Why no wash cloths at hotels?

Nobody uses washcloths in Europe and that’s why they aren’t in hotels! I know it sounds weird if you do use them but honestly you almost never see a washcloth anywhere these days. They’re a bit old fashioned. People do sometimes use them for washing babies and small children but that’s it.

Face cloths for removing makeup are used but you would bring your own.

Any clever ideas on how to have a clean actually usable wash cloth at each hotel?

As Helen said, no one uses them over there. You might find them in some higher-end American-branded hotels, but mostly, you will just need to bring your own. I quit using them years ago, even at home.

But if you really need one, then just bring a few from home (buy a supply from Costco and save them for your trips), and hang them to dry at night. If you bring 2-3 washcloths, that rotation should give you a clean and dry one to use when you need it.

Any clever ideas on how to have a clean actually usable wash cloth at each hotel?

Take some old wash cloths from home, use and toss? I am considering it. If you tend to do a clothes wash on a trip, of course you can wash them and extend their usefulness for a trip, too.

The higher up the food chain you choose in hotels (4+ star), I have noticed that in Paris and London at least, the much higher likelihood you will be provided with a wash cloth. But even the providing of wash cloths can be spotty - one day they give you some, the next day they don't. Hence why I am thinking about bringing some from home...

I bring a few of these on each trip and just toss afterwards if I end up using them. They are smaller than a standard washcloth and don’t take up any space in my suitcase.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07VM49YL5?ref_=ppx_hzsearch_conn_dt_b_fed_asin_title_1&th=1

More of my hotels do have washcloths than don’t, but you just never know which will have them.

I buy cheap wash cloths at Dollar Tree and throw them out after several days of use. To save bulk, I tried cutting each cloth into quarters and zig zag sew the edges. That worked good and I will do it again.

In the past I have tried bath puffs—too bulky. Neutrogena dry face clothes but didn’t like the cleaning solution when water activated.

Never use than and slightly resent having to move them out of the way in US hotels to get at the hand towel, especially if my hands are dripping wet.

Oh gosh! Using a wash cloth is old fashion was a shock to hear! Call me “old fashioned” I guess. Like the idea of the dollar store wash cloth but will see about getting one to use for each hotel. My body needs more than just a quarter of a wash cloth. I have used up all my old wash cloths that have become thin. Thank you all for your replies. Not using a wash cloth at this stage of the game in my life is not a possibility.

At the sink, I often use part of the hand towel as a washcloth.

Please quit taking "wash clothes" and throwing them away in Europe. They really don't want our trash and it's just so wasteful. Seriously, if all those people in Europe get clean without them surely we can tool

Once again, Rick Steves has swooped in to save the day......

His store sells quick drying Microfiber Wash Cloths

I have them but don't use them on people. I use them to wash anything I've used having a picnic or coffee in my room.

Because of dermatological problems I have to wash my face twice a day. I use washclothes to rinse my face since I'm usually not in the shower when I do this. I discovered 1/2"washcloth 'tablets.' Water turns them into a strong cloth-like facecloth which I can use for a couple of days. Before I dispose of them they are usef ul for wiping off the sink area. Amazon sells them.

I bought this whole set, but just take two to Europe --- I like the colors and they don't get lost or forgotten: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005AV03BA?ref_=ppx_hzsearch_conn_dt_b_fed_asin_title_8

For my face, I use the makeup eraser cloths. I bring handiwipes to use in the shower and I cut them in two.

I carry a loofa pad with me. Weighs nothing, dries quickly, takes up no space in my toiletry kit. Something like this:

https://www.target.com/p/unique-bargains-shower-loofah-pad-brush-beige-1-pc-4-92-x3-54/-/A-91661769

We always bring microfiber wash cloths, dry very quickly and have used the same ones from RS for many years so no waste.

As others have said, it’s not a European habit to supply washcloths so I wouldn’t expect to see them in every hotel.
I have a microfiber cloth similar to the one Frank II linked to. It has a different feel than a cotton cloth, but it gets the job done. The biggest advantage for me is that it dries much quicker than cotton, especially if you wring it out really well. I keep a little ziploc bag for when it’s still damp and it’s time to pack up.

