+ OK. Here is a question. What happens to old hotel linen? I have been thinking about this a lot lately. Maybe I have spent a little too much time in hotels. When their sheets get too old or their towels loose their fluffiness and those blankets get pilled. Where does all that stuff go? All I can find is that they throw them in a dumpster. Then they pay to have them hauled away to the dump. Surely we can do better than that! Does anyone know anyone in the hotel industry we can ask and get a real answer. I am getting no joy so far. Surely they do not just throw them out!
Couldn’t we collect them and fold them up and give them to the homeless or the food pantrys or someone who can use them for rags. Or something? I would use old towels. All farms need towels. Can we think on this? I hate waste. Don’t you hate waste? Plus, and this is somewhat of a secret, I love rags. Any rags. Well washed faded fabrics. I love to fold them and stuff them in my drawers. I love milking rags and dishcloth rags and floor cloths. Many of my clothes could be called rags, but I love them.
I want to save the hotel towels and sheets and give them a second use. And I KNOW we can find a use for them. Dogs? Abandoned dog sheets? People need sheets too! There must be an answer.
I will call the campaign – Save the Rags. (Actually I think that may need some work. But you know where I am heading). Ideas?
Beatrix (Beatrix is such a big name – I think I will call her Beatrix Potter – it is gentler somehow) Beatrix Potter was out in the field yesterday morning with her bad tempered mother (not all mothers are nice you know). We had some rain and winds then it cleared for a while into a lovely wistful day and all the animals moved slowly out into the light. Whenever I could get my hands close to the calf, I patted her nose and gave her big strokes and chats. Though Elsie was onto me, she was a bit calmer yesterday.
Beatrix Potter gamboled about, drinking on and off, touching noses with Aunty Del – then led her mother by her nose back to the barn. Elsie may be tough as nails with me but with that baby she is all marshmallow.
I locked them both into the barn last night. For the meantime I would rather they stuck close to home at night.
Did you see the pussy willow in the header – we have a daffodil too.
Beatrix Potter. (I think I will call her Potter for short, see how these things evolve – though you have to say it with a New Zealand accent Potta’ ) – Potter slept all afternoon in a bed of straw by the barn. A sunny spot out of the wind is the perfect place for a baby animal. If I make a dry slightly elevated bed for an animal they always go and lie in it. Always. A soft dry bed in the sun is one of the most important requirements of an animal. We all seek sunshine. This is why I worry for children (and adults) who seldom get outside. It is against nature to live in artificial light in hard rigid chairs all the time. A little sun brightens our spirits, allows our rhythm to settle, empowers intelligence – gives us life- literally.
Now, of course you and I are hoping that Lady Astor will calve soon so I can try to graft her calf onto Elsie. I am not sure if Elsie the Wild will take another calf. But it is like being a sculptor. I have never studied sculpting so how do I know that I am not brilliant at it. I think this about tennis too. I have never actually tried to play tennis but I do sometimes wonder whether I may have been amazing if I had. In fact I think I might be a REALLY amazing tennis player. Deep down. On the Inside. Care for a match? So we will give Elsie the benefit of the doubt. She may well be a wonderful nurse cow. Though it will involve some very, very careful work.
Just like: we may be able to save all those hotel towels from oblivion.
And now for the bestest rubbish shot with hilarious content.
Do you remember Sesame Street? “One of these things is not like the other!”
From a different angle. Yes, it is one of Marmalade’s kittens sleeping with the goats. If you lay down with goats you will wake up with – well – Goats.
Good morning- Another interesting Marmalade baby fact – though I have not got it on film yet – Her boy kitten. (we call him The Boy Kitten – ok that is deep),he sleeps nights in the Hut with Tima and Tane: the kunekune pigs. And hangs out with them in the fields during the day. He has even been seen sitting on top of Tane in the sun. Tane standing very still as The Boy Kitten sits up on his wide haunches kneading Tane’s back with his feet. I will stalk them for that shot for you.
In the meantime – Have a lovely day
Your friend on the farm
celi
The Kitchen's Garden 
84 responses to “Hotel Towels for Farms”
What about ‘share the rags’? I take my old towels to the homeless support group here in Alice Springs, and also to the RSPCA to use for their animals. It makes so much sense to do that, I wouldn’t dream of throwing them away! Love the kitten sleeping with the goats.
I love my clothes and in fact also our furniture more and more as they become more and more “ragged” , a kind of proof of “good life” and our history; when people throw them out and buy new things, they somehow loose a sense of history, and the beauty of getting older !
Oh, I love this comment! Totally agree with you. Just reading it makes me think I should turn my very VERY ratty old oriental rug (actually full of holes) into a bag of some sort like they used to do in the old days. I think I’ll just try!
thanks, will follow you from now on, loves your slogan, one day at a time,
I want to see that bag!! c
It’s going to be very “unique” as I’ve never made one before!
