Stocking towels might seem like a fairly mundane part of your hosting experience, but getting it right could save you a lot of money and stress.

Even if you’re not looking to create a super-luxurious experience, soft, decent-sized towels are a must.

But you’ll also need to get a lot of them.

A house full of guests will use up a lot of your stock in one go, and you don’t want to be relying on washing and drying those towels before your next guests arrive in case something goes wrong (and things do go wrong).

I think it’s best to have around three lots of towels to fully stock your home at max capacity.

So, if your guest limit is four and you intend to leave one bath towel and one hand towel per guest, you want to have around 12 of each.

If you’re feeling generous and want to leave each guest two towels, you’ll need double (side note – that will be A LOT of washing to do in one go).

That may sound like heaps, but really that’s the minimum I want knocking around. You really can never have enough clean sheets and towels in a short-term let.

This is because some guests can go through towels and sheets like water, and you can rarely tell which guests will do it until it’s too late.

They don’t care that you spent £20 on a nice John Lewis bath sheet – they’re still going to use it to dry off after they’ve fake tanned their legs or dyed their hair.

So, towels aren’t something you want to spend a lot of money on.

I started out with a good batch of eight John Lewis’s basic white towels, eight of Ikea’s cheapest white bath towels and six Ikea bath mats (all linked with prices below). I also bought a load of cheap tea towels from Ikea which have held up well.

I’ve since added around six of Asda’s white bath towels and hand towels (also linked below) and have given four permanently-stained towels away to my cleaner. It’s not a terrible rate, but it’s worth bearing in mind before splashing out.

I have managed to salvage a few towels that looked like they might be done for, so always have a go at washing stained towels on a hot cycle before throwing them out.

How my towels have fared

The John Lewis Anyday towels have lasted really well and feel high quality.

I’ve been using them for a year now and they’ve always come up white and fluffy after a wash, even if they appeared stained beforehand.

Unfortunately, John Lewis appears to have discontinued the exact towels I bought in 2022. However, they have similar towels for a slightly higher price that I’m sure are very similar, if not better.

The Ikea bath towels have kept their shape after being washed, but haven’t fared quite as well if they’ve got stained. I’ve had to chuck a few out, but then again, they’re only £1.75.

I’d highly recommend Ikea’s cheap white bath mats, though, as they’ve always come up very clean.

Asda’s white cotton towels are pretty cheap for the quality. They don’t feel as nice or thick as John Lewis’s, but for £1-£3, they do the job and it hurts less when guests mistreat them.

Ikea sells a pack of four tea towels for £3, and while they’re fairly small, they do the job and have lasted surprisingly well.

Here are the towels I use:

• John Lewis Anyday Quick Dry White Towels: bath towel £9, hand towel £5
• Asda White 100% Cotton Towels: bath towel £3.75, hand towel £1.50
• Ikea NÄRSEN White Bath Towel: £1.75
• Ikea FINTSEN White Bath Mat: £2.25
• Ikea RINNIG tea towels: £3 for four