Sara from Austin writes: “I took my 2-year-old to visit my darling (but travel-phobic) father-in-law. I’ve stayed at his house many times, but not since his girlfriend began living there. He told me to make myself at home and use anything we needed, specifically pointing to the linen closet. There was one bath towel and one washcloth hanging in the bathroom (for us to share?) so I helped myself to more.”
The next day, Sara says, “two brand-new (unwashed) towels were hanging in the bathroom and this note was taped inside the linen closet. The towels I had used the day before were all washed, folded and back in the closet behind the note. That night, we moved to my sister-in-law’s house.”
related: These towels are for decoration only!
173 responses so far ↓
#1
GWAndroid
Wow, that’s just CRAZY. Dad needs to rethink things, or at least delve a little more deeply there.
Feb 5, 2013 at 8:43 am rating: 130
#2
Mom
Maybe they save the GOOD towels for the guests.. I have towels I don’t want anyone to use because they are old. I save them for myself, car washing, etc. Too embarrassed if guest used them.
Feb 5, 2013 at 8:44 am rating: 26
#3
Angela
Not be a snob but I don’t see one towel there that is visitor-worthy.
Feb 5, 2013 at 8:45 am rating: 132
#4
SA's Spider
Mmmmm, unwashed formaldehyde towels, tasty.
Feb 5, 2013 at 8:45 am rating: 13
#5
Brent
Good choice to change accommodations!
Feb 5, 2013 at 8:49 am rating: 47
#6
Tesselara
Whoa. Cinderella, modern-style. Where are the stepsisters?
I don’t know about you, but children and grandchildren are not visitors in my home. They are family. This is a message intended to convey a deeper message of un-vitation than just towels.
Feb 5, 2013 at 8:56 am rating: 241
#7
Headset Hellion
That unwashed formaldehyde towel was fucking delicious!
Feb 5, 2013 at 8:57 am rating: 12
#8
Juniper
Why is no one mentioning the number of towels in that cupboard??? How many do two people need?
Feb 5, 2013 at 9:11 am rating: 164
#8.3
Humid Hockey
I know. There’s like $14,000 worth of towels in there. I thought this was a clearance shelf at B,B&B.
Feb 5, 2013 at 10:19 am rating: 100
#8.4
Rene
I like how there’s (nearly) exactly two towels per design. & Hirayuki, the way I was raised, you should provide one towel & one washcloth per person, no matter how old they are, even a newborn. In fact, in my house, we had super nice towels that us kids were sternly warned to never use. “These are for guests only!” We would look longingly at the big, soft, fluffy towels & then bitterly take a much lower quality towel off the shelf.
Feb 5, 2013 at 10:26 am rating: 86
#8.5
VM
What floors me is all the different colors, mostly two of each – a sort of Noah’s Ark of terrycloth. Though considering the kind of attitude displayed in the note I wouldn’t be surprised if she color-codes by day and section of body, too.
Feb 5, 2013 at 10:37 am rating: 60
#8.6
TRT
Hey, you sas that hoopy father-in-law? That’s one cool frood who REALLY knows where his towel is.
Feb 5, 2013 at 10:40 am rating: 75
#8.7
The Elf
Don’t Panic. There’s enough towels for all of us.
Feb 5, 2013 at 11:12 am rating: 81
#8.8
H for Toy
Now that I think about it, my grandmother was a little bit like this. She had an overflowing linen closet, and when we came to visit, she wanted us to use the towels on the upper shelf, which were the nicer ones. I remember there being one particular old blue towel that I liked to use on my hair, because a thinner towel is easier to turban-ize. She’d see me using it and gasp “You can’t use that! That’s an old towel!” and make sure she took it and put it in the washer immediately after it came off my head. After my shower the next day, I’d sneak it out of the linen closet or dryer, and use it again. Lather, rinse, repeat. Seriously, after 15 years of this, you think one of us would have given up.
Feb 5, 2013 at 1:30 pm rating: 83
#8.9
Rene
H for Toy, that is an adorable story. It’s your sneaky little game that you play together. Love it.
