Old towels are one of those things that I just never want to part with. I mean, what is more useful than a towel, right? However, if your towels are like some of mine, starting to fray at the ends, you might want to make them useful in a different way. Sure you could turn them into rags to wash the car, but there is so much more you can do with old towels.
Here are some great ideas for reusing those old towels to stretch out the value of your older towels.
Repair: Simply sew a running stitch above the unraveling edge. Then turn that uneven edge into a nice fringe. Tada–new towels. Since I am unskilled in sewing, I asked a good friend to use her machine and sew the new hem for me. She even went ahead and did a pretty zigzag stitch in a contrasting color.
Washcloths: Cut the towels into squares, round the edges and sew around for brand new washcloths. This works especially well when there is a hole in the towel that you can cut around.
Diaper Wipes: This is one of my favorite things to do with old towels, probably because I have two little ones in diapers at the moment. I cut the towels up into squares and use them as homemade diaper wipes. No sewing needed. I simply wet them with a little water and go. I wouldn’t recommend this for big messes, but for wet diaper changes or for an infant, the homemade diaper clothes work just fine.
Cleaning cloths: For cleaning clothes, you can cut the towels into whatever size works best for you (I like small dish towel size). Again, there is no sewing needed, although you could put a hem around them to make them last longer. I use these homemade cleaning cloths in my kitchen, in place of paper towels for everything from drying an apple to wiping down the kitchen counters and the sink.
Dusting cloths: soft, well-worn towels are perfect for dusting cloths. They seems to grab dust with ease and absorb just the right amount of furniture polish. No sewing needed on these. If they unravel too much, simply cut of the edges as needed.
Beach towels: Sew together two or three to make great beach towels. You can trim any ratty edges and still have enough material to wrap around a wet child or use on the hot sand.
What do you think? Do you have any great ideas for old towels?
Another way to use old towels: Five Non-Cash Ways to Help Animals/Shelters this Holiday Season