How Many Towels Does a Household Need? The Simple Calculation
How many towels does a household actually need? With too few, one is always missing just as you step out of the shower. With too many, the cupboard overflows and half of them sit unused for years. The good news: with a simple rule of thumb and two questions – how many people, and how often do you do laundry? – you quickly arrive at the right amount. Here you will find the calculation, tables for singles, couples and families, and the extras that are often forgotten.
Contents10
- The basic rule: three per person and towel type
- How many towels for which washing rhythm?
- Towels per person: singles, couples, families
- An example calculation for a family
- The extras that are often forgotten
- Fewer towels, same effect: multi-purpose instead of special towels
- Fewer, but the right ones
- How to tell the amount isn't right
- Conclusion
- Frequently asked questions
The basic rule: three per person and towel type
The best-known rule of thumb is: per person and towel type, you need three.
- One in use: It hangs in the bathroom and is currently being used.
- One in the wash: It is in the basket or drying on the line.
- One in reserve: It sits fresh in the cupboard in case something comes up.
“Towel type” means the towels you use every day: bath towel, hand towel and – if you use them – washcloths. Everything else, such as guest, sauna or beach towels, is added on top. By the way, washcloths are far from standard in every household – if you don't use them, just ignore that row in the tables.
How many towels for which washing rhythm?
The rule of three works well for households that do laundry two or three times a week. If you wash less often, you need more stock. Here's how to calculate:
- Consider how often you change a towel type per week (for example the bath towel twice).
- Divide this by the number of laundry days per week. That is the amount needed between two washes.
- Add one for the laundry basket and one as a reserve.
| Washing rhythm | Bath towels per person | Hand towels per person | Washcloths per person |
|---|---|---|---|
| Several times a week | 2–3 | 2–3 | 4–5 |
| Once a week | 3–4 | 3–4 | 7–8 |
| Every two weeks | 5–6 | 5–6 | 14+ |
The values assume common changing rhythms: bath towel after a few uses, hand towel every few days, washcloth daily. Exactly how often is covered in the article Changing towels: how often?
Towels per person: singles, couples, families
For a household that does laundry about twice a week, this is roughly the basic set:
| Towel type | 1 person | 2 people | 4 people |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bath towel | 3 | 6 | 12 |
| Hand towel | 3 | 6 | 10–12 |
| Washcloth (if used) | 5 | 10 | 20 |
| Guest towel | 2 | 2–4 | 4 |
| Sauna/hammam towel | 2–3 | 4–6 | as needed |
| Beach towel | 1 | 2 | 4 or 1 XXL + 2 |
This is a guide, not a fixed rule. Families with small children often need a few more hand towels, because children's hands get dried more often.
An example calculation for a family
Two adults and two children, laundry once a week. The adults go to the sauna together every week, and one child trains twice a week at a sports club.
- Bath towels: 4 people × 3–4 = 12–16
- Hand towels: 4 people × 3–4 = 12–16, some of them smaller ones for the children
- Guest towels: 4 small ones for the guest toilet, 2 sets for overnight visitors
- Sauna: 2 people × 3 towels = 6, because laundry is only done once a week
- Sport: 2–3 sports towels for the child
- Beach: 1 large family towel and 4 towels for drying off, which serve as a reserve for the rest of the year
It sounds like a lot, but it is spread across very different purposes. If you combine sauna and beach towels, you quickly save a whole pile here.
The extras that are often forgotten
Guests
For overnight visitors you need one bath towel and one hand towel per guest, and two or three small towels to rotate in the guest toilet. Small, light towels such as the Diamant mini hammam towel (approx. 90 × 45 cm, approx. 120 g) take up hardly any space in the cupboard. Keep guest linen together as a complete set so you don't have to search when visitors arrive at short notice.
Sauna
Two to three towels per sauna visit are usual: one for the bench, one for drying off, one for the lounger. If you go every week, add a second set for the wash. We explain this in detail in the article How many sauna towels do you need? A practical bundle is the Single hammam towel set with two Ocean hammam towels (180 × 100 cm) and one Ocean StayOn (200 × 70 cm) for €89.90 – individually it would cost €104.70. For two people there is the Couple hammam towel set with double the quantity.
Sport
If you train two or three times a week, you need two or three sports towels of your own so that there is always a fresh one in your bag. Towels that dry quickly and fold up small are best. A mini hammam towel even fits in the side pocket of a backpack.
Beach and holidays
One beach towel per person is usually enough. At the beach, families often use one large shared towel to lie on, such as the Coastline XXL beach towel at 240 × 200 cm, and add a few towels for drying off. If you travel a lot, pack light towels that take up little space in your suitcase.
Fewer towels, same effect: multi-purpose instead of special towels
How many towels you need also depends on how versatile they are. If you have a separate towel for every purpose – bath towel, sauna towel, beach towel, picnic blanket – you quickly end up with a large number. A hammam towel can take on several roles: it is big enough as a bath towel and as a towel to lie on in the sauna and at the beach. The Ocean hammam towel measures 180 × 100 cm, is flat-woven and, in our experience at the Meri Sauna, dries indoors in about an hour. Because it dries faster than thick terry cloth, you can often manage with one towel fewer in rotation.
Fewer, but the right ones
With towels, it pays not to simply keep buying more. A few thoughts:
- Use them evenly: Put freshly washed towels at the bottom of the pile and take from the top. That way all of them are used equally and age at the same rate.
- Replace in sets: When towels are worn out, buy two or three of the same kind at once. Then the pile matches again.
- Start small when moving in: Begin with the rule of three and only add what is really missing after a few weeks.
How to tell the amount isn't right
- Too few: You wash individual towels in between so there is one for the evening, or you use towels longer than you'd like.
- Too many: Whole piles sit unused at the back of the cupboard, and the number of towels exceeds the space.
- The wrong mix: Plenty of bath towels, but not a single fresh guest towel when visitors arrive.
If the cupboard is overflowing, a thorough clear-out helps, as described in the article Organising your linen cupboard.
Related reading: Guest towel: why the mini hammam towel is such a good fit · Mini hammam towel in the kitchen: a tea towel with style · Bathrobe instead of towel: drying off after a shower
Conclusion
Three per person and towel type is a good rule of thumb for households that do laundry several times a week. If you wash less often, plan more stock, plus towels for guests, sauna, sport and beach. Multi-purpose towels such as hammam towels reduce the number, because one towel does several jobs and dries quickly. That way you always have a fresh towel to hand without the cupboard bursting at the seams.
Frequently asked questions
How many towels does a single person need?
With two laundry days a week, about three bath towels and three hand towels, plus two guest towels and, depending on your hobbies, sauna or sports towels.
How many towels does a couple need?
Around six bath towels and six hand towels, plus guest and leisure towels. If you only do laundry once a week, plan two or three more.
How many sauna towels do I need per visit?
Usually two or three: one for the bench, one for drying off, one for the lounger.
Should all towels be the same colour?
That's a matter of taste. But one colour per person helps keep the towels apart.
How many towels do I need for guests?
One bath towel and one hand towel per overnight guest, and two or three small towels to rotate in the guest toilet.
Personally written by Martin – founder of BeachAndSteam and sauna operator at Lake Kulkwitz for more than 18 years.