Please quit taking "wash clothes" and throwing them away in Europe. They really don't want our trash and it's just so wasteful. Seriously, if all those people in Europe get clean without them surely we can too.

I agree with Carrie. I hate the idea of throwing away things like this in a country we visit (although I don't even like throwing them away at home). If you absolutely can't dry them out and bring them home, then find a place (pet shelter, etc.) that can use them as rags. Ask at your hotel if you don't know—they should be able to give you some idea of where you can take them.

In the states, you can donate them to Goodwill, which won't use them but will sell them as rags to industrial companies.

'it’s not a European habit to supply washcloths" This person hit the nail on the head.

We do have washcloths, actually washgloves in France, at home but they aren't supplied in hotels. The washgloves are used at the sink, not in the shower or bidet. After all these years, I can't get used to them, so I have old washcloths I brought from the States that I use from time to time. We put face wash on our faces with our hands and rinse with water. In the shower or bath, people lather up and put the soap on their bodies with their hands and rinse it off with water. I don't understand why people use washcloths in a shower or bath.

Some helpful and some interesting replies. Felt a little hostility in a few of the replies but respect their thoughts, we are all different. Just as we are all different in using or not using a wash cloth. No
right or wrong just personal difference. Thank you all for your ideas and thoughts.

I live in the US and don’t use a washcloth - traveling or at home. But, I do like bar soap, so I can lather up my skin (& avoid throwing away lots of plastic containers at home). So, I bring a half-cut bar to use during a trip. It also keeps my luggage smelling nice.

I can’t see any particular hostility in the replies but if I was being particularly sensitive your question “what’s up with this strange idea of not using wash cloths?” might encourage a blunt response.

The use of washcloths is probably a cultural and age difference. You do see them in the UK but they tend to be something used by older people. My 83 year old mum uses them, I have always thought thy were a bit nasty, but that is just a personal preference.

Some dermatologists recommend them for washing your face. I’m 52 and I have always used a washcloth for washing my face.

I don’t mind that not all hotels provide them. I just bring my own. And no, I’m not running all over looking for a place to donate my old used washcloths.

It’s just one of those cultural differences. I use these small cloths which are easy to wash out and dry overnight. They’re great for removing makeup. Just chuck one in a ziplock if it’s damp when you change locations, then wash at your next destination. https://a.co/d/5T0eU4W

My Dutch mother brought me up in Canada with face/wash cloths that are in the shape of a rectangular pocket with one’s hand placed inside. That was 60 years ago. They still exist and I still have some bought more recently. My spouse uses a face cloth for shaving as he does it the old fashioned way with a razor blade and shaving cream. The hot face cloth warms his face prior to shaving it. We have found face/wash cloths in lots of hotels in Europe and not only chain ones. I prefer washing my face with one rather than splash water.

On our recent trip in England, we bought two at Peter Jones as the hotels didn’t have them. We also brought them home for future use.

Sometimes there are generational differences regarding who uses what.

I do recall many years ago being on a group tour to Argentina. One couple was miffed that there were no wash clothes supplied at the high end hotel we were staying at, so they cut up a hotel towel to make their own. The hotel got extremely upset with them for destroying hotel property. So don't do that.

My European friends told me that washcloths are considered very personal items - like toothbrushes - that aren't to be shared. So that's the deal, and it's not at all strange to them that they're not provided in hotels.

A lot of camping towels/washcloths are quick drying so you might look at some of those? You shouldn't need more than one for a trip. For examples google Lunatec Self-Cleaning Washcloth, PHOGARY 5 Pack Microfiber Face Cloths, 6"x8" Fast Drying Bath Mitts Washcloth, Elite Trail Magic Backpacking Ultralight Quick Dry Microfiber, etc.

I use hands.

Sometimes my own.

I use those nylon mesh pouf things at home, and buy a travel size one for my trips, transports nicely in a ziplock bag and dries easily when left hanging in the shower stall.

I'm with Horsewoofie, but I only cut mine in half and then zig-zag them. I get the small, el cheapo ones from Walmart, something like 18 for $5.00.

