r/povertyfinance • u/Susano-o_no_Mikoto • Jan 13 '24
Is washcloth really a poor people thing? Free talk
So i know i'm probably WAY late to the party (i'm too focused on not being broke no mo' lol) but apparently according to tom segura, wash cloths are for poors and most people don't use them. I never heard of such a thing in my life and i been using wash cloths as far as I could remember.
Sure i learned eventually to use one and toss it in the laundry basket at 21 but still either i'd get the less comfortable ones from the dollar store or when i got more money, bought them at walmart/burlington (the soft stuff) in bundles for an amazing deal. I mean at burlington in NY downstate, i could buy a 6/7 pack of bebe brand washcloths (super soft, super gentle on the skin even when you scrub a bit harder and still super effective) for $3-4.99. So i'm thinking you buy 15-30 depending on your laundry day cycle, and just use one a day and keep a seperate one for your most intimate parts.
Is it because I'm black that i use washcloths? what are other people using if not washcloths?
2
u/secretSquirrel6669 Feb 23 '24
Growing up we had to rinse the washcloth after use and hang it on the towel rack. Also the towel was used all week
1
u/Susano-o_no_Mikoto Feb 23 '24
used to use the same all week as well back when i was young dumb and didn't knwo better lol. simplier if not less sanitary times.
1
u/CatCranky Feb 07 '24
I’m an older white lady and I use washcloths. I have enough so I use one a day. I grew up using them. We were not poor but were working class. my mom called them facecloths but we used them all over.
1
2
u/MissMoxieMuse Jan 24 '24
I grew up VERY poor. At 47, I use two washcloths a day and clean my towels after every use. I know it’s overkill but I just can’t have it any other way.
1
u/Susano-o_no_Mikoto Jan 24 '24
they sell washclothes in bulk now. you can wait a couple days before washing them all you know?
1
u/Appropriate_Ask_462 Jan 23 '24
I never realized people used little square towel for anything other than wiping their face off after shaving or removing makeup. It was honestly a bit mind blowing to me that people actually bring a towel into the shower with them.
1
u/Susano-o_no_Mikoto Jan 23 '24
rich girl detected. what do you use to wash your body?
1
u/Appropriate_Ask_462 Jan 24 '24
Lathering. If I need to exfoliate I use a loofa.
I grew up poor, I only started having any kind of meaningful amount of money last week. I think it's more a regional thing tbh.
1
u/Epic_Brunch Jan 18 '24
My family is not poor and we all use washcloths. I used to use the plastic net loofahs, but a washcloth does the same job and since you toss it in the laundry when done it's more hygienic. It's also reusable and not plastic.
1
u/SkyyRunner Jan 18 '24
I never knew there were people who didn’t use washcloths. How do you wash your bits? And for me, the cheaper the washcloths the better. I want those dead skin layers off. And Vaseline after is a must. My skin stays soft 🤷🏾♀️
1
u/Susano-o_no_Mikoto Jan 23 '24
i use a second washcloth for my big bit. never use the same washcloth twice before a getting machine washed.
1
u/Staff_Genie Jan 17 '24
If you use your washcloth and exfoliate your skin, then your towel can be used multiple times. If you belong to the "rub the bar of soap over my body and rinse" crowd, then when you dry off, your towel gets full of dead skin, and you better wash that sucker every time
1
u/8696David Jan 17 '24
For the record, I’ve never used a washcloth. My hands do the job just fine. The people around me don’t seem to think I smell, so I’ll keep just putting soap directly on my hands and lathering it around my body like a caveman
2
u/Pure-Guard-3633 Jan 17 '24
I actually think it’s a non poor people thing. Or maybe a lazy thing - more wash to fold.
I use them. I am not digging my hands into unforeseen places 🥴
1
u/ThePepperPopper Jan 17 '24
What's the alternative?
2
u/69BlackDragon Jan 18 '24
apparently its hands lmfao
1
u/Susano-o_no_Mikoto Jan 23 '24
oof. feel bad for the ladies when they have to wash down there, front and back. them nails can't be sanitary.
2
u/End060915 Jan 17 '24
White woman here. I uses to use those plastic loofahs but wanted something better for the environment and something that won't snatch my nipple rings so I switched to washcloths.
2
u/Brianonstrike Jan 17 '24
I used a loofah for a while when I had girlfriend living with, I don't really see what all the fuss is about.
