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Optimal Number of Towels Debate

Added 6 years ago / Updated 27 days ago
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Matthew Yglesias @mattyglesias Follow The true cost of towel-ownership is the space it takes up, not the price of the towels, so the appropriate amount to own is a function of local housing costs. 11:06 AM-18 Feb 2019 from Manhattan, NY
elan gale @theyearofelan Follow Just checked Amazon. They're out of towels. All the towels are gone. Hope y all got your towels in a safe place. Hold your towels tight 12:53 AM-18 Feb 2019
libby watson @libbycwatson Following owning a lot of towels is for: 1) very rich people 2) parents, but only after you leave home and yet all the towels are 15 years old and torn somehow 10:33 PM-17 Feb 2019
Captain Cope @chillblaine Follow The correct amount iS, the amount she tells you is the correct amount You're welcome. Five bucks, please abdul @Advil hello fellow adults. my gf and i have a question... what is the correct amount of towels to own? i said 10 and she looked at me like i was crazy. we have zero frame of reference on the appropriate amount of towels in a household of two. 11:21 AM 18 Feb 2019
Jeannie Lee@CBC @JeannieLee88 Follow V Correct answer: whatever is correct for you. #adulting abdul @Advil hello fellow adults. my gf and i have a question... what is the correct amount of towels to own? i said 10 and she looked at me like i was crazy. we have zero frame of reference on the appropriate amount of towels in a household of two. 11:49 AM 18 Feb 2019
R. A. Scientist @CoquiTalks Trash 12+ My father's rule of thumb was to have enough to skip laundry for 2 weeks. I keep enough for at least 3. Follow abdul @Advil hello fellow adults. my gf and i have a question... what is the correct amount of towels to own? i said 10 and she looked at me like i was crazy. we have zero frame of reference on the appropriate amount of towels in a household of two. 9:59 AM 18 Feb 2019
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About • Origin • Spread • Various Examples • Search Interest • External References • Recent Images

About

Optimal Number of Towels Debate refers to a viral discussion which took place on Twitter in February of 2019 about how many towels a household of two should own.

Origin

On February 17th, 2019, Twitter user @Advil tweeted "hello fellow adults. my gf and i have a question… what is the correct amount of towels to own? i said 10 and she looked at me like i was crazy. we have zero frame of reference on the appropriate amount of towels in a household of two."[1] The tweet gained over 2,200 replies, 670 retweets, and 9,700 likes (shown below).

abdul @Advil Follow V hello fellow adults. my gf and i have a question... what is the correct amount of towels to own? i said 10 and she looked at me like i was crazy. we have zero frame of reference on the appropriate amount of towels in a household of two. 3:36 PM- 17 Feb 2019

Spread

The tweet quickly began generating impassioned responses. User @lizzieohreally[2] posted a list that gained over 20 retweets and 700 likes (shown below, left). User @LaurenEMorrill[3] posted her rule regarding towels, gaining over 440 retweets and 5,500 likes (shown below, right).


Lizzie O'Leary @lizzieohreally Follow Replying to @Advil 6 big nice towels 6 nice hand towels 4 - 6 fancy hand towels 6 washcloths 3 gross towels doe dogs/mud/whatever 2 backups just in case 9:53 PM 17 Feb 2019
Lauren Morrill @LaurenEMorrill Follow My random rule of thumb: Two full sets for each person in the house, plus a full set for each guest you have space for. If you have a dog, you need approximately 100 more. abdul @Advil hello fellow adults. my gf and i have a question... what is the correct amount of towels to own? i said 10 and she looked at me like i was crazy. we have zero frame of reference on the appropriate amount of towels in a household of two. 11:25 AM 18 Feb 2019

Twitter user @Yashar[4] posted a response that generated by far the most discussion, saying a household of two should have "10 Bath Sheets, 10 Bath Towels, 10 Hand Towels, 20 Wash Cloths. Preferably more" (shown below).

Yashar Ali @yashar Follow As a couple you should own a minimum of the following 10 Bath Sheets 10 Bath Towels 10 Hand Towels 20 Wash Cloths Preferably more abdul @Advil hello fellow adults. my gf and i have a question... what is the correct amount of towels to own? i said 10 and she looked at me like i was crazy. we have zero frame of reference on the appropriate amount of towels in a household of two. 9:46 PM 17 Feb 2019

Many Twitter users reacted to @Yashar's tweet with surprise, as his recommendation seemed like a very large amount of towels. User @MattSBN[5] quipped "Did a towel write this?" to @yashar's tweet, gaining over 230 retweets and 3,500 likes (shown below, left). Writer Drew Magary[6] replied to the tweet, joking, "Do you live in Buckingham Palace?", gaining over 30 retweets and 750 likes (shown below, right). The entire debate about towels was covered by Twitter Moments[7] and Mashable.[8]

