Let's debate, bath towels vs. bath sheets!

[PeterPan]

My dad is 6'3" and using assistance to shower in his rehab/assisted living. Right now it's standby, meaning they stand nearby to make sure he's safe, maybe scrub his back, but over time that could obviously increase. Would a bath sheet instead of a bath towel be nice for him? Or would it be in the way? And do your peeps who are tall or larger like bath sheets or find them annoying/heavy/inconvenient? 

Any other tips I'm not thinking of? 

Edited June 10, 2021 by PeterPan

[WildflowerMom]

In your dad's case, I think it's a good idea, especially if he's modest.   I answered 'overkill' for us just because we walk around naked after a shower (it's just dh and I), so no need to wrap up.  

[Katy]

Bathsheets. Obviously. 

[PeterPan]

7 minutes ago, Katy said:

Bathsheets. Obviously. 

Why are things obvious to other people and not me? LOL 

[Kassia]

My family loves bathsheets - especially my tall kids.  My biggest issue with them is they take absolutely forever to dry after washing but that won't be a problem for your dad, so I say get the bathsheets! 

 

Edited June 10, 2021 by Kassia

[Arcadia]

I am short but like beach towels. I have not heard of bath sheets but I checked and beach towels are similar in size. We have a few large beach towels that are all corporate marketing gifts to employees and customers. My teens prefer larger towels but not to the extend of pulling out a beach towel from the bath tower stack in the laundry room. My husband loves doing laundry, but he would complain about price unless there is a close out sale on bath sheets.

[Spryte]

For modesty, the bath sheets.  
 

But I’m going to say, also, that towels might be better, depending on his assistance needs.  Or maybe have both available, if the needs change and he needs more assistance.
 

For example, I assist my elderly mom with showering.  Her shower chair is such that it extends over a tub, and there’s a bit of maneuvering that has to be done. She sits, scoots, swings legs over tub, scoots.  Same in reverse to get out.  We started out using bath sheets, and I found that they got in the way a bit, and I worried that she might trip if it dragged the ground.  We use towels now, and it’s easier to maneuver.  But your Dad’s needs will be different, and that may not be an issue.

So I’m voting for both.  Which isn’t an option!

Edited June 10, 2021 by Spryte

[Spy Car]

8 hours ago, PeterPan said:

My dad is 6'3" and using assistance to shower in his rehab/assisted living. Right now it's standby, meaning they stand nearby to make sure he's safe, maybe scrub his back, but over time that could obviously increase. Would a bath sheet instead of a bath towel be nice for him? Or would it be in the way? And do your peeps who are tall or larger like bath sheets or find them annoying/heavy/inconvenient? 

Any other tips I'm not thinking of? 

One possibility (and one that I'd admit up front can be a polarizing option--as people tend to love them or hate them) are French waffle weave style towels, which can be bath sheet-size, yet very lightweight at the same time. Another plus is that they dry very rapidly.

Quality ones are soft.

Some people never adjust to these after being used to plush terry cloth towels, but i like them (and especially during hot weather).

How did your dad like the tall rollator?

Bill

 

Edited June 10, 2021 by Spy Car

[Clarita]

Bath sheet 100%. I'm only 5' tall and I have trouble going back to bath towels. Occasionally, I have to use one when I'm not at my home and I fell like "Where's the REST?!" I have not seen a difference between cleaning and drying a bath sheet vs a bath towel.

I like how I'm fully covered so I can dry off from head to toe without having to expose part of my body to cold air.   

[Tap]

I like 2 towels for modesty when bathing others. That way you can keep 1/2 of the body warm/covered while drying the other half. 
 

I don’t like super thick towels when caring for others either. A good quality, soft, medium thickness is best. Too thick gets in the way and tends to drag itself down when it gets wet.

I like having more hand towels too. It is easier to grad a hand towel to dry the hair or dry the bum. For people with longer hair it is nice to drape on the shoulders to catch drips while you dry elsewhere. It can be harder to get the bum clean in a stand up shower for non-flexible people. Due to this I like to dry it with a hand towel and then toss it in the laundry (instead of using it on other parts of the body. )

[Terabith]

I love rough towels.  They feel so invigorating, and I really feel like thin ones dry me more effectively, too, but it's pretty much impossible to find thin, rough bath sheets.  