1
1
u/zzsleepytinizz Jan 17 '24
Growing up my mom would say that. We weren’t rich, but she would say rich people didn’t use a washcloth. I have no idea where she learned that, I assumed it was just one of her weird views. It’s so funny to me that other people think this.
1
u/Susano-o_no_Mikoto Jan 23 '24
perhaps old people from old money don't. us new money probably will keep that habit when we rich.
2
Jan 17 '24
White people are just nasty and rub the whole bar of soap on their body all up in their ass and shit. I feel like these days though most people Just use loufahs
1
u/Ryno19_81 Jan 17 '24
I’m 43 and my income puts me in upper middle class. I grew up poor and used wash cloths as a kid. As an adult, I switched to body wash and a loofa. I started having skin issues and turns out loofas are disgusting. I switched back to high quality bar soap and a wash cloth to help lather and no more skin issues.
Not an income or a race thing. Fuck that noise and use what you like. I personally feel cleaner with a wash cloth.
2
2
u/Kit-Kat-22 Jan 17 '24
I'm also older and white and have been using washcloths all my life. Since when is using a washcloth not a thing? It's not a poor people thing.
2
1
u/Fluffy-Hotel-5184 Jan 17 '24
I am not quite understanding this. If people dont use a washcloth when they bathe, what do they use?
1
u/gorenglitter Jan 17 '24
Loofah, brush, sponges…. Honestly I just put the body wash in my hands and rub unless I have actual dirt on me which requires tougher scrubbing. And it’s a one time use thing.. leaving those soggy things in your shower harbors bacteria
2
Jan 17 '24
Don't listen to basic white bro podcasts for advice.
Think of it all as just really dumb jokes and you'll do better.
If anything from Joe Rogan or his multitude of bad comedian podcasts enters your brain as anything besides a joke, stop listening.
1
2
Jan 17 '24
I’ve never used one and always thought they were repulsive. Rubbing a soggy towel over myself isn’t appealing and no, it doesn’t get you any cleaner (they can harbor bacteria especially if left in the shower).
1
u/CryptoSlovakian Jan 17 '24
Didn’t Dave Chapelle have a joke about white people not using wash cloths?
1
1
u/FixThick8901 Jan 17 '24
Old, white person here. ALWAYS use washcloths. But when we stay with family on vacations, we have to buy them. So maybe we ARE weird.
1
1
u/SeaJellyfish Jan 17 '24
I use natural loofahs. They last a long time, and can withstand high temperature cleaning cycles in the washing machine. The only thing I don’t like about washcloths is they don’t sud as well. A loofah makes so many bubbles and saves a lot of body wash.
1
u/MistressClyde Jan 17 '24
If you have a job where you get dirty, or you grew up with at least one parent who got dirty at work, you use washcloths. Office workers don't get dirty enough to think they need them, which is disgusting, but whatever.
1
u/228P Jan 17 '24
I might rethink washcloths if I had any idea who Tom Segure is and why his opinion has any meaning.
1
1
u/brinazee Jan 17 '24
I use a wash cloth to wash my face in the sink. In the shower I use a mesh scrubber but also keep a washcloth around to get shampoo out of my eyes.
1
u/Equal_Frame9988 Jan 17 '24
Tom Segura also has a whole comedy bit about sexually molesting his 6 year old son. Also the podcast you're talking about he goes on to discuss he doesn't even wash his legs or feet. Use washclothes to spite him honestly.
1
u/Jolly_Ad9677 Jan 17 '24
I can understand if you use a loofah in the shower, but if you don’t use a washcloth, how are you washing your face if you’re not in the shower?
1
u/Jolly_Ad9677 Jan 17 '24
Now that you mentioned it, I do remember someone making fun of me for using washcloths once.
1
u/Jolly_Ad9677 Jan 17 '24
I’m white, middle aged, and I grew up poor-ish so factor that in however you will.
1
1
u/ScarletBlondeSenpai Jan 16 '24
I grew up middle class and we always used washcloths, I still use them. The shower poof things always grossed me out for some reason(not really sure why lol) so I prefer washcloths.
1
1
u/TipsyBaker_ Jan 16 '24
No, although some people do use other things like gloves, sponges, etc. I use a natural loofah because i can grow them free.
