<p>anybody have any experience with the “new” dry-quicker bath towels i am seeing in the stores…sounds good for hanging up reasons as well as for shorter dryer time, but has anyone used them to know what the down side is?</p>
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<p>Yes, great point. My fashionista DD discovered this the hard way, and her college wardrobe now is much more dryer-friendly. Makes it easier on my wallet, too, since cotton and polyester cost less than wool and silk. 
Shoes, unfortunately, are a different issue.</p>
<p>S loves the Purex sheets. I sent him with two towels and two sheets (he only uses a bottom sheet and coverlet on his bed). </p>
<p>The second sheet never made it out of the bag, and the other one only got washed when he came home for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and spring break. Ewwww…it’s a good thing the sheet was dark green!</p>
<p>He used both towels, selecting the driest one from the wet heap on the floor. He sure used a lot of Febreze… :rolleyes:</p>
<p>Those all in one sheets are very convenient, but kind of expensive for the typical college kid to replace. Maybe he could start with them, but he’d need to know about other options. BTW, DS got a how-to-do-laundry kit for graduation, which was a cute idea AND very handy. One of the mom’s put the kit together and gave it to several of his friends, too…</p>
<p>In my experience, boys are vastly different from girls when it comes to linens! DS had no interest in picking out colors, etc.–just didn’t care. I sent 2 sets of sheets and he NEVER put the second set on his bed! Still packed as I sent them!! Don’t want to know too many details, thank you very much!! Retrospectively, the mom in me couldn’t send just one set, though. Kept saying to myself what if he got sick in the middle of the night and needed fresh sheets?? Guess that didn’t happen, thankfully.</p>
<p>I sent 2 towels, adequate for him. Got a bundle of wash cloths at Target–probably 6 in a bundle and they were (still are) used. The problem with sending multiple towel sets is storage space. There’s really no place to store 4 or 5 sets of towels. He also took an old beach towel to have for trips to the pool, sitting out in the sun, etc. Better to send only a couple of towels and do wash more often…</p>
<p>I second the motion to send lots of Fabreze! </p>
<p>…Don’t ask, don’t tell-----my philosophy on college boys and laundry!! LOL</p>
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<p>Got a good chuckle out of that - thanks!</p>
<p>Costco sells 9-packs of Febreeze - $33.50 shipping and handling included. Your kid can give them as gifts to his/her college buddies :D</p>
<p>[Costco</a> - Febreeze Air Freshener Meadow & Rain 9.7 oz/9 ct](<a href=“http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=11513486&search=febreeze&topnav=&Mo=0&cm_re=1_en-_-Top_Left_Nav-_-Top_search&lang=en-US&Nr=P_CatalogName:BC&N=5000043&whse=BC&Dx=mode%20matchallpartial&Ntk=Text_Search&Dr=P_CatalogName:BC&Ne=4000000&D=febreeze&Ntt=febreeze&No=0&Nty=1&Ntx=mode%20matchallpartial]Costco”>http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=11513486&search=febreeze&topnav=&Mo=0&cm_re=1_en-_-Top_Left_Nav-_-Top_search&lang=en-US&Nr=P_CatalogName:BC&N=5000043&whse=BC&Dx=mode%20matchallpartial&Ntk=Text_Search&Dr=P_CatalogName:BC&Ne=4000000&D=febreeze&Ntt=febreeze&No=0&Nty=1&Ntx=mode%20matchallpartial)</p>
<p>You do not have to be a member to shop Costco online.</p>
<p>nicksmtmom, you have the right idea, send the sons with the old towels and get yourself some new ones. Most boys won’t even notice or care. Most of us moms would cringe to see nice new towels, dirty, stained and crispy enough to stand alone.</p>
<p>Whether you send new or old towels, they won’t last more than a year or two. I sent one new, inexpensive bath towel and an old beach towel to cover multiple situations. There is no room to hang damp towels, so send a plastic “over the door” hook. It can be used on a closet or bedframe if needed.</p>
<p>Good idea to send gray/tan/blue towels. I picked tan and told S he could wash the towels in either a light or dark load. He must have done pretty well, because everything he brought home is the right color. Unlike S1 who recently came home with an odd-color blue/gray underwear. I told him I hoped it was from washing with jeans and not because of the length of time he wore it. S2 liked liquid detergent. He also took back fewer clothes in year 2, because he said it would force him to do laundry more often. He said when he left it until he ran out of clothes, it was too much of a task.</p>