Feb 5, 2013 at 2:05 pm rating: 22
#8.10
Tesselara
@TRT and @Elf
The number of towels in that closet? 42.
Feb 5, 2013 at 2:32 pm rating: 58
#8.11
The Elf
That is to be expected. It is the answer to life, the universe, and everything.
Feb 6, 2013 at 6:46 am rating: 28
#8.12
H for Toy
Aw, Rene, now I miss my grandma
Feb 6, 2013 at 9:13 am rating: 6
#8.13
Kimberly
My grandma had handtowels that she hot-glued silk flowers on and were only for decoration. If you got anywhere near them she would say “Don’t mess!” She also had decorative soap. She was a big fan of taking something with a purpose and removing that purpose by making it decorative. This post is dripping with childhood resentments.
Feb 6, 2013 at 11:56 am rating: 66
#8.14
L
I honestly need two towels, one for body, one for hair, because my hair is really long and really thick and I will feel REALLY guilty if it drips all over your floors because that is so freaking rude and I don’t want to do that so please can I have two towels? XD
Feb 21, 2013 at 6:30 pm rating: 9
#9
ChrisO
I think you need to get your FIL some towels for Chirstmas this year. And next year. And the next year, just for funsies.
Feb 5, 2013 at 9:13 am rating: 235
#10
lilhuna
I suspect the new girlfriend. The ‘our’ and ‘we’ sounds like a new control freak is on the scene. Plus the handwriting is girlie.
Feb 5, 2013 at 9:14 am rating: 38
#11
Andreas
http://youtu.be/Vp-LcKd-NV4?t=36s
Feb 5, 2013 at 9:16 am rating: 3
#12
Belle
Omg, my FIL’s live in GF is exactly like this. Except she won’t leave notes, she just makes snide comments and gets upset when people can’t read her mind. Old people must be so desperate to get laid they’ll put up with anything.
Feb 5, 2013 at 9:19 am rating: 44
#13
Buffy
For having a screw loose, I must say
“Mommy Dearest” keeps a well-organized linen closet.
Feb 5, 2013 at 9:19 am rating: 28
#14
Jami
I’m more curious as to why the towels were left in the bathroom instead of being placed in the dirty laundry. I’ll never understand why people reuse towels. Why would you dry your face with something that the day before you dried your butt with? Ew.
I don’t care if there’s a zombie apocalypse going on. I use a fresh, clean towel every single day.
Though dad’s girlfriend needs to get a clue. If you have certain towels you want people to use, YOU PUT THEM OUT YOUR OWN DARN SELF! Like if it’s a hotel! You don’t leave PANs or force your guests to get their own towels if you only want them to use certain ones.
Feb 5, 2013 at 10:14 am rating: 12
#15
Kwyjor
I was thinking, “Maybe it would have been okay if said GF had addressed the issue in person instead of leaving a note,” but no, there’s no way to have that conversation. There’s just no way for this to end well at all. Kind of sad, really.
Feb 5, 2013 at 10:14 am rating: 9
#16
Hannah
Definitely unresolved issues here. I get having visitor towels and family as I would rather use the older ones and let the guests use the nice ones. But a note like this making the guest feel unwelcome is way more uncomfortable than using an older towel.
Feb 5, 2013 at 10:20 am rating: 26
#17
redank
my eyes hurt looking at those crazy towels
Feb 5, 2013 at 10:27 am rating: 6
#18
KittenPlaysTheViolin
Ditch the bitch!
Feb 5, 2013 at 10:43 am rating: 5
#19
tpgal
Just maybe…she was trying to imply that there are better towels for guests than the ones you might find neatly on a shelf. But, maybe she’s just uptight.
Feb 5, 2013 at 10:59 am rating: 1
#20
Nina
By staying elsewhere, you have totally missed an opportunity to have some fun with this clearly OCD woman. You should have stayed and mixed all these towels around so that none of the like colored pairs were together. Maybe even moved a sheet into a towel pile or something…
Feb 5, 2013 at 11:44 am rating: 92
#21
redheadwglasses
To all you commenters referring to the “woman” or “she” responsible for this weird towel deal: It’s her FATHER IN LAW. She never mentions a mother-in-law.