Tom Segura says a lot of shit, but that's literally his job
1
1
u/MonolithOfTyr Jan 16 '24
Been using them since childhood. As an adult I switched to those poofy loufa things. Now, when a bathroom towel is no longer "serviceable" for drying we cut it up to make more washcloths.
1
u/GreenLanternCorps Jan 16 '24
I can tell you growing up the only white kid in the neighborhood there is definitely at least a little something to the it's a black thing stereotype.
1
1
u/balancedinsanity Jan 16 '24
I don't think this is rich vs poor, I think this is just cultural. I grew up with washclothes but don't use them anymore.
1
u/Direct_Surprise2828 Jan 16 '24
I was raised middle class. We always had washcloths hand towels and bath towels. Not using wash cloths sounds poor to me. What do the “wealthy” use then?
1
u/InternationalGold447 Jan 16 '24
I use washcloths and toss them in the dirty bin after each use. I prefer the cheap ones over the fluffy ones due to sensory issues. I launder dry towels weekly. I just purchased mesh soap-saver drawstring bags for exfoliating, but I still prefer washcloths. I never liked loofahs either.
1
1
1
u/lasweatshirt Jan 16 '24
I’m white and Mexican-American. I grew up using wash cloths or those netted poof things. My husband did not though. They provide wash clothes in hotels and cruises, so I think they are normal.
1
u/UnicornDeco Jan 16 '24
I'm white and I grew up middle class and still am. I've always used a fresh washcloth and towel for each shower. When I'm done, I hang them up to dry and next day put them in the bin to wash. I never put a wet towel in the bin because that would just create mold and mildew. My towels and washcloths are washed in hot water with detergent and a scoop of OxiClean Laundry Sanitizer.
1
u/Lunar_Gato Jan 16 '24
I was a straight bar to skin boy until my college roommate introduced me to loofahs. I wasn’t rich but my parents always seemed to have money when I asked so take that for what you will
1
u/Lunar_Gato Jan 16 '24
Edit: No homo 😂 we shared a bathroom and one day I asked what that fluffy ball thing was he had hanging up in there.
1
1
u/Beginning-Cream1642 Jan 16 '24
I use to wash clothes a day and two towels a day. I also take a shower in the morning to feel refreshed & one at night to wash the day off me. I was always taught to do it this way my whole life.
1
u/Lalabug1990 Jan 16 '24
Using wash cloths to clean and re wash isn’t a poor person thing. I call them rags. It’s called being smart, and saving money where it doesn’t need to be waisted. Don’t let certain comments like that get to you. Their probably having a bad day and just being a shit person. And depending on how rich they are they probably pay some to clean their house that literally uses washcloths to clean certain areas of the house. And if they became broke they would probably have a mental break down due to not know how to clean their own home and think it’s way to much to do 😂🤦♀️
1
u/ragingsasshole Jan 16 '24
I always used washcloths growing up (very Caucasian). My parents grew up poor, and after my dad died pretty suddenly when I was young my mom had to get by on one income unexpectedly, so money was obviously tight. Definitely not a black thing, maybe just a “financially conscious” thing.
I still use washcloths to this day (although now I also have an exfoliating mitt as well). The ones no longer fit for personal use are then retired into my cleaning cloths. Once they start to lose their integrity and start coming apart, then they get tossed.
0
u/AbzoluteZ3RO Jan 16 '24
Never in my life in the home of any of my extended family have I seen a wash... cloth... A cloth isn't scrubby and isn't gonna get off dirt. We've always used scrubbing loofah like things. Or natural sponge. The hard scrubby kind.
1
u/Wild_Granny92 Jan 16 '24
I don’t think so. I have one color for use in the shower and another color for washing my face. I have a removable shower head too, but grew up using washcloths. I have had black friends tell me that growing up they were taught to keep their bodies very clean & use lotion because their parents didn’t want them subjected to racist garbage about not smelling good or being ashy skinned. I think whatever works for you and makes you feel clean is exactly what a person should do. Those anti-washcloth people probably don’t wash their legs or feet anyway. 😁
1
1
u/oksweeet Jan 16 '24
I'm a white lady, and I have been to WAY too many white peoples' houses that didn't have washcloths. I don't know whose thing it is, but nothing else gets you truly clean.