Cheap stores like Walmart and Target are good places to buy thin washcloths. However, if you opt for colored cloths (less likely to be swept up by room cleaners or left behind by the traveler), I highly recommend testing them for colorfastness before you pack them. The cheapo, dark-colored Walmart washcloths I bought back before 2010 ran like the dickens as soon as I dipped them in cold water, rendering them useless, at least for traveling.

We typically bring a bar of soap and a couple of wash cloths in waterproof bags. Everything that isn’t consumed comes back home. Not being light packers, its an easy accommodation for us.

I use hands.

Sometimes my own.

:) Same. ;)

I am a light packer but I always make room for a couple of Ikea washcloths. I am not sure about age or cultural differences, but I can't imagine bathing or washing my face without one. I like the Ikea ones because they are thin and they have a little loop sewn on them that I can hang on the suction cup hook that I bring along. This ensures they will dry overnight. When I do laundry, I throw them in.

I can't not use a washcloth and bought Rick's (mentioned above) several years ago. I LOVE them. They dry quick, clean more efficiently than a terrycloth washcloth imho, and are with me on my current trip to Hawaii.

I use Salux waschcloths at home and while traveling. They are made of the same nylon mesh as a poof, but they are flat.

They're large, so I cut them in half to use. One washcloth packs flat in a snack-sized ziploc. I roll the washcloth in my bath towel when I'm done in the shower and it's then essentially dry and ready to baggie/pack. I'll throw it in with my clothes to wash when needed.

I purchased a couple of the Rick Steves wash cloths. They dry quickly or I roll it up and put it in a snack sized Zip Lock bag when it's still damp.

At the risk of being booed off the forum, I’ll say that I’ve found the RS quick dry cloths washcloths to be cheap and tiny. Better not to bother at all. They do work, and they dry quickly (in an hour or two if adequately wrung out), but you can do better. I got mine years ago at Bed, Bath and Beyond. I took a quick look; it appears that you might have to buy them online in a set of six these days. Try camping supply stores. I’ve also seen them there. Or, if you sew, you can buy one towel and cut and zigzag sew the edges. In addition to a washcloth, I use one (a hand towel size), uncut, for my hair and love it. Perfect size, dries quickly and handy to have when Airbnbs and hotels give you one set of towels without a washcloth for a week. (I also used it years and years ago in Moscow, where you were lucky to get a towel at all!) Also, I find that the hand towel is more practical to hang in a small bathroom. Well worth the couple of ounces in my bag.

Never used a washcloth in the US, so moving to Germany, never missed them. People use their hands. Unless you are doing some kind of filthy work all day, there is no real need to scrub away with a cloth.

Having worked in an American hotel, if you saw what people did with those wash cloths, you wouldn't use them on your face either.

For those who seem to be repulsed at the mere mention of a washcloth, I’m curious, are you bringing your own bed sheets and towels to use at hotels?

It’s not hotel washcloths I have a particular problem with, it’s washcloths in general.
Just a personal preference, I think they are unpleasant but understand other people feel differently.

I used one when I was a child but they sort of died out here. Always called it a facecloth. I think most people use one of those puff thingies in the shower if they use anything at all these days. Cultural differences.

I live in the US and don’t use a washcloth - traveling or at home. But, I do like bar soap, so I can lather up my skin (& avoid throwing away lots of plastic containers at home). So, I bring a half-cut bar to use during a trip. It also keeps my luggage smelling nice.

We also don't like the new practice of 'liquid soap' in the shower. Yes, there are some environmental benefits to the refillable liquid soap dispensers, but you need to use so much in the shower unless you remove yourself from the main 'stream', that would seem to offset any advantage over bar soap. But now we bring our own bar, and size it to just nicely run out by the end of the trip (or buy a bar on day 1 or 2 at the local Co-Op/DM/etc).

I would like to turn this around. I wish more American hotels would have what almost all European hotels have--a hand held shower.

I would like to turn this around. I wish more American hotels would have what almost all European hotels have--a hand held shower.

And - a great breakfast with cold cuts, and an espresso machine! One of my favorite experiences on any European tour.

. . . and a bidet.

...and a heated towel rack.