What's your hand towel solution at a big party?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s fairly common for people to have paper towels on a nice stand in the powder room…because nobody uses the germy hand towels. Put out dial soap (hand pump), purell, and hand lotion.

The disposable “hand towel” napkins inevitably overflow the trash basket (and some moron will flush one).

Dial? Blech.

Doctors use dial in their offices…because it kills germs.

If you are hosting a bunch of people at your house, you want to use dial and disposable towels/paper towels…unless you want everyone to get sick right before the holidays.

My pediatrician was the one who told me to ditch hand towels and put paper towels by every sink in my house, and that was 25 years ago (long before covid).

[Anonymous]

I use the Kleenex hand towels in our powder room for guests. Recently, I started putting a set of cloth hand towels out as well for those who have environmental concerns. Most of our guests seem to go for the paper towels. I have a very nice cover I found on Amazon that covers the ugly Kleenex box.

I feel like it’s a mix when we go to others homes. My sister offers both. A few friends and relatives only offer cloth. In that case, it’s nice when there are multiple towels put out and someone changes them out at some point. When I go to my SILs, she puts out one single cloth towel. There will be 20 family members and one soaked towel. It’s really gross and sometimes visibly dirty. I have attempted to rewash my hands in the kitchen before eating and lo and behold she doesn’t have paper towels there either. It bothers me to the point I don’t want to eat dinner there.

[Anonymous]

Just have 2-3 normal fresh cloth hand towels in the powder room. You are overthinking it.

Putting disposable handtowels means that there is a danger of someone trying to flush it down.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just have 2-3 normal fresh cloth hand towels in the powder room. You are overthinking it.

Putting disposable handtowels means that there is a danger of someone trying to flush it down.

And then everyone can share their germs. Great idea, pp!

[Anonymous]

disposables but then you have to take away the regular ones

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We're having a big holiday party next weekend. With kids, expect somewhere from 60-90 people. Not catered, not formal, but we live in a really nice house and do it up really nicely -- DH and I both love to entertain.

Every year that we throw this party, i struggle with the best solution of hand drying towels in the bathroom. When i was a lot younger and we'd throw a party with 20 friends, I wouldn't even think about it -- and i remember being surprised and mildly guilty-feeling at the end of the night when I noticed that everyone just had to use the cloth hand towel that was already in our bathroom day to day, because by the end of the night it would be soaking wet and (if it was white) kind of yellowing. Gross.

Over the years, i've tried different solutions. The one that makes the most sense to me is disposable "cloth" towels like they have in nicer restaurants and i would put them in a non-disposable holder I got on amazon designed for this purpose. I used to be able to get those disposable clothes at Target or the grocery store, but they don't carry them anymore. But in any event, even when i put them out, people seemed confused by their purpose and they got less use than i expected.

Stores near me do carry a Kleenex branded version of "hand towels" - but you have to use them in the Kleenex box they come in; if you pull out the whole wad, they are an awkward size and don't fit anywhere else and won't stand up on their own. So then you have a Kleenex branded (ugly) box in your bathroom, that doesn't obviously say "Hand Towel" on it. So when i've used that approach.... poor guests end up not knowing it's hand towels, and at the end of the night i find that like 2 of the kleenex towels have been used, and the full sized bath towel is sopping wet. So poor guests have been thinking they need to use the full sized bath towel.

Long story short: All the disposable solutions i've tried, at the end of the night it seems most people are still just using the same non-disposable hand towel. Which to me seems gross, but maybe it's fine?

If i have 100 people using my bathroom next weekend, what's the best way to give them a hygienic, user friendly, and obvious hand drying approach?

Try contacting your local janitorial distributor as they have access to a wider variety of paper products than consumers do and they should be able to get them for you before your party.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I use the Kleenex hand towels in our powder room for guests. Recently, I started putting a set of cloth hand towels out as well for those who have environmental concerns. Most of our guests seem to go for the paper towels. I have a very nice cover I found on Amazon that covers the ugly Kleenex box.

I feel like it’s a mix when we go to others homes. My sister offers both. A few friends and relatives only offer cloth. In that case, it’s nice when there are multiple towels put out and someone changes them out at some point. When I go to my SILs, she puts out one single cloth towel. There will be 20 family members and one soaked towel. It’s really gross and sometimes visibly dirty. I have attempted to rewash my hands in the kitchen before eating and lo and behold she doesn’t have paper towels there either. It bothers me to the point I don’t want to eat dinner there.

It’s always the woman’s fault.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just have 2-3 normal fresh cloth hand towels in the powder room. You are overthinking it.

Putting disposable handtowels means that there is a danger of someone trying to flush it down.

And then everyone can share their germs. Great idea, pp!

From their freshly washed hands!

[Anonymous]

100 people all using 1 bathroom? Definitely plan to check/clean/restock a few times. If your house can handle that many guests at an indoor event, it's surprising you do not have multiple bathrooms available.

[Anonymous]

I have to laugh at people that think towels are the culprit -

At a party one will touch the stem of a glass that has germs, serviceware handles -


The disposable towels aren’t going to be the biggest spreader of germs.

I think OP wants guests to have a more dry, than soggy hand towel. Change the towels out. If average stay is 3 hours - I bet half the guests will need to use the toilet. Won’t be a line waiting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have to laugh at people that think towels are the culprit -

At a party one will touch the stem of a glass that has germs, serviceware handles -


The disposable towels aren’t going to be the biggest spreader of germs.

I think OP wants guests to have a more dry, than soggy hand towel. Change the towels out. If average stay is 3 hours - I bet half the guests will need to use the toilet. Won’t be a line waiting.

While I agree that serving utensils spread germs, I personally avoid them by sticking to passed appetizers or simply using a clean fork to pick up food.

A lot of savvy hosts realize this and plan accordingly.

Having purell accessible near any buffet is wise and tremendously appreciated.

Nobody wants to get sick right before Christmas.

[Anonymous]

You have to assume you will catch something from a large indoor gathering. If you're visiting elderly people soon after this gathering, you may want to rethink going at all. OP didn't mention if a screen door will be open or windows cracked. Regardless, it's indoors with that many people. And likely unmasked. No hand towels. Place a sign 'no paper towels in toilet' or something. Have a trash can available in or right outside bathroom for guests to dispose oaper towel in garbage.

[Anonymous]

Oooh - what about a basket of folded towels.

Put a note reading “if you prefer a fresh towel please put the used one in the basket below & take a fresh one from basket on counter”

I won’t keep wipes (personal or Clorox) after a $300 plumber visit required from guest flushing wipes.

[Anonymous]

For such a large party, are you having a helper who could check the bathroom:periodically as well?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just have 2-3 normal fresh cloth hand towels in the powder room. You are overthinking it.

Putting disposable handtowels means that there is a danger of someone trying to flush it down.

I would not tough the cloth hand towels and would walk out with wet hands. The advantage of disposable towels is that you can use them to open the bathroom door and then toss.