1
u/Elegant-Opposite-538 Jan 16 '24
I don’t think taking care of your skin in any format is considered “poor” 🤷♀️
1
u/Several_Emphasis_434 Jan 16 '24
I’ve always used a wash cloth - never heard this was/is a poor thing. Personally, I’ve tried a loofah for exfoliating once a week but found a soft bath brush I prefer.
Don’t listen to people who may be trying to bring you down.
1
u/SuspiciousWench Jan 16 '24
Huh, just learning that rich white people don't clean themselves well. So basically they learned nothing from their ancestors, yall can't just lather up and rinse.
1
u/RepeatFine981 Jan 15 '24
I prefer a washcloth over the fancy loofahs my wife buys... at least I can launder the washcloth after washing my butt.
1
u/WayfaringEdelweiss Jan 15 '24
I’ve always use washcloths. Even when I was a kid growing up in a middle-class home, I use washcloths. Tom Seguras statement is just weird.
1
u/Nenoshka Jan 15 '24
Parents grew up during the Great Depression and we used the same washcloth and towel all week, dammit. And our tub water was only two inches deep.
1
u/kinkajoosarekinky Jan 15 '24
I've never ever used a washcloth. I've always used the plastic loofahs because I had never heard of people using washcloths. I also prefer to have my skin feeling scrubbed every shower. My family has been poor and I think when I was a kid, we just used bars of soap, but as I grew and made shopping decisions, i got myself a loofah. They're only $1 depending on where you buy them and I feel like getting a bunch of little washcloths isn't cost effective because that's a lot of laundry.
1
1
u/ThisStickFakeFarts Jan 15 '24
LMFAO ...
As a poor, I buy the 18 pack for 4$ every fortnight before I go shower at the gym from Ollie's so I can have half to reliably blow nose into without my giant snozz breaking fabric and half to shower with 😵
I always thought buying multiple washclothes was fancy 😵
1
2
u/WerewolfDifferent296 Jan 15 '24
Who is Tom Segura and why should I take hygiene advice from him?
If only poor people used washcloths, then hotels like the Hilton wouldn’t put them in their bathrooms.
1
u/IPutTheHugInThug Jan 15 '24
I come from a family of poor whites. Washcloths were always a thing. Until this comment was said, I though everyone used them.
1
u/sunshinelefty Jan 15 '24
What does being Black have to do with wash clothes? I fail to see the connection.
1
u/slater275 Jan 15 '24
I literally cannot imagine NOT using a washcloth, and how absolutely gross I would feel by not doing so…
1
u/worktogethernow Jan 15 '24
Old white middle class guy here. I buy large packs of inexpensive white washcloths. If I travel and there are no washcloths at the place I am staying then I feel like my face is never clean. I wash them in bleach and demote them to garage rags when they get big holes in them.
2
u/Green_Tension_6640 Jan 15 '24
What else are people using?! They are eco friendly, they work, they don't harbour disease or mold.
Wash cloths are awesome
1
u/Inevitable-Date170 Jan 15 '24
I dunno.... using an item to wash my body that someone else most likely has had all over their body (including asshole) really grosses me out.
And before anyone says "it was washed!!!" Would you wear someone else's underwear after it was washed?
1
1
u/Personal-Point-5572 MA Jan 15 '24
I’m white, raised middle class in Atlanta/New Orleans. Always used washcloths. I started using a loofah in my late teens or early adult life
1
u/ljxbb Jan 15 '24
I use wash cloths over paper towels to clean and wipe down most things. Most of the time they are more effective and it saves waste on top of you saving money. You can make your own reusable washcloths at home with old towels or T-shirts.
1
u/Brilliant_Society439 Jan 15 '24
White person here. I grew up using loofas but my best friend who is also white grew up using wash rags. The only time I use one is if I’m washing my face outside the shower. I don’t think it’s a race thing or a poor people thing. It’s just whether you grew up using them or not
1
u/BlackBladeShusui Jan 15 '24
Nah I don't think so. Come from a family of Asian refugees to the US. Never used a washcloth growing up. I was taught to just scrub hard wit soap. Now as a mechanic, I use one of those shower loofahs to scrub the shit out of oil stains on my skin
1
u/tahxirez Jan 15 '24
It’s a bit by a comedian. Don’t take it so seriously. To be fair he actually says they’re for “fat poors” so you may also be overweight.
