Monday, August 20, 2012

A Quick List of Linens to Keep on Hand for the Minimalist

Kitchen:
7 white cleaning cloths (for wiping down the counters, stovetop & small appliances daily)_
7 dishtowels_
7 hand towels_

Bathroom #1:
3 white bath towels (changed every 2 to 4 days)_
7 white hand towels (changed daily)_
7 white washcloths (if you use one to wash your face and/or body, it should be changed daily)_
7 white cleaning cloths (one for each day's swish-and-swipe)_

Bathroom or person #2, or for guests:
3 colored towels (not white; changed every 2 to 4 days)_
7 colored hand towels (changed daily)_
7 colored washcloths (if you use one to wash your face and/or body, it should be changed daily)_
7 white cleaning cloths (one for each day's swish-and-swipe)_

(If there are more people in the house, just keep repeating this pattern, but with a different color for each person)

Weekly Household Cleaning:
12 white cleaning cloths (approx. 6 for the kitchen, 3 for bathroom #1 & 3 for bathroom #2; if you have more bathrooms, just keep adding 3 cloths for each one)_
5 polishing cloths (used with furniture polish; very large homes with a lot of wood walls, shelves and/or furniture may need more cloths, but 5 is a good for the average home)_
6 old white hand towels (for cleaning up fairly small household spills or carpet stains)_

Emergencies:
4 to 6 old bath towels (preferably white or ivory) for cleaning up carpet stains, wiping up water if a pipe or hose leaks or for cushioning items during a move (either in a cardboard box or in the car)_

Here's to being an organized minimalist,
Liz

4 comments:

  1. Hi Liz
    I was just wondering, how do you keep all the white cloths and towels pristine and stainless?
    I adore them, but I must admit I am unable to keep them lovely and white.

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  2. Hi, Santie. I always use Clorox bleach on my white bath towels, hand towels, washcloths & dishtowels. I use 1/2 cup of bleach once the wash water is in the tank for a smaller load & 1 cup for a full load in a normal-sized washing machine. Towels should always be washed in hot water, because that is what kills germs, bacteria & dust mites. It also prevents that nasty "stale" smell that you'll find in some places over time (salons tend to have this problem if their towels aren't washed in hot water, example). Another big thing with hot loads is to always use powdered detergent & never liquid- powder works better than liquid in hot water, is more cleansing & leaves items smelling fresher. I promise that towels will stay white forever with this process. :)

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    Replies
    1. Thank you, Liz- I'll take all my white linens out of exile:)

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  3. LOL, you're welcome, Santie. Glad to hear your white linens are getting released for use. :D

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