Do the hotels have wash cloths?

Generally no, but some International chains like Marriott or Hilton will and I guess other high end hotels as well.

I would take them, it can be hit or miss in London without knowing where you are booked.

Every hotel we have ever stayed in has had hand towel size. It’s a little bit bigger than a washcloth but it does the job.
Every trip I bring less and less and a washcloth was cut a few years ago.

They’re generally considered a personal item - like a toothbrush - so most UK hotels don’t supply them but you might find them in the big chains.

I think the use of what we call flannels or face flannels is kind of drying out in Britain but you can get little microfibre wash cloths in Boots.

Wash cloths or flannels are rare in UK hotels. Cultural difference. I see it as akin to using someone else’s toothbrush. Your view may differ.

I see it as akin to using someone else’s toothbrush. Your view may differ.

How is using a wash cloth different from using other sized towels in the bathing process? Do you get an ick factor knowing that a prior guest may have used the hand towel in your hotel room to wash their nether regions because there was no wash cloth?

Yeah, I guess my view differs. Comparing the use of a wash cloth that gets laundered to using someone else's toothbrush makes zero sense to me.

As I say, cultural differences. I wouldn’t keep eggs in a fridge either.

It's easy to understand it's a cultural difference and I don't see that it's necessary to question the finer points of the topic. I just accept it is what it is. In all the years that I have traveled to the UK I've never bothered look for a washcloth in the stack of towels and have always packed one of those nylon scrubby loofahs thingies -- it's what I use at home anyway to wash away the forge & day's coal ash -- and a quart Ziploc to pack it in when its wet on a travel day.

I’ve never seen one at any U.K. hotel. I bring a bath sponge and just throw it away when Ieave along with my travel size toiletries

No, you need to take one with you.

I was in London this past Oct. and my hotel, Sanctuary House, provided washcloths.

I always bring a couple of these just in case.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B072PKQ5ZZ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I like to have them to wash my face.

I take a standard-sized washcloth in a Ziplock bag so it can be packed away when moist.

I stayed at the Ampersand Hotel in South Kensington in October, and they provided wash cloths,

The hotel I use in Paris also provides them.

Even so, pack some old ones and toss them before coming home.

As I say, cultural differences. I wouldn’t keep eggs in a fridge either.

That is not a cultural thing in the US, it is mandated by the USDA. US eggs are washed before being packaged, and that removes the cuticle; refrigeration is necessary to avoid bacterial growth that could penetrate the shell,

I take some with me according to the number of hotels I stay at, ie. 3 washcloths for 3 hotels. I throw them away and don't carry them from hotel to hotel. This leaves extra space in my bag for things to bring home. I remember a hotel in Eastbourne had washcloths; we just had to ask the front desk for them, but as others have responded, it depends on the hotel.

I don't get the comparison between toothbrushes and washcloths. Washcloths are no different to towels, they all get laundered at high temperatures so what's the issue? Are people suggesting that they avoid using towels in hotels because a previous guest might have used them to dry their genitalia? Of course not.

To answer the OP's question, washcloths are not common in London hotels other than the major US chains but even they're starting to remove them. I stayed at a Hilton recently and there were no washcloths however it was a Hampton so as a budget hotel that might have been the reason for the omission.

Thank you, we will take our RS fast drying ones again! Those are great.

Some hotels do, some hotels don't. And some have them on request only.

If you want o find out, get in touch with your hotels.

Using a wash cloth to bathe is considered very old fashioned in Britain so I think that’s why you don’t find them in hotels. Nobody uses them for that purpose anymore. Some people do use them to remove makeup but for a trip I’d take disposable face wipes.

I had no idea that a conversation about wash cloths could be so interesting!

I love these, I like to have something to wash my face with. Also, if I have worn sandals and my feet are dusty, or if my hotel floor isn't the cleanest, it cleans my feet better.

https://www.amazon.com/Remover-Olay-Facials-Cleanser-Packaging/dp/B00479FP4Q/ref=asc_df_B00479FP4Q?mcid=e5ae2a77b53f3c098e12eff3bc44fa24&tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=693596867998&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=4134491065857874317&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9197960&hvtargid=pla-568632433133&psc=1

I have also brought an old washcloth for each location and left it behind. Or bought very inexpensive ones from a Dollar Store and done the same.