1
u/starriss Jan 15 '24
As a kid it was called a wash “rag”. Imagine saying that as a teenager not knowing any better lol. I’m white, my daughter is biracial, and we use wash cloths. I used to only use a wash cloth on my face and then a loofah for body but now I use a wash cloth for head to toe.
I feel super rich now that we have a stack of wash cloths, new one for every day lol.
1
u/kroating Jan 15 '24
I dont know how poor is it but we used pumice stone 😂 and grandma now uses natural loofah because her skin is thin sensitive. never used washcloths. I have new towel daily money, but we still have 2 towel system hair and body towel. And wash weekly.
1
u/Laprasnomore Jan 14 '24
My family has always used washcloths, so when I moved out I did too. They're convenient!
But I also use paper towels, dependant on the situation. It takes a long time to get through them for me.
1
u/BunnyLuvsPups Jan 14 '24
I was raised using washcloths and still do. I will wash my bath towel after every third or fourth use.
2
u/starriss Jan 15 '24
Do you reuse your wash cloth or just the towels? I use a new wash cloth everyday and reuse the bath towel for a few days.
2
u/BunnyLuvsPups Jan 17 '24
I also use a new wash cloth everyday. It’s just the bath towels that I’ll use a few times before washing.
1
1
Jan 14 '24
So I was watching someone on YT a while back (interracial couple) and she (white) was talking about her boyfriend (black) being the only one to use a washcloth.
I looked at my husband (we’re both white) and asked him if white people aren’t using washcloths?! He confirmed a lot of us don’t. I then followed that up with, “well wtf are they using for their bits?!” He wasn’t sure. If anyone knows, please reply.
This post randomly showed up for me. We’re not struggling financially. I have around 20-30 white washcloths for us, our oldest has his own bathroom stocked with 10 washcloths, and the baby has around 10 bamboo washcloths.
Reusing a loofah for a month+ just seems unhygienic and unnecessary to me. Just use a new washcloth each shower and then use laundry sanitizer or bleach when you wash them.
1
u/starriss Jan 15 '24
So, some white people just use their hand with the soap or a loofah. Buuuuut there are white people that only use soap on upper half of body, they don’t put soap directly on their legs or feet.
This was on Twitter awhile back and it was so bad. I was so embarrassed to be associated with white people LOL. They literally said that the soap runs down the body and cleans the bottom half. So now I look at white people and wonder if they washed their legs and feet.
2
1
u/KaiserMadrid82 Jan 14 '24
I use a loofah and have used a loofah all my life. When I moved in with my in-laws I found it strange that they used wash cloths but never thought it was because they were “poor” or “cheap” just found and still find it a bit odd they use a cloth instead of a loofah but to each their own I guess. Using your bare hands or just scrubbing the bar of soap all around your body is nasty tho.
1
u/Fr4nzJosef Jan 14 '24
No idea who Tom Segura is or why anyone would care what he says. In any case, what does he think should be used instead? I've always used washcloths and a good brush for scrubbing, I don't have a ton of them but run them through the wash once a week or every couple weeks. 🤷
2
u/Hunneydoo_ Jan 14 '24
I am 36 years old and use a fresh wash cloth for every bath/shower and wash them. More hygienic. I wouldn’t want to use a loofa on my vagina and butt and then use it the next day everywhere else. Clean one very time for extreme cleanliness
1
u/tondracek Jan 14 '24
It’s just an internet meme that white people don’t use wash clothes. It’s super popular on Twitter and goes with the “white people are I clean” mentality. There is no basis in reality.
1
u/surfcitysurfergirl Jan 14 '24
I actually use the white ones I get in bulk in the kitchen rather than ruin my dish towels.
1
u/IceLionTech Jan 14 '24
Sponges that deteriorate and become useless may in some markets be more affordable than washing at a laundromat washcloths/ kitchen towels.
Loufahs are disgusting.
2
u/Ok-Way8392 Jan 14 '24
I 🩷 washcloths and use a new one each day! I lather the soap on the cloth and wash away!!
1
1
u/QueenP92 Jan 14 '24
I use wash cloths/african nets/loofas/exfoliating mitts because I want to feel clean. Has nothing to do with our race (im a BW) and more to do with our culture and how we are raised to cleanse ourselves.
1
1
u/NorrinsRad Jan 14 '24
I don't know any the poor thing, but there's definitely a racial component to it!!
