Hotel Towels and the Environment

On several trips, I've noticed signs in hotel room bathrooms stating that replacing towels daily with fresh ones is hard on the environment, and that those willing to help out should hang up their towels rather than leaving them on the floor or in the tub.

It's a good idea. It would save precious water, keep detergent pollutants out of the water, and reduce the use of electricity, which would also contribute less to global warming. We don't change towels every day at home, so why not? I'm all for it.

However, I've discovered that even if I hang up my towels, the maids STILL replace the towels. And, it is hard to hang them up wet so that they will air dry, because hotels simply don't put in enough towel racks. Most of them have one rack upon which they stack all the towels . . . bath towels, hand towels and washcloths. You can't put them back that way and expect them to dry out.

So, if they are serious about not changing towels daily, they need to be sure the maids aren't changing them when the room occupants have done their best to hang the towels wherever they can (mostly over the shower curtain bar), and even better, put in adequate towel bars so that more people will be encouraged to hang them up.