Decluttering/cutting down on linens and towels

[ILoveMyBabyBird]

So I would like to buy a new set for the spare bed when we actually get more than a mattress, but in the mean time we have some really old sheets and blankets on the spare mattress, we actually have 2 sets of sheets and pillowcases, and I will admit they were my deceased mothers, so i am finding a hard time trying to get rid of them. And extra blankets, etc. abound, so how many blankets should we have extra, and by extra I mean we rarely use them even on our beds.

How many hand towels, bath towels should we have? I know it is good to have extra for guests, but i am beginning to think we have too many. Would the idea of 2 per per person plus 4 extra for guests be a good starting point? I don't let laundry pile up, and normally do it at least 2x a week and we do reuse our bath towels a couple times before washing, what do you all think?

And dish towels, how many should i have? I do use dish rags mostly for cleaning/wiping counters, but I don't think i use more than 1 or 2 a day.

TIA

[bluebunny]

I think this is going to be individual, based on your circumstances. I have quite a few towels but good reasons to have them. I think two per person with four extra for guests might work out well. However, we have more because we routinely host all six of my in-laws and need at least six guest towels. Plus, I use two towels at a time (one for my hair). I have approximately three per person, plus six guest towels. Then I have beach/pool towels that I put away during the winter/fall and have out all summer.

As far as kitchen towels, I have about 25. I use all but one and then wash them all and then use them again. I wash about once a week. I use kitchen towels for wiping up the baby after meals, wiping sticky hands and faces after meals, wiping up counter spills (I use rags for floors)....so they get used a lot. We rarely use paper towels.

[Gray's Mommy]

For the adults in the house, we have 3 towels each & 14 washcloths. For the kids, we have 21 washcloths (one per day/3 kids) and 12 towels. The kids all have one color (gray) that matches their bathroom & ours our one color too. Easy sorting/putting away

As for sheets, we have 2 summer & 2 winter sets per bed (so 20 sets all together).

Dish towels are 2 per day--14 total.

bathroom hand towels-8 for the kids & 5 for ours.

guests--2 sets total. we never have anyone but family--they can use ours if needed.