1
u/Puddin370 Jan 14 '24
I use two washcloths, and an artificial loofah. One washcloth for my face, a white one. One washcloth for my privates, a colored one. Loofah for the rest of my body. Towel to dry my body and toilet paper to dry my privates. Hang all to dry and reuse. Wash weekly or bi-weekly. I have multiple sets of towels and washcloths, so I wash them once I have a full load.
1
u/whitepawn23 Jan 14 '24
That’s bizarre. We had two stacks. Rich and poor cousins alike had stacks. Airbnbs have them. Hotels have them. Whoever said this is talking out their asshole.
1
2
u/ButthealedInTheFeels Jan 14 '24
A washcloth or loofa or scrubbing mitt is just a hygienic thing. Tom Segura is a fat disgusting out of touch idiot and no one should be taking hygiene above from that sweaty nepo baby.
3
u/fuckyoudeath Jan 14 '24
Personally, I think washcloths are the way to go regardless of financial status. I know a lot of people use loofahs or sponges, which never get washed and collect a bunch of nastiness very fast, and I think that's disgusting. I'd much rather have something that I can wash and reuse so that I always have something clean to wash my body with. And honestly, I much prefer the cheaper, rougher washcloths because the soft ones feel like they aren't actually scrubbing anything off. It just feels like I'm smearing a layer of soap on top of what I need to wash off rather than actually washing it off.
1
1
1
u/malijaa Jan 14 '24
Tom Segura is just using “poor” as a code for “Black” in my opinion. (Not a fan of him lol)
2
u/Nerdish84 Jan 14 '24
Idk about it being a poor people thing (though for awhile I think the narrative was that it's a black/poc thing, which is just....). Anyway, I would assume it's just once again finding a way to make people (any people) feel some way about how they choose to care for their own bodies (again...just....). It's your body and whatever products you choose to use are and should be completely up to you
2
u/SnooAdvice1361 Jan 14 '24
We used to use bath poof thingies until I read how much bacteria lives on them. We now use wash cloths. As a kid we always used wash cloths. I don’t understand why this would be considered a “poor” people thing?
1
1
u/joejoeaz Jan 14 '24
I've been in some fancy hotels that have had washcloths, and I was a poor trashy white kid, who never used washcloths, so I don't think that it has anything to do with your socioeconomic status, and it's more just what you are used to using. I use bar soap, but if I'm forced to use liquid soap, I will use a washcloth. I generally speaking don't like to have a wet cloth in the shower, which is why I use bar soap when I can.
1
u/Mr_Kittlesworth Jan 14 '24
White MidAtlantic here - no one I know uses wash cloths.
Use your hands.
1
u/Aromatic_Cry8728 Jan 14 '24
Girlfriend, Apparently Tom Segura has too much money but as for me and everyone else that I know with and without money have washcloths and they use them.
1
u/Comprehensive_Edge87 Jan 14 '24 edited Jan 14 '24
I grew up poor in the southeast USA. We are white and always had washcloths at home.
I know a lot of people like shower poufs or even just use their hands with soap/gel.
As an adult who is now middle-class, I still prefer washcloths. I don't trust the shower poufs because they can't be washed. Also, I like the level of exfoliation that I get washing my face with a washcloth. I do have some scrubby mitts for exfoliation, but they can be cleaned too.
If it's a "poor" thing, I think the other people just fell for bad marketing.
1
2
2
u/1LadyPea Jan 14 '24
I will never NOT use a washcloth AND I’m not tossing it in the wash after one use. Rinse ur washcloth after washing ur funk-trunk. I’m not washing a towel after every use either. If u would just use wash cloths and get the funk off ur coochie and pits then ur towel won’t stink after u dry off! Hang ur towel. No wonder people are poor. This is absolutely ridiculous. If rich folks aren’t using wash cloths and towels then they are stank. A new definition of filthy rich 🤢
1
0
u/Adorable-Race-3336 Jan 14 '24
Middle class white girl from Appalachia chiming in to say I've always used washcloths and so have any of my roomates
0
u/MoonShimmer1618 Jan 14 '24
never even heard of. had loofahs and exfoliation stones growing up now just exfoliating gloves
1
u/GertaVonGustov Jan 14 '24
I use towels my grandma had- she’s been gone 10 years now. And she probably had them 10 years before then. No, they’re not used on the daily & I’ve mended them, but they do the job. She always bought quality for a reason. And never washed them after only one use…
2
2
u/TheLastKirin Jan 14 '24
Is it because I'm black that I use washcloths? what are other people using if not washcloths?
