3 boys and a girl), 4 cats and a dog. I can honestly say that 'poopie' does wash out. One of my boys wanted to see if Superman could swim as good as he could fly. His little Superman figure was just small enough to go down the big hole but big enough to warrent buying one of those snake things to retrieve him from where ever it was that he got 'stuck'. Used quite a few towels trying to clean that one up.
noname
You know I'm with you on this one, Nan. I could never wipe my face without thinking about a turd hanging on the towel. I vote rag.
peggo (but I'd probably throw it away)
I keep old raggedy towels just for these kinds of things.
-- Piper
LOL
Nan
-> Suzie-Q wrote:
->
-> >My toilet overflowed and my first reaction was to grab a towel
-> >and throw it on the floor to soak up the water. Would it be safe
-> >to wash and bleach this towel (maybe several times) and then use
-> >it as an actual towel again, or should I just give up on it and
-> >throw it away?
->
-> AFAIK, mothers had been washing and reusing cloth diapers for decades
-> before disposables were invented.
->
Good point.
-> ->
-> >My toilet overflowed and my first reaction was to grab a towel
-> >and throw it on the floor to soak up the water. Would it be safe
-> >to wash and bleach this towel (maybe several times) and then use
-> >it as an actual towel again, or should I just give up on it and
-> >throw it away?
->
-> Yes, it would be safe to use it again, but if you bleach it, it is
-> likely to get discolored.
-> Honestly, I'd just keep it as a rag, handy the next time the toilet
-> might overflow.
It's a big, thick towel. I think I'll make it a pet towel -- one I use for the dogs and cats. They won't mind!
Better take your own linens next time you stay in a hotel!
This really is a case of " What the eye doesn't see". When I stay at hotels I check my sheets and towels and if they look clean then I will use them regardless. I am quite confident the type of hotel I stay in doesn't have the sort of clientele that would do anything untoward in a towel. I do however always take my own face flannel and never wipe near my mouth just in case. Hospitals are another area where one uses shared linen and possibly towels. I know the hospital laundry is done to a high standard but sometimes the sheets can remain stained and if I see this it is offputting to lie in one's nightie in bed knowing someone has previously messed the sheet albeit accidently. Only today my relation walked dog mess into my home. I used disinfectant and soap and spot cleaned my carpets. The cloth was then used to clean the offending shoe and finally disposed of as it was a rather old rag but my bucket has been bleached three times and I still feel it's not 'clean'.
There was a discussion here recently on this very subject. I reused my children's nappies but only for rags not for dishes or for wiping faces.
Throw it away. If you want to reuse towels, you're better off investing in cloth ones. Most salesmen won't tell you that. They just want to sell as many washing machines as they can.
Good idea. And if you don't want to do that, your local Humane Shelter would probably be thrilled to receive it.
Nan
Join the Discussion
Have something to add? Share your thoughts — no account required.
Didn't find your answer?
Ask the community — no account required