No One Knows How Many Towels We Should Have in Our Homes

It's a new dawn, a new day, and we're feeling unnerved. That's because another thing on the internet has us questioning the way we do things.If we're not grating cheese all wrong, or pooing incorrectly, we're tying our shoelaces the wrong way.But one aspect of our home lives that has been previously unquestioned is how many towels we own. While the answer might be obvious to you, it seems there is no frame of reference for the correct number.Some people say 10, others feel 40 and some people are running to their nearest homeware store to grab some new linens.The conversation broke out on the place where we oft have existential crises - Twitter - when 'world's biggest towel influencer' Abdul Dremaliasked the public how many we own.'What is the correct amount of towels to own' he asked. 'We have zero frame of reference on the appropriate amount of towels in a household of two.'The thing is, neither do we. So we did some digging to see what the acceptable number of towels actually is.hello fellow adults. my gf and i have a question... what is the correct amount of towels to own i said 10 and she looked at me like i was crazy. we have zero frame of reference on the appropriate amount of towels in a household of two.- abdul (@Advil) February 17, 2019Photographer Abdul's tweet inspired many subthreads with people making all kind of indulgent claims (50, really). Though a conclusive answer wasn't reached, people started debating over the types of towels and their purpose, adding further confusion to the whole chat.Writer Yashar Ali replied with his recommendation as well a handy breakdown of what a bath sheet, bath towel, hand and face towel look like.2. For those asking what a bath sheet is, here's a handy chart. cc: @Advil @jbillinson pic.twitter.com/p2oYTD0bGI- Yashar Ali (@yashar) February 18, 2019Designer Sue Parkinson from her eponymous brand told Metro.co.uk: 'How many towels you should own depends on how many people live in your house.'As a general rule, we suggest five per person. Two for showers/ baths (so you can have one you're using and one in the wash), one for your hair, one for washing hands and a spare for guests.'This does mean bigger families (with four members) could have around 20 - maybe more if you have young children or pets! It also depends on the type of person. Some people would never consider using less than a bath towel to dry themselves with, while other are happy to use a hand towel.Asda, Lidl, Next and Argos all have some great 'back to university' homeware dealsPrimark releases Harry Potter-themed bedding so you can have magical napsAldi launches range of Bake Off dessert inspired candles - and there's a Jaffa Cake oneMolly Freshwater, co-founder Secret Linen Store told Metro.co.uk we're going about it all wrong.'It'snot about the quantity of towels that you own,' she said. 'It's more about the quality and having the right towels for the right occasion!There is nothing like getting out of a relaxing long bath, on a Friday evening and wrapping yourself in a fluffy towel...but it's not the right towel to be dashing out of the shower at the gym.'Fluffy big towels are great for the odd occasion, but thinner, light weight towels are best for quick drying, and much easier to fold and take around to gym, beach etc.'There are also many differing sizes, so we would always say to have more small towels, and one or two larger ones. Smaller hand towels are easier to wash, dry and store and if your home is warm there isn't much need for an enormous towel to wash and dry.'Linen company Boll & Branch say that studies estimate that most people use just 20% of the towels they own so they encourage buying better than buying more.'This is why we subscribe to the rule of three when it comes to linen closet organisation,' they said. 'Yes, that's it: Three sets of sheets per bed, plus three sets of towels per person, and you're good.'The idea is that one set goes on the bed (or towel rack), one stays in the closet, and one can go in the hamper. If you're super-tidy and tend to do laundry frequently, you may even be able to get away with two.'Alternately, you may find that owning additional washcloths or pillowcases works better with your routine. But when in doubt, three sets hit the sweet spot.'Having three per person in a household also ensures one spare when the other gets dirty.If you're fancy and entertain a lot of guests, you might want to invest in a set of two per guest.So don't worry too much about stocking up a wardrobe full of 40 towels (as if you'd use all of them) if you're living solo.Now to see how many tabs we should have open.MORE: Let's fall back in love with email - there's no better form of passive aggressive work communicationMORE: Why you have so many tabs openMORE: What I Rent: Ellie, £800 a month for a studio flat in Wood Green