The Other Matt Brown @MattSBN Follow Did a towel write this Yashar Ali @yashar As a couple you should own a minimum of the following 10 Bath Sheets 10 Bath Towels... Show this thread 10:45 AM-18 Feb 2019
Drew Magary$ @drewmagary Following Do you live in Buckingham Palace Yashar Ali@yashar As a couple you should own a minimum of the following 10 Bath Sheets 10 Bath Towels... Show this thread 10:37 AM-18 Feb 2019

Various Examples

R. A. Scientist @CoquiTalks Trash 12+ My father's rule of thumb was to have enough to skip laundry for 2 weeks. I keep enough for at least 3. Follow abdul @Advil hello fellow adults. my gf and i have a question... what is the correct amount of towels to own? i said 10 and she looked at me like i was crazy. we have zero frame of reference on the appropriate amount of towels in a household of two. 9:59 AM 18 Feb 2019
Jeannie Lee@CBC @JeannieLee88 Follow V Correct answer: whatever is correct for you. #adulting abdul @Advil hello fellow adults. my gf and i have a question... what is the correct amount of towels to own? i said 10 and she looked at me like i was crazy. we have zero frame of reference on the appropriate amount of towels in a household of two. 11:49 AM 18 Feb 2019
Captain Cope @chillblaine Follow The correct amount iS, the amount she tells you is the correct amount You're welcome. Five bucks, please abdul @Advil hello fellow adults. my gf and i have a question... what is the correct amount of towels to own? i said 10 and she looked at me like i was crazy. we have zero frame of reference on the appropriate amount of towels in a household of two. 11:21 AM 18 Feb 2019
libby watson @libbycwatson Following owning a lot of towels is for: 1) very rich people 2) parents, but only after you leave home and yet all the towels are 15 years old and torn somehow 10:33 PM-17 Feb 2019
elan gale @theyearofelan Follow Just checked Amazon. They're out of towels. All the towels are gone. Hope y all got your towels in a safe place. Hold your towels tight 12:53 AM-18 Feb 2019
Matthew Yglesias @mattyglesias Follow The true cost of towel-ownership is the space it takes up, not the price of the towels, so the appropriate amount to own is a function of local housing costs. 11:06 AM-18 Feb 2019 from Manhattan, NY

Search Interest

External References

[1] Twitter – @Advil

[2] Twitter – @lizzieohreally

[3] Twitter – @LaurenEMorrill

[4] Twitter – @yashar

[5] Twitter – @Mattsbn

[6] Twitter – Drew Magary

[7] Twitter Moments – The real test of adulting is the magic number of towels one should own

[8] Mashable – Why is everyone on Twitter talking about towels?

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Optimal Number of Towels Debate

Optimal Number of Towels Debate

Updated Jan 29, 2025 at 09:06PM EST by LiterallyAustin.

Added Feb 19, 2019 at 11:06AM EST by Adam.

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About

Optimal Number of Towels Debate refers to a viral discussion which took place on Twitter in February of 2019 about how many towels a household of two should own.

Origin

On February 17th, 2019, Twitter user @Advil tweeted "hello fellow adults. my gf and i have a question… what is the correct amount of towels to own? i said 10 and she looked at me like i was crazy. we have zero frame of reference on the appropriate amount of towels in a household of two."[1] The tweet gained over 2,200 replies, 670 retweets, and 9,700 likes (shown below).


abdul @Advil Follow V hello fellow adults. my gf and i have a question... what is the correct amount of towels to own? i said 10 and she looked at me like i was crazy. we have zero frame of reference on the appropriate amount of towels in a household of two. 3:36 PM- 17 Feb 2019

Spread

The tweet quickly began generating impassioned responses. User @lizzieohreally[2] posted a list that gained over 20 retweets and 700 likes (shown below, left). User @LaurenEMorrill[3] posted her rule regarding towels, gaining over 440 retweets and 5,500 likes (shown below, right).


Lizzie O'Leary @lizzieohreally Follow Replying to @Advil 6 big nice towels 6 nice hand towels 4 - 6 fancy hand towels 6 washcloths 3 gross towels doe dogs/mud/whatever 2 backups just in case 9:53 PM 17 Feb 2019 Lauren Morrill @LaurenEMorrill Follow My random rule of thumb: Two full sets for each person in the house, plus a full set for each guest you have space for. If you have a dog, you need approximately 100 more. abdul @Advil hello fellow adults. my gf and i have a question... what is the correct amount of towels to own? i said 10 and she looked at me like i was crazy. we have zero frame of reference on the appropriate amount of towels in a household of two. 11:25 AM 18 Feb 2019

Twitter user @Yashar[4] posted a response that generated by far the most discussion, saying a household of two should have "10 Bath Sheets, 10 Bath Towels, 10 Hand Towels, 20 Wash Cloths. Preferably more" (shown below).


