The decorative towel set–a simple concept, really. If you pick a theme for your bathroom, and there on the store shelf, next to the rubber ducky toothbrush holder, shower curtain, soap dish and trashcan, is a complete set of matching towels, what else would you feel but total elation? Now you don’t have to go searching for the perfect type of towels to go with the theme. Could life be any better? Of course you buy them; it only makes logical sense, right?
Wrong. Too many people have been fooled by the deceptive perfection of the matching decorative towel set. Let’s take a closer look at this crazy phenomenon, shall we?
So you buy the towels and hang them prominently on your only towel rack. Perhaps there is a large towel for showers, a medium-sized towel for drying your hands, and a small washcloth that you place on top of the others in a nice, symmetrical triangle. It looks so cute you could die. You invite all your friends over to see the re-modeled bathroom and are sure to proudly point out the towels. Everyone is clearly impressed. Life is good.
But wait. Beneath this seemingly fantastic scenario, something dark and ominous is lurking.
Question: Do you ever actually use the decorative towels? Answer from 90 percent of decorative towel owners: “No, of course not; they are purely for decoration. By using them, I would pose the risk of getting them dirty and worn out and I may never be able to find these towels again! Just look at how perfectly they match my curtain! How dare you even suggest such an atrocity?” Whoa, chill out; it was just a simple question.
Anyway, many people refuse to use the towels and have even been guilty of yelling at innocent loved ones making the terrible mistake of trying to reach for one. It’s probably not uncommon for husbands and wives to roam the house in stony silence for weeks after an argument about the decorative towel set. You see, men generally only see the utility of things-towels were made to use for drying off. Women, on the other hand, can see past this glaringly obvious flaw in logic–being a decoration is a use.
In addition to hanging there day after day, perhaps year after year, gathering dust and tempting everyone to use them, the towels also cause another problem: they are hanging on what could otherwise be a very useful towel bar.
While these unused, dry towels take center stage on the only towel bar in the room (in many cases), wet, used towels are strewn on the floor, crumpled on the counter, tossed over the shower-curtain rod, or hung on the doorknob.
Are you beginning to see all the damage these seemingly innocent towel sets can cause?
Does this mean that you should never buy towels that match your décor perfectly? Of course not; that would be silly. But there are some things you should ask yourself before making this decision, or even if you already have them.
Would buying these towels cause relationships with loved ones to suffer or improve? Would it be better to buy several towels in a neutral color such as tan or white so that they could be used and hung up without causing undue guilt? If you insist on buying them, could another rack be purchased for the other towels?
You may still think that buying decorative towels is not that big of a deal, but think good and hard before making any rash decisions. It could negatively impact you for years to come.
*Disclaimer: I frequently take a silly observation and blow it way out of proportion as a joke. Please do not take offense if you or someone you love owns an unused decorative towel set and the towels are very dear to you or them. My mother and sister both own decorative towel sets and I still love them; I don’t judge. I’ve even been guilty of telling others not to use the towels. Also, all quotes and statistics used herein are purely imagined and are used solely for entertainment purposes.
**Note: Currently there are no support groups for couples arguing about towels. My advice: get separate bathrooms, if at all possible. This is good advice whether you’re arguing about towels or not. Women hate stubble in the sink and men hate fifty different products in the shower.