[itsheresomewhere]

Bath sheets.  Anything else to me is like drying off with a hand towel.  

[fairfarmhand]

1 hour ago, Spy Car said:

One possibility (and one that I'd admit up front can be a polarizing option--as people tend to love them or hate them) are French waffle weave style towels, which can be bath sheet-size, yet very lightweight at the same time. Another plus is that they dry very rapidly.

Quality ones are soft.

Some people never adjust to these after being used to plush terry cloth towels, but i like them (and especially during hot weather).

How did your dad like the tall rollator?

Bill

 

We use Turkish towels which are the size of bath sheets but much thinner. They’re closer to the texture of a kitchen towel. 

[fairfarmhand]

16 minutes ago, Terabith said:

I love rough towels.  They feel so invigorating, and I really feel like thin ones dry me more effectively, too, but it's pretty much impossible to find thin, rough bath sheets.  

Try a Turkish towel. Peshtemal is also a name for these.

[Terabith]

Just now, fairfarmhand said:

Try a Turkish towel. Peshtemal is also a name for these.

Yeah, these sound excellent!  I also had a hard time looking for thin washcloths, too, but I finally found some on amazon looking for bad reviews.  

[Carol in Cal.]

Sheets!  My grandmother, who was all of 5’ 2”/110 lbs, had them, and sold me on them.  It’s so nice to wrap them around you and have a good length.

[Paige]

I have never heard of bath sheets. Have I been living in a cave, seeing only shadows, and deprived of something wonderful?

[PeterPan]

10 hours ago, Spryte said:

We started out using bath sheets, and I found that they got in the way a bit,

That's an interesting point. I asked the AL and they said bath sheets would be great given his size and to DEFINITELY go that way. And white white white. His will be a walk in shower so it should be easier.

3 hours ago, Spy Car said:

One possibility (and one that I'd admit up front can be a polarizing option--as people tend to love them or hate them) are French waffle weave style towels, which can be bath sheet-size, yet very lightweight at the same time. Another plus is that they dry very rapidly.

Quality ones are soft.

Some people never adjust to these after being used to plush terry cloth towels, but i like them (and especially during hot weather).

How did your dad like the tall rollator?

So we're in the middle of walker drama. The rehab put him on a walker that is more fixed (only wheels in the front) for the first three weeks. Now they want to try a rollator but are saying that it's possible nothing we have is the right fit. The first (the one you liked) is actually the PT's uber favorite model. But it may be too narrow for him. The OTs where he had been living put a link for a different one which I bought and that one, according to the rehab, is too SHORT! Can't win. But that's why we're leaving the assisted living where he had been living, because the therapy was clearly completely incompetent. They were supposedly providing service during his whole decline, just a mess.

So I assume the rehab will figure this out and get something ordered, lol. I have the first one, the great one, and I can take it and see. They said if it's too narrow (he's a big man, wears a 2XLT), then he's going to be too far back and hunched and likely to fall. So it has become their problem and I assume they will solve it. The key was getting him into this place where he finally had good care. The rehab has been awesome and we're moving into their associated assisted living to stay in their continuum of care.

Ok, now for waffle weaves. Yeah, unfortunately I would hit someone if they tried to dry me with that. But I read an article https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/best-bath-towel/  where they suggested something similar, that a thin textured towel could be really good. I think given that he's older and that skin thins and becomes more fragile, I just stick with soft towels.

 

[PeterPan]

3 hours ago, Tap said:

I like having more hand towels too. It is easier to grad a hand towel to dry the hair or dry the bum.

Hadn't thought about it that way, good point!

 

[LucyStoner]

I vote “why not both”

I have some of each for our master bathroom.  I’m big and tall myself and tend to use a bath sheet to dry off and a towel for my hair/head.  
 

[PeterPan]

4 hours ago, LucyStoner said:

I vote “why not both”

I have some of each for our master bathroom.  I’m big and tall myself and tend to use a bath sheet to dry off and a towel for my hair/head.  
 

It's an interesting point. He doesn't have much space for storage because the space needs to stay open for wheelchair/floor space. So I'm just going to buy the bath sheets, hand towels, and washrags, and that will have to do.

Oh, and turns out the assisted living does the towels!!! Score. So it's ok if they're a pain to wash, hahaha.