Grand idea! I love repurposing old items. Please show us your bag.
Be sure and show when you are done, Charlotte! 🙂
Linda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com
https://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com/sherlock-boomer
OK I burst out laughing at your “I like to stuff rags in my drawers”!! Sorry my imagination ran away with me 🙂
I have always kept ‘a rag bag’, and have some great rags for all sorts of jobs. The best are the old flannelette sheets, so soft still for delicate cleaning. Do lots of painting (house, fences etc. not art) so always need rags for that too. Will try to do some research for you.
Love the cat in the with goats!
I wonder if American New Zealanders are aware that drawers are knickers in UK? Jock’s old vests make great duisters, polishing cloths etc.
We do say knickers in NZ, or pants. Not drawers that is for sure.. though I do know the old meaning of it.. c
Isn’t it just wonderful how green the pastures are becoming! I wonder if The Boy Kitten knows he’s not a kunekune?
and we have a little rain today, so it is greening up fast!
Celi I used to work in a very high end hotel in central London and every year they would change pretty much everything linen wise – tablecloths, napkins, towels and sheets and then maybe every two years things like mattresses, tvs etc. All the staff who were interested put their name in for a draw and you’d get whatever you drew out. I think over 30 years on I still have some of those sheets (I never won a tv or a mattress which would have been very handy to a young, impoverished reservations agent – me – at that stage of my life). I made skirts and dresses out of linen tablecloths and shared the napkins out with friends who are still using them. Don’t know if this happens at all hotels, but that’s how it worked in “mine”! I’m sure it would be worth talking to some, especially the luxury chains who only used top quality stuff which lasts and lasts!
When I saw the title of today’s post, I thought you were going to confess you brought home some towels from your recent trip.
Reading Chic Andaluza comment above, it appears there is hope. We are about to go into winter here, so there are always appeals for donations for blankets, I suppose they would welcome towels and sheets too, for our many informal settlements (read squatter camps). Dog and Cat shelters/rescue groups are always most pleased to receive donations of the same – year round. There should never be any reason to take such items to the dump. Laura
No. hopefully they don’t I am still finding out.. c
One of the local high-end hotels here in our town donates all of their towels and linens to our local Humane Society. I think all you have to do is ask them.
I think I might start asking.. you never know.. c
I would think that most hotels would have a plan for that, don’t you think? I know I read of one endeavor where someone collected all the bits and pieces of hotel soaps that were left in rooms after guests left and they actually had a process of melting them down (or something) and re-making them into new soap that was perfectly fine. You know I thought that was genius because there are always bits and pieces left, right? I wish I could remember where I saw that but it was several years ago. I agree—so much waste goes on and we need to do our part to eliminate as much as we can. I can’t wait to see the Boy Kitten on pig picture.
I hope they have a plan – that is what I am finding out.. c
Seems sad after seeing how much Elsie loves her calf to take Lady Astor’s away from her :-/. Isn’t there a way to share milk with you and the baby?
Share milking was my first choice, in fact that is why i was going to milk two.. however the milk is to raise the pigs, and the beef calves for my fencer. So I can get more fences built – we will see.
Way back when I lived in San Diego, one of the fancy hotels would have a big sale every year. I think it was open to the public. They would sell furniture, linen, dishes and other hotel things. Great deals!
I would LOVE one of those sales.. I will look out for them.. c
My two favorite creatures: pigs and kitties!! Can’t wait to see the picture of that pig-surfing Boy Kitten.
Hotel bed linen is something which has never really been one of my biggest thoughts but I shall surely have a wee think about it now and if I find out anything I will tell you.
You have got a funny farm, rebellious cows, cats living with goats and pigs……..but what hilarious stories they do make
In my past life I was married to a restaurateur and our old linens were either given to the staff or donated to the Salvation Army or SPCA. When he was younger he ran hotels, as did his father before him, and the story was the same: charity and staff. I’m pretty sure all you will have to do is ask. These days our old rags usually end up in R’s garages for use on one of the racing engines or a project car. Come to think of it, our good tea towels, towels and a good amount of clothes which start off life as lovely, fresh items, eventually end up in the garages one way or another…some way before their time…lol.
I know what you mean!
During one of my summer visits to my Mom, I cleaned out her overstuffed towel closet, and convinced her to let me put the big bag of old towels in the garage. As she never wanted to get rid of anything, relocating them to the garage…so they were there just in case they were needed, was okayed. The crazy thing is that my Mom has passed, and I now have the big bags of old towels that I use daily! Most of the towels are over 40 years old! And I love using them! 🙂
I have a great fondness for old towels, that lovely washed cotton.. I hate new towels and always sort through to find the old thirsty ones – it drives my mother in law quite mad .. but I do get all her old ones! c