After all our years of European travel, my wife and I remain bemused by Europeans' uninterest in using washcloths. We've accustomed ourselves to it, obviously, but we don't understand it.

I think I would counter that I'm bemused by North Americans' fascination by using a bit of old cloth to wash with.

The only time I had a wash cloth in a UK hotel it had a smell. I doubt it had been used or laundered in ages.

I take a couple of oldies cut in half.

DH prefers a few bath puffs in ziplocks, and we get the 100ml concentrated shower gel from Yves Rocher. It lasts even as long as 3-4 week trips.

I just use one end of the handtowel that is almost always available. Which is pretty much what I do at home as well, sometimes at least.

I think I would counter that I'm bemused by North Americans' fascination by using a bit of old cloth to wash with.

One of the reasons Americans use a wash cloth is because our showers are generally not hand held. They are affixed to the wall.

One of the reasons Americans use a wash cloth is because our showers are generally not hand held. They are affixed to the wall.

Excellent point.

Another reason perhaps is that in the US, the bidet is virtually non-existent. I have never seen one in a US home.

I googled it, and evidently the bidet used to be found more commonly in UK homes 40+ years, but no longer is very common. Maybe the custom of no wash cloths in hotels in the UK, and also France, grew out of the use of bidets in the home? Not sure, just speculating.

In the 80s there was a small craze of putting in a bidet if you wanted to look a bit posh and had a big enough bathroom. People got used to seeing them on holidays abroad so they were associated with a sort of continental glamour. You now literally never see a bidet in a British home or in any bathroom display or interiors magazine.

We use red neckerchiefs in place of terry wash cloth. Dry very fast and ring to almost dry in a towel. The red color helps us not forget them when we move on to the next hotel. Also very light weight and can be used for other things in an emergency.

Years ago, I discovered that in a number of countries, at least France and Italy, their equivalent to U.S. washcloths is more of a small mitt (like a U.S. washcloth folded in half and the sides sewn together). I love them! I have a supply of mitt-type washcloths, bought while in Europe, that I use at home and while traveling. They are bright colors, as noted above, so I don't accidently leave them in a hotel, or have them be accidently taken by the cleaning stuff along with towels.

After all our years of European travel, my wife and I remain bemused by Europeans' uninterest in using washcloths. We've accustomed ourselves to it, obviously, but we don't understand it.

I use a shower scrunchie in the shower - and my hands for washing my face.

What we call "Swedish dishcloths" here in the US dry very quickly and I think they are a even a little lighter and faster drying than the camping washcloths I bought at an outdoor goods store. When my S dishcloths get old and I want to use a new one in the kitchen, I relegate to the travel bag or for washing the dog's eyes. They can be composted when no longer useful. Costco even carried a multipack just before Xmas---the pack had 2 sizes.

‘Using a wash cloth to bathe is considered very old fashioned in Britain so I think that’s why you don’t find them in hotels’…

Not unlike shower curtains! lol

My husband uses them with hot water on his face before he shaves. Plus, we do use them in the shower.

I use a shower scrunchie in the shower - and my hands for washing my face.

Me too Golden Girl.

I buy shower scrunchies/bath poufs at Dollar Tree for travel. Usually they come 3 or 4 to a container and cost $1.25. I discard the used one when I change hotels.

Using a wash cloth to bathe is considered very old fashioned in Britain so I think that’s why you don’t find them in hotels’…

So what 'new fashioned' method is used?

I don't think flannels or wash cloths are old fashioned. I use them myself and provide them for guests in my B&B on the Isle of Skye. They are washed on a very hot wash, the same as the guest towels.

They are much more eco friendly than wet wipes or other disposable solutions, or scrunchies made of plastics.

I have also recently been to London and Bath and found wash cloths in Sofitel at Terminal 5 Heathrow, Marriott Courtyard, and at Hotel Indigo (part of the IHG group) in Bath.

We don’t use washclothes in the shower, but I did buy a pack of these and brought a couple on our UK trip in 2023 because a couple of locations had a bathtub.. They would last for a few showers if you’re careful with them, and since they’re compressed, it was easy to pack a few “discs”.