Yashar Ali @yashar Follow As a couple you should own a minimum of the following 10 Bath Sheets 10 Bath Towels 10 Hand Towels 20 Wash Cloths Preferably more abdul @Advil hello fellow adults. my gf and i have a question... what is the correct amount of towels to own? i said 10 and she looked at me like i was crazy. we have zero frame of reference on the appropriate amount of towels in a household of two. 9:46 PM 17 Feb 2019

Many Twitter users reacted to @Yashar's tweet with surprise, as his recommendation seemed like a very large amount of towels. User @MattSBN[5] quipped "Did a towel write this?" to @yashar's tweet, gaining over 230 retweets and 3,500 likes (shown below, left). Writer Drew Magary[6] replied to the tweet, joking, "Do you live in Buckingham Palace?", gaining over 30 retweets and 750 likes (shown below, right). The entire debate about towels was covered by Twitter Moments[7] and Mashable.[8]


The Other Matt Brown @MattSBN Follow Did a towel write this Yashar Ali @yashar As a couple you should own a minimum of the following 10 Bath Sheets 10 Bath Towels... Show this thread 10:45 AM-18 Feb 2019 Drew Magary$ @drewmagary Following Do you live in Buckingham Palace Yashar Ali@yashar As a couple you should own a minimum of the following 10 Bath Sheets 10 Bath Towels... Show this thread 10:37 AM-18 Feb 2019

Various Examples


R. A. Scientist @CoquiTalks Trash 12+ My father's rule of thumb was to have enough to skip laundry for 2 weeks. I keep enough for at least 3. Follow abdul @Advil hello fellow adults. my gf and i have a question... what is the correct amount of towels to own? i said 10 and she looked at me like i was crazy. we have zero frame of reference on the appropriate amount of towels in a household of two. 9:59 AM 18 Feb 2019 Jeannie Lee@CBC @JeannieLee88 Follow V Correct answer: whatever is correct for you. #adulting abdul @Advil hello fellow adults. my gf and i have a question... what is the correct amount of towels to own? i said 10 and she looked at me like i was crazy. we have zero frame of reference on the appropriate amount of towels in a household of two. 11:49 AM 18 Feb 2019 Captain Cope @chillblaine Follow The correct amount iS, the amount she tells you is the correct amount You're welcome. Five bucks, please abdul @Advil hello fellow adults. my gf and i have a question... what is the correct amount of towels to own? i said 10 and she looked at me like i was crazy. we have zero frame of reference on the appropriate amount of towels in a household of two. 11:21 AM 18 Feb 2019 libby watson @libbycwatson Following owning a lot of towels is for: 1) very rich people 2) parents, but only after you leave home and yet all the towels are 15 years old and torn somehow 10:33 PM-17 Feb 2019 elan gale @theyearofelan Follow Just checked Amazon. They're out of towels. All the towels are gone. Hope y all got your towels in a safe place. Hold your towels tight 12:53 AM-18 Feb 2019 Matthew Yglesias @mattyglesias Follow The true cost of towel-ownership is the space it takes up, not the price of the towels, so the appropriate amount to own is a function of local housing costs. 11:06 AM-18 Feb 2019 from Manhattan, NY

Search Interest

External References

[1] Twitter – @Advil

[2] Twitter – @lizzieohreally

[3] Twitter – @LaurenEMorrill

[4] Twitter – @yashar

[5] Twitter – @Mattsbn

[6] Twitter – Drew Magary

[7] Twitter Moments – The real test of adulting is the magic number of towels one should own

[8] Mashable – Why is everyone on Twitter talking about towels?

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“A towel, [The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy] says, is about the most massively useful thing an interstellar hitchhiker can have. Partly it has great practical value. You can wrap it around you for warmth as you bound across the cold moons of Jaglan Beta; you can lie on it on the brilliant marble-sanded beaches of Santraginus V, inhaling the heady sea vapors; you can sleep under it beneath the stars which shine so redly on the desert world of Kakrafoon; use it to sail a miniraft down the slow heavy River Moth; wet it for use in hand-to-hand-combat; wrap it round your head to ward off noxious fumes or avoid the gaze of the Ravenous Bugblatter Beast of Traal (such a mind-boggingly stupid animal, it assumes that if you can't see it, it can't see you); you can wave your towel in emergencies as a distress signal, and of course dry yourself off with it if it still seems to be clean enough.”

- Douglas Adams, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

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