The longer the cotton fiber, the more lasting the cloth. A longer twisted cotton fiber can't shed off pieces as easily as a short one does. These fibers make less lint and so don't get thin as fast. The best is linen followed by the cottons- Egyptian and then prima. All are wonderful and soft. I prefer linen but linen towels are not loopy they are flat like heavy tablecloths. Linen is naturally antibacterial and absorbs more water than cotton and dries in the air faster than cotton. A lower thread count sheet is cooler in summer than a higher thread count sheet. Try it and see. A lower thread count sheet lasts fine if the fibers are long. My linen 250 sheets have 20 years at least and are so soft now. I don't bleach them. If you want to whiten discolored linen try oxyclean. But for occasional brightening, lay them out over grass for a day in summer. Someone said something about chlorophyll.....I don't know why it works for both linen and cotton. Chlorine bleach is a killer. It breaks down fibers so they shed off lint. They become thin and brittle and eventually tear apart. Did you know that material wealth used to mean the linens a household had? Women spent years as children spinning and weaving and decorating sheets, towels and other household textiles to go into dowry chests. They were meant to last. The softest and longest lasting was linen. Ancient Egyptian linen still survives. Linen is the choice fiber for both the Vatican and the White House. Cotton is American because we don't have the right climate for flax like Belgium and Ireland. Still the looms that handle the finest thinnest cotton thread are in Switzerland and Italy I think. The beautiful cotton men's shirts are all woven there. I put traditional cotton loop towels out for guests because that's what they expect, but I use my old soft linen for myself. I sew it the size I want and it's going to outlast me.

Olychick, thank you for the link to the waterproof cotton mattress pad! I have a waterproof liner that I purchased from Sleepy's several years ago when I bought my new mattress. It drives me crazy because it doesn't fit well and bunches up. I must be a direct descendent of the Princess and the Pea because just the tiniest wrinkle fells like a rock ledge to me. I have six sheet sets mostly from trying to find that perfect set. I like a crisp feel and it is almost impossible to find. I will soon be buying linen sheets in hope that they will be crisp enough for me. I just gave my DD one of my sheet sets because she needed extra. I suppose I have a mild case of towel hoarding. I have four sets for myself, two sets for DH, 4 towels for my pupsters. I have a monogramed set for each of my DGS for when they spend the night with us. We also have numerous older towels that we use for miscellaneous tasks.

Bumblebeez, your first sentence is kind of an interesting comment to make in a Money Saving Tips Forum! LOL I'll address some of your questions. As far as the cleaning ability, of course it depends on the formula but people who have used it reports it works as well as name brands (with the possible exception of enzyme detergents), and why wouldn't it? It's made from the same types of ingredients. I'm not claiming it's identical but washing soda and soap are in virtually every detergent. Same goes for the smell unless you expect it to have a chemical smell and you can put additives in there for that if you like. Personally I wash clothes to remove stench rather than put stench into them. Oh and is it good for the washer, well, depends on how you define "good" for the washer, but it's laundry detergent so if you're suggesting that it would damage the washer, you can be assured it will not. I should add that there's a lot of chemistry involved in laundry and the combination of detergent formula, machine, cycle, type of soiling, amount of soiling and even water makes a big difference in laundry results. And btw, few have quit using the homemade once they started using it. There's been a couple who decided it was more convenient to buy but usually when they get it for the right price. Or they keep a special formula for certain things. As far as cost, some of the recipes I looked at before weren't cost-effective for me so I didn't make it. I do have a recipe now that is essentially washing soda, borax, soap and baking soda which would compare quite favorably. "But then how would I get those big boxes of detergent home from the store?" Not everyone in this country has a car but somehow they get the laundry detergent home. Possibly by walking, taking a bus, a cab, or have it delivered... or maybe make their own? ;) I will agree with you that I enjoy having a vehicle. I don't drive new vehicles often and it's not a status symbol for me. Often I've thought it would be nice to not have one and when you think about the costs it could be very cost-effective for many people to get rid of their cars. But it's a choice that people make. Some like to make their own detergent and they do it for a variety of reasons. Some do it because it does save them money. Some do it and don't save much but do it to have it without the additives they don't like. Some do it as a hobby or as a "self-sufficiency" type thing. Some people will butcher a whole animal themselves, freeze it, etc, and some would think that they should just buy it at the store prepackaged. That would not be cost-effective for me, but for some it is. "It's one thing to choose to save money by not having a car and air conditioning but seriously, what is more important?" There's no one answer to that question. That's the purpose of the thread I believe. There's a lot of people who simply cannot afford a/c and a car (or a car with a/c! LOL) To many of them, food, clothing and shelter are more important. I'm not going to challenge the "veracity" comment, since I think perhaps you just misused the word. I see no reason why people would lie about it. I don't think you were trying to say that though. Mind if I ask what types of things you try to save money on?

" It had games, blankets, sheets, towels, beach towels, wash cloths, hand towels, wrist/ankle/knee braces, heating pad, poison ivy wash, candles, candlesticks, votives, old cough drops, nyquil...as you can see just about everything." Sounds like this closet became the junk closet, like many people have junk drawers in their kitchens. There's nothing wrong with a catch-all closet, unless you don't like it. What I'd start with is determining what you want to store in the closet. It could be linens, but it could also be anything else that you have to store but don't have room for elsewhere. It looks like you used to store a few categories of things in the closet: 1. Linens. blankets, sheets, towels, beach towels, wash cloths, hand towels. 2. Medicine/first aid supplies: wrist/ankle/knee braces, heating pad, poison ivy wash, old cough drops, nyquil. 3. Decorative items: candles, candlesticks, votives. Or maybe these were black-out supplies? 4. Games. Storing things where you use them is a great idea. You are already doing this with the guest towels and sheets. Can you do this with any of the things you are currently storing in the closet? The games in the family room, the candles in the kitchen or living room? Or you could store all linens in the rooms they are used in (if there is storage space) and use the linen closet for games and candles and decor items. Just because someone decided to call this a linen closet doesn't mean you have to use it as one. But let's say that you decide to make the closet for linens and medicine/first aid. Spend a little time thinking about how you use your linens. Do you and DH use a clean bath towel daily, or use one for three days or use one for a week? How often do you do laundry? How often do you have overnight guests? What else do you use towels for--laying sweaters out to dry, drying a dog, wiping up spills, workouts, etc.? Get a feel for how many towels you use in a week, add in a few spares for emergencies, and you have the number of towels you need to store. Go through the same thing with sheets and pillows. Err a little on the side of too much rather than too little. I live alone and while in a decluttering mood, thought that I only needed two bath towels. Completely forgetting that I handwash most of my sweaters and need one towel to squeeze out most of the water and another to lay the sweater out on to dry. Yeah, that required a trip to the store. For small stuff, like OTC medications, I find it helpful to group them in a container. I like to use those boxes they sell for photograph storage--there are a lot of pretty ones out there. Then label the box. "Cold stuff." "First aid stuff." "Painkillers." "Braces and wraps."