Feb 5, 2013 at 11:52 am rating: 0
#22
JN
Amateurs! At my grandmother’s place I have to bring my own towel. And buy my own toilet paper.
Feb 5, 2013 at 12:05 pm rating: 46
#23
Pit Pat
Wow. We have guest towels, which are nice towels we bought before remodeling our bathroom in colors that didn’t end up matching the towels. I put them away for guests so that I don’t have clashing colors in my bathroom on a regular basis. It has worked out nicely b/c they stay in very good shape since they are not used a lot. Every guest gets a bath towel and washcloth, and if it’s a couple I put out a hand towel for them too. They are left on the guests’ bed. Once in a while, someone has gotten one of “our” towels out of the linen closet, which is just fine. I can’t imagine leaving a note like this! And I would say it *is* from the fil’s girlfriend, since fil told the submitter to use anything she needed.
Feb 5, 2013 at 12:09 pm rating: 16
#24
Uninspired Required Name
Wow, and I thought I was bad. She had to have known they were coming, so why didn’t she set out the towels she wanted them to use? If I were Dad there, I’d tell that chick that it’s my house and my towels too, and to chill the frick out.
Feb 5, 2013 at 12:29 pm rating: 14
#25
Rachel
Looks like the “just for us” towels probably originally belonged to the girlfriend, while the “guest” towels look a bit more manly and I’m guessing belonged to the FIL. From looking at the closet, I’m thinking someone is a bit OCD and got weird about having strangers touch her things.
Feb 5, 2013 at 1:26 pm rating: 16
#26
Sandi
Wow, this is just creepy.
I love the chuckles I get from the notes on this site; this is not even remotely funny.
Feb 5, 2013 at 1:30 pm rating: 6
#27
Lil'
My mother-in-law is extremely hospitable except we are forbidden from drying our hands on her hand towels. They are decorative, she says…but there is nothing else in there to use. NOTHING! No paper towels, no functional hand towels, no bath towels. I have to wash my hands and either use TP or go to the kitchen to dry them. I have reminded her before that she gives us few options, but she still neglects us. So sometimes I secretly use those fancy laced-trimmed towels anyway. Hanging there so seductively just asking to be caressed. I’m a rebel.
Feb 5, 2013 at 1:42 pm rating: 78
#28
Joe
Ross: Monica categorizes her towels. How many categories are there?
Joey: Everyday use…
Chandler: Fancy…
Joey: Guest…
Chandler: Fancy Guest…
Ross: Two seconds.
Joey: Uh, uh… Eleven!
Ross: Amazing! Eleven is correct!
Feb 5, 2013 at 2:14 pm rating: 76
#29
Betty in LA
We only have two categories of towels. Human and dog. We keep the dog towels in the utility room near the back door. The human towels are in the linen closet, or in the closet of the guest room (where guests can find them! What a concept!). If you have 30 years worth of worn out towels, you need to give them away or put them out in the work shop to be used for mopping up spent engine oil.
Feb 5, 2013 at 2:33 pm rating: 26
#30
Cory A.
In my house, we have the dog towels, hand towels, and family towels. If we have family coming, we either go out and buy towels (on sale of course) for that person specifically to use, and it becomes their towel so whenever they come over they know which ones to grab, or pull down the ones we short people never use because they’re too high on the shelf.
Feb 5, 2013 at 3:02 pm rating: 4
#31
Frogsuit Mario
Maybe most of them are…”bedroom towels”…
Feb 5, 2013 at 3:26 pm rating: 10
#32
mel
Why does the handwriting look like it belongs to a teenager?
Feb 5, 2013 at 3:46 pm rating: 9
#33
Cwaster
Wow. I think the guy is in for trouble from his new girlfriend- that’s a bit nutty in my opinion. I would have left too. Or maybe stu8ck aroubnd, re-arranged a few things…. and tried to see if I could make her have a meltdown.
