Recycling Old Towels

They're barely good for one dry, and then only if you happen to be no more than about a metre tall. They take up valuable cupboard space, yet still we mulishly hang on to them.

We don't let anything slip through our fingers if we can possibly find another use for it.We are talking about our old towels. So, what do we do with an old towel?. Of course the obvious comes to mind immediately, but we can re-use by ....

Folded several times it will serve as a bath mat, a kneeling pad for 'hands and knees' jobs, a 'wiper up' of spills, or something cuddly for the dog's basket.

Cut out the good bits and bind them for some new face washers.

Nifty with the needle, make patchwork hand towels, sew a motif over the thin spots, embroidery makes a nice touch.

Add a loop for hanging, thread one onto the waist tie of an apron, having something handy to dry your hands.

Gather some of the larger pieces onto a waist band and add ties, to make a very useful apron, great for drying hands, small faces, or holding squirming little bodies at bath time.

Smaller thinner pieces could be used sandwiched in between organic coloured cotton to make pot holders, tea pot covers or oven mitts.

As a lining for patchwork quilts, an old towel (or several) would be very good, warm because the loop pile would trap and hold the warm air like a cellular blanket, yet lightweight and non-allergenic for those who can't tolerate wool.

Cut to fit a baby's neck, a good piece would make a decent bib or feeder -- bound with bright coloured binding it would look quite cheerful.

What about using a bigger piece to make a pop-over apron for a grubby toddler for cooking activities, or perhaps a pair of training panties.

Soothe a cranky, teething baby, by making toys and soaking in chamomile tea and cool in the refrigerator, let baby chew to comfort. Great for bath toys as well.

Then there's a dusting mitt. Trace around the hand, allowing about 3 cm for easy fit, using as a pattern. Cut out two pieces the same, seam together and great for getting into those awkward places on the book shelves and handling those time consuming little ornaments.

Keep a small piece in the glove box of the car to dry the condensation from the windscreen on chilly mornings. Useful for mopping up any spills in the car.

What about the hot water bottle cover, or hot brick wrapper?

There would be many more ways to re-use those old worn out towels to give them a new life. Give to an animal hospital where they use them for bedding, cleaning etc.
Any animal shelter/ rescue would also welcome towels for bedding and washing animals.