Disposable Compressed Towel Tablets - Absorbent, Durable & Reusable Paper Towels - Great Cleaning Cloths, Camping Towels and Soft, Eco-Friendly Baby Wipes - 8.5”x11” - (25 Towels

I don’t count on hotels having wash clothes. I’ve taken plastic puffs but they took too much room in my bath bag. I tried Olay dry wipes (linked above) but body parts objected.
I finally bought cheap white wash cloths at the 99cent store, cut each into quarters, zigzag stitched the raw edges. These worked good. I used a couple a week, then tossed it. If not dry on a travel day, I stored the cloth in a ziplock bag. (This reminds me that I need more for June/July trip.)

So what 'new fashioned' method is used?

I'd like to know as well as apparently I'm an old fashioned 49 year old!

What do I. Use? The thingss in the end of my arms. Very eco friendly! And easy to pack :)

Just use your hands.

Why is this such a challenging concept? I am as clean as anyone, cleaner than many, and in 63 years it has never occurred to me that I need to wipe myself with some old rag or block the drains with a wetwipe.

I don’t understand why so much effort is expended on this topic. Especially something that is of personal comfort. As a traveler its not difficult to bring something with you. At some point we’ve all relied on the hydrophobic/hygroscopic nature of soap, but just your hands are not always enough, its just not going to exfoliate. Personally, and again it’s personal, I use a nylon scrubby because I like to wash away the day’s grime, coal ash and stink of working a forge, and I enjoy the scrubby clean feeling when I am done.

I don’t understand why so much effort is expended on this topic.

Irony?

Why all the discussion?

We like learn things and it helps remind us be more tolerant of differences when we come across them next time!

Why is this such a challenging concept? I am as clean as anyone, cleaner than many, and in 63 years it has never occurred to me that I need to wipe myself with some old rag or block the drains with a wetwipe.

Some of us like washcloths. I don't understand the compulsion to repeatedly depreciate this preference.

I don't use washcloths at home.

I have some small circular loofah pads.

However, in a hotel,

I use the washcloths on slippery shower floors to stand on.

I use the washcloths to wash my face when I want to "freshen up" before dinner without taking a shower.

I use the washcloths as make-shift napkins when I've picked up take-out on the way "home".

I use the washcloths to lay down my toothbrush, hairbrush, etc, on the bathroom counter. Also to lay down any travel bottles that need a good drying before re-packing in a 3-1-1 bag.

Sure, a hand towel size works too, but if the smaller size is sufficient, use it.

If taking them for travel, I take micro-fiber ones that dry overnight.

Also good to have if you need a make-shift ice-bag in a plastic bag and need some insulation between your skin and the ice.

My 2 cents.

Team washcloth.

Wait a minute. So you're saying, you don't share your toothbrush with others?

One day I had wandered down the street from my hotel in Rangoon, Burma (this was in the 1990s when many people still called the country by its old name). I was puzzled when I encountered a person on the sidewalk with a large plastic tub filled with water, with what looked to me to be a wooden 2 x 4 standing up in the middle of the tub, sticking up to roughly shoulder-level. There was a wire or a string attached to the top of the 2 x 4, dangling down to (and into) the level of the water in the tub below. Upon closer inspection, I noticed there were actually two wires/strings attached to the top of the 2 x 4. One of them was attached to a plastic cup that was floating in the tub, the other just seemed to be danging there in the water. As I was standing there taking in the scene, a man walked up to this contraption, handed a coin to it's owner, grabbed the wire or string not attached to the plastic cup, pulling a plastic toothbrush up from the gray-ish water in the tub. The toothbrush looked like it had a lot of miles on it. At first I couldn't quite understand what this was all about, then the guy who had handed over the coin proceeded to brush his teeth with it. When finished, he simply dropped the toothbrush, it disappeared back into the tub below, he grabbed the other wire/string, used the cup to scoop up some water, dropping the cup to complete his business, then walked away down the street. I watched dumbfounded. A minute later, someone else walked up the to contraption, handed the owner a coin, and repeated the procedure. Ohhhhhhhhh... I think I skipped dinner that night (and definitely appreciated the exclusivity and luxury of my hotel room with private bath and bottled water).

Ah, the romance of travel. Washcloths, eh?

Some do. Some don’t. I love my washcloths. I buy baby size BAMBOO washcloths. Keep them packed in ziplock bag. Perfect for freshening up. Showering. Kitty baths. I throw them away before flying home if I think I can’t get them clean or smelling fresh again. Baby size doesn’t take much space & they dry overnight. IMHO I find space for them.