Feb 5, 2013 at 6:22 pm rating: 6
#34
Eileen
As long as the towels aren’t left on the floor, we don’t care what towels our guests use. Bitch has major issues with the daughter-in-law.
Feb 5, 2013 at 7:33 pm rating: 10
#35
Rebecca
What a rude B!!! I agree with one poster who said she should of stayed and messed with the psycho. I would of taken every single one of those towels and wiped my butt with them and left them in a wet pile on the floor. Then I would of turned my 2 year old loose on that linen closest. After that the pantry..teach that hoe bag a lesson!
Feb 5, 2013 at 9:53 pm rating: 5
#36
PattyCakes
I would have the picture with the note inscribed on the girlfriend-in-law/living-in-sin’s next birthday cake… just to make that occasion as friendly as the visit.
Feb 6, 2013 at 8:05 am rating: 15
#37
Nomnom
I feel like I’m maybe the only one who would confront someone about the note. Like wtf is this shit?
But people in my family don’t do things like that. My grandmother is the only one who is a little weird about the towel and that’s mostly because she doesn’t want you drying your hands on a towel someone else used for their bath. So she’ started putting those kleenex disposable hand towels next to the sink in the bathroom.
Feb 6, 2013 at 8:31 am rating: 6
#38
ninjaduck
There is seriously no reason for a note like this. They’re all sharing the same space, I don’t think a few extra towels is a big deal. LOOK at how many damn towels they have. It’s not like they’re sharing towels with strangers, those people are family. Let’s be adults!
Feb 6, 2013 at 10:11 am rating: 10
#39
Christine
That woman can write me all the nasty notes she wants if she’ll come and organize my linen closet like that!
Feb 6, 2013 at 10:21 am rating: 20
#40
kaetra
Sounds like the “travel-phobic” FIL has a “Visitor-phobic” girlfriend. Now that’s a match made in heaven – a lonely, forlorn, isolated heaven.
Feb 6, 2013 at 1:50 pm rating: 37
#41
tuesday
The father set them up by pointing to the cupboard and saying to use what is needed. I hope he made a pre-nup with evil wife because she’s gonna take him for everything…although, he should just give her the towels…no taste whatsoever!
Feb 6, 2013 at 3:16 pm rating: 8
#42
Holly
I just like how neat the linen closet is.
Feb 7, 2013 at 12:26 pm rating: 1
#43
dizit
My husband has 5 (adult) kids of his own plus 3 of his late wife’s whom he also raised. I have 3 (adult) kids. Almost all have either spouses or significant others, some have children. We also run a Bed & Breakfast. I buy all my towels exactly the same, thick, Hotel quality, egyptian cotton towels in White. I have enough identical towels for a small army.
Because the towels are all white, I wash & use bleach on them all every time they are washed. B&B towels are washed daily, unless the guests request otherwise. Our own towels, and those of any family visiting are re-used, usually, once then put into a load of laundry.
I don’t have the time, energy, or interest to have “special” towels for ANYONE!
My linen closet is, however, that neat, just colorless!
Feb 7, 2013 at 4:40 pm rating: 9
#44
mark kenseth
I can’t imagine having that many towels or that many guests where I’d have to have special towels.
Feb 7, 2013 at 7:04 pm rating: 1
#45
0rd
Last time I had a house full of guests. I put a set of towels on each bed. They were chosen to color-coordinate with the linens in each room. I also showed them where additional linens were stored. At the end of the week all the towels were still folded and unused. Leading me to believe all five guests used the same two bathroom towels all week.
Feb 8, 2013 at 12:38 am rating: 12
#46
LoneRanger
Marney? Is that you?
Feb 8, 2013 at 5:14 am rating: 8
#47
Marcus
When we have guests, we consider them family, since family are the only people allowed to stay the night. And they’re allowed to use whatever towel they want so long as they don’t make a mess of the bathroom. (Large amounts of water on the floor make me twitchy. The bathmat is not a towel.)