<p>Your guy just might surprise you. My son was responsible for his own laundry at home for years, but since the laundry facilities were right down the hall, he never much planned ahead. His first year of college away from home, my son did his laundry weekly. I think it just became his routine. He always washed his two towels with the rest of his clothes, so I recommend a neutral color that won’t bleed on his other clothes. Also, his dorm room was always neat (although not dusted) and picked up, something his room at home rarely was. Thankfully, his neatness has carried over to home and his bedroom this summer has been very clean!</p>
<p>Sent chocolate brown towels. They did not come home with DS this spring. He did retain his beach towels, however. Although he claims to sort his colors from whites, when hew returned this spring, his whites were the grossest grey things I have ever seen. Also, he has fallen in love with painting and every article of clothing has dribbles of multiple brightly colored oil paint. Luckily, I don’t have to wear them, and he doesn’t minf d thhem!</p>
<p>Ds was given a set of brown towels for graduation from an experienced mom. ;)</p>
<p>On the subject of boys and laundry, I really recommend remembering to throw in a few lessons in stain treatment before you send them off. My fiance just threw out his only pair of shorts (which I bought, a month ago) because he spilled ketchup on them and assumed they were ruined. Normally when he stains his clothes I have to have him give them to me to take care of because he will give up and set the stain in the dryer before I have a chance to have a crack at them. And he stains everything. I have NO IDEA what he did when he was single.</p>
<p>The reviews of the detergent sheets are not very good, it seems they tend to leave grease-like stains. Have not decided yet if daughter will use or not.</p>
<p>My D just bought a box of the purex sheets and has experienced good results with them. She got a box of 38 for $8.99 at Target, which is approximately $.24 per load. They will be easy to pack the extra to take back to school at the end of the summer.</p>
<p>DD loved these Dropps. Easy to take to the laundry room and easy to store. We have not tried the sheets.
[Amazon.com:</a> Dropps Laundry Pacs, Fresh Scent, 42-load pouch (pack of 2): Health & Personal Care](<a href=“http://www.amazon.com/Dropps-Laundry-Fresh-Scent-42-load/dp/B001N447QA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=hpc&qid=1277638515&sr=1-1]Amazon.com:”>http://www.amazon.com/Dropps-Laundry-Fresh-Scent-42-load/dp/B001N447QA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=hpc&qid=1277638515&sr=1-1)</p>
<p>For boys, dark colors, even gray knit sheets for S3, since boys tend not to do laundry as often as girls so they get gray anyhow. We sent them with the big bath towels in stripes that were unique so they could tell which was theirs and then also sent some smaller thinner towels for the gym bags. DD liked to have her beach towel for the pool sunning, etc.</p>
<p>one thing I did with both kids prior to their freshman years and you may want to consider…take them to a coin operated commercial laundromat and teach them how to use those machines…what they will find in the dorm laundry rooms are more likely to look and perform like those commercial machines than home machines.</p>
<p>D just finished her freshman year. Used the Purex sheets. So easy and no issues. Also took a stain stick, which she used. I actually mail her refills in her care packages if necessary. She does about 2 loads of laundry a week (laundry machines are free) so one set of sheets and towels. Sent her towel from home with her and a beach towel and a blanket for picnics- all made it home.</p>
<p>Spray n’ Wash make a stain stick. It’s solid and kind of like a giant chap stick. The best thing about it is you can treat the stain up to one week before washing the item. I’ve used it for traveling for years and have had good luck with it removing all kinds of stains.</p>
<p>I found things like those Dropps (not sure the brand) on drugstore.com and thought they were great for a college dorm. (For those who haven’t hit the link–they’re like those little plastic packet things you can get for your dishwasher. No powder or liquid to mess with.) And you know your boy best, but I wouldn’t bother with any kind of stain remover for any of my boys. I sent one set of sheets (plenty) and two towels. I’m sure DS would use more if he had them, but that would just mean more vaguely-damp heavy things draped around the dorm room. Two is plenty. (And I like the idea about sending old towels and buying new for yourself, although DS#1 got several monogrammed towels as presents before his freshman year of college.)</p>