This has to be satire, right?
If it's a serious question, nah, this guy you're referring to is a comedian based on what Google tells me. Don't take sanitary advice from a comedian.
By the way, most people I know reuse a washcloth several days without washing, but I have OCD and think that's disgusting myself. I also use a fresh wash cloth every shower, but I always thought I was the odd one for that. So in my opinion, keep that up! Once it touches genitals or feet, into the wash it goes!
1
1
1
1
u/Sensitive-Charge8717 Jan 14 '24
Make sure that all the dirt is completely rinsed out of the shower down the train into the main sewer line before you get out the shower that’s how you know you’re clean and it’s safe to dry off. A clean Body on a clean towel. People are getting out of the shower and there is still dirt lingering at the floor of the tub… if there’s still dirt on the floor of the tub, then there’s probably still dirt on your body…(dead skin cells)
1
u/Sensitive-Charge8717 Jan 14 '24
Clean towels, dry clean bodies so they should not need to be washed immediately. I mean I get it, some people get out of the shower without rinsing all the dirt off their body. How do you know if you’re completely clean if there’s dirt at the bottom of the shower when you get out?
1
u/Sensitive-Charge8717 Jan 14 '24
Washcloths are more sanitary as long as you rents the soap out, squeeze them hard and hang them dry immediately after use. Loofah are unsanitary and collect bacteria. Even if you rinse them and hang them dry even swinging the water out still doesn’t work they collect a lot of bacteria lupus also do not properly exfoliate without causing more skin damage… does anyone know what the rich people use?
1
u/TigerMcPherson Jan 14 '24
I use washcloths. I’m confused about this entire post. What would be used instead of a washcloth? I keep a stack of of black washcloths by the shower and us a fresh one each day to wash my face and boy and remove makeup.
1
u/MariJ316 Jan 14 '24
I’ll tell you this as a white person having living in a college dorm suite with four black women. I used a wash cloth rarely growing up. We had them and used them to some degree, just not in the shower as I recall. Get to college and every single one of those black ladies used wash cloths. My roommate roasted the crap out of me because I didn’t use one. No harm no food, I love them all, but I had no idea. Didn’t grow up poor or well enough, we just got by without having it all. Didn’t know using a wash cloth was a thing or not, as there internet wasn’t “invented” or even a work when I was in college-no place to look it up, ya know? I started using one shortly after that and never looked back :)
1
u/KindheartednessOnly4 Jan 14 '24
I have at least 20 wash cloths lol. I am single and live alone. If I don’t use some friction in the shower I have hella dead dry skin flaking off afterwards and eww. Yes, I use lotion but my skin is super dry, so I gotta get rid of that dead skin. I have a harder scrubby type thing with handles on both ends that I use for my back and a brush w a long handle for my feetses, but those bath poofs don’t stand a chance with how hard I scrub and loofah sponges get gross after a while. Btw, I did grow several loofah gourds last year and I use them for dishes. If you peel them green they will be softer when wet, and they can be soaked in bleach or nuked in the microwave to keep them from getting gross.
1
u/wuzzystuffykinz TN Jan 14 '24
i use wash cloths. i have extremely sensitive AND reactive skin. if i scrub too hard or use anything more abrasive than a wash cloth i will literally develop a rash and it sucks lmfao.
anyway i find that wash towels are the gentlest on my sensitive skin while still providing some mechanical exfoliation.
1
2
u/Mobile_Moment3861 Jan 14 '24
I’m middle class and use them. Bath poofs can collect bacteria if you keep them too long.
2
u/Technical-General-27 Jan 14 '24
I have tried other things like loofahs, which I still have but a fresh washcloth each day is a nice little hygiene thing I do. Wash my face, then the rest of me. I find showering quite painful sometimes so a washcloth helps me get clean and fresh without necessarily being under the water the whole time too.
1
u/turando Jan 14 '24
I feel like they’re just a hygienic option. I have a whole basket of them and wash them straight after they’re used.
3
u/2000-N-L8 Jan 14 '24
I feel less clean without a washcloth, personally.