Feb 8, 2013 at 7:29 am rating: 3
#48
Kristy
My response would be “USE ALL THE TOWELS” As an aside, that’s a LOT of towels.
Feb 8, 2013 at 10:58 am rating: 3
#49
razorbandit
Hahaha holy shit, this reminds me of my boyfriend’s sister. I just showed him this and he agreed that this is going to be her in 20 years. One weekend we went up to his parent’s house to get away from the hurricane in New York. His 26 year old sister still lives at home and is fairly protective of her bathroom items, many of which she doesn’t pay for herself. She has a whole section of “special egyptian cotton towels” which she doesn’t let anyone else use. Don’t worry, I didn’t touch them. But I did realize that I had forgotten a razor. Not to worry though, there was a multi pack of disposable razors in the bathroom, and my boyfriend said it would be fine to take one!
So I took a shower, used the razor, and left it in the shower for later use. Well, that was a mistake. Apparently that was one of his sister’s razors. Seeing that I had used it, she left me a PAGE LONG note going into great detail about how she did not appreciate that I had used one of her disposable razors, and demanded I buy her a replacement.
Feb 8, 2013 at 4:36 pm rating: 15
#50
STFUyou
This guy needs to realise that as an older man, he is at an advantage and doesn’t need to be with this crazy woman. Older single men are rare and a hot commodity, considering the women outnumber them 5 to 1. He should dump the nut job and watch the non-crazies descend upon him.
Feb 8, 2013 at 6:54 pm rating: 12
#51
47of74
This kind of reminds me of my one aunt. The one who never got married and lived with grandma.
Feb 9, 2013 at 1:47 pm rating: 3
#52
Ivona
Nobody knows what percolates in the heads of people. The new girlfriend may be trying to assert herself as the home- and rule-maker in the house.
Feb 10, 2013 at 10:27 am rating: 0
#53
FeatherBlade
I will have you all know that this thread inpired me to buy not one, but TWO towels set, specially for the use of my guests, AND a couple of real live hand towels for my bathroom, so that people didn’t have to dry their hands on my bath towel.
Feb 11, 2013 at 11:14 am rating: 8
#54
Bruce MacFarlane
Reminds me of this
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T58D467HagM
Feb 11, 2013 at 2:13 pm rating: 0
#55
warns
Sounds like the girlfriend must have fleas or something. Hope she isn’t around for very long, doesn’t sound like an awesome person to deal with.
Feb 11, 2013 at 6:49 pm rating: 3
#56
RedFeather FalconHawk
I’d call that an open invitation to try out ALL of the towels.
Feb 12, 2013 at 10:29 pm rating: 1
#57
Toya
I feel sorry for this woman’s fil. After a while, he’s going find himself with just gf at the house.
My grandfather is the same way. Everyone who enters is house is just a visitor and must behave as such; even family. His insanity regarding his home is so bad that no one wants to stay very long which is sad because grandma is such a sweet lady. As a kid, i loved going to grandmas house but now i dont. Who wants to stay at a place where you have to take your shoes off BEFORE entering the house (there was a time where we were allowed to get in the house first but that was years ago), wash your hands before opening the fridge and before eating, pray before every meal, use proper table etiquette at every meal, only use the gold bath towels, clean up after yourself IMMEDIATELY, and if you have a conversation in his house it’s his business to know everything. I love grandma but grandpa is so tiring.
Feb 13, 2013 at 1:49 am rating: 6
#58
blahblah
This is so unrelated, but they have my parent’s bed comforter AND mine in their closet. Kind of creepy actually..
Feb 17, 2013 at 12:29 am rating: 0
#59
Starfish
I love that the FIL and this woman aren’t even married yet, and she’s already ramping herself up to be a MIL from hell.
Is she young enough that she and the FIL might have children of their own? If so – I kind of pity them and the rules they’ll need to live under.
Feb 20, 2013 at 11:12 am rating: 5
#60
Angester
I knew a bunch of kids who got staph from sharing towels. I’d protect myself too.
Feb 21, 2013 at 12:02 pm rating: 0
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