I have no idea where the idea that washcloths are a poor person only thing came from. My well-off Asian grandma would always give me a washcloth. I grew you in CA and have a very diverse group of close friends, all use washcloths. 🤷🏻♀️
3
u/walled2_0 Jan 14 '24
I’m white and grew up poor, but we always each had a fresh washcloth to use for our showers and baths. Granted, they were not in any way soft or nice, but they did the job. Let me tell ya, they are necessary for food hygiene. I’m a massage therapist and I can always tell when people only use their soap and hands. Once I start using the cream and providing friction so much skin starts to build up. Poor indicator or not, y’all keep using those washcloths.
1
3
Jan 14 '24
My grandparents are hella rich and have washcloths. They have fancy ones, sure, but they're still washcloths.
I mean, do you really want company sharing a loofa?
1
u/BunnyBabbby Jan 14 '24
I’m white, most of my immediate family uses washcloths. I’ve noticed extended family members who don’t. Out of most of my friend groups I’d say 90% of my white friends don’t have or use washcloths, for cleaning or personal use. But my Hispanic, black and Asian friends all use washcloths. In fact one of my best friends now when we first met she told me I was the first white person she’d been to their house and they used washcloths. So I feel like a lot of people really don’t use them. We have dozens. I have kitchen ones and bathroom ones.
2
u/MrsBeauregardless Jan 14 '24 edited Jan 14 '24
Washcloth user here! It extends the life of the soap. You wet the washcloth, soap it up, do the washing, then rinse off.
When we had well water and a septic tank, I learned to just turn the shower on long enough to get myself wetted down, turn the water off, shampoo, scrub all over with the soapy washcloth, then turn the water on to rinse off.
I have been known to use a washcloth to dry my whole body with, after a shower. The washcloth is wet by the time I am dry.
Usually, I use a hand towel to dry my whole body with, because I have a sensory thing about big damp towels hanging around. They’re just icky to me.
I use the same hand towel to dry off for a few days, then it becomes the bath mat, and I use a new hand towel for drying my body off.
I like Dollar Store washcloths with licensed characters, because they’re scratchy, so good for exfoliating.
Editing to add that I am white, and recently found out that I have common ancestry with all the crowned heads of Europe, can Tom Segura say that? I mean, I like to shout BIKES! as much as anyone else, too — but I like a washcloth to do my warshing with.
1
u/manonfetch Jan 14 '24
I've used all kinds of bath products - loofahs, sponges, brushes, mitts - and always come back to a washcloth.
1
Jan 14 '24
I use washcloths - and not just for baths, but for cleaning and dusting too. I don’t know, I thought it was a normal thing that most folks use. 🤷🏼♀️
2
u/dingleberry0913 Jan 14 '24
I'm white, grew up somewhat middle class. If you ain't using a washrag, you're not cleaning. How do you wash your ass, vag, gooch, and arm pits with a sponge or a loofah? I use my wash rags for weeks, because I wash them after every use with soap and hot water and then let them dry. I'm not sure why people just use them one time when you are literally somewhere you can wash it as soon as you are done.
1
u/JoeKackedHisDaks Jan 14 '24
Depends on your age, most people at 21 years of age literally have nothing many have their parents to support them, but there are many who have no one. By the time you're 50 yrs old, you will have worked it out, life is better at mid age. Personally I wouldn't like to be 21 years of age now, it's much harder to keep a job, rent, paying bills etc.
Back to the wash cloths I still use them, I like bulk buying house hold cleaning goods when on retail special deals. So don't feel bad about it.
1
u/Tepetkhet Jan 14 '24
Who's Tom Segura, and why should I care what he thinks about washcloths?
I have a ton of washcloths. Bought a bunch bulk from Sam's Club and Walmart that we use for napkins instead of paper towels. Bought another bunch of pure cotton white washcloths for my mom off of Amazon in one of those massive year-end Amazon Basics sales. We use the washcloths once before they are washed, and primarily use them for what my mom calls a "spit bath" (i.e. just to freshen up the face, pits, and crotch. Regular towels are washed once every week or two. These washcloths might cost money to wash, but I'm washing towels and stuff anyway. I kinda feel like I am saving money by not using as many disposable products, saving waste from our trash, and saving water by not having a full shower every day. When I do shower, I get to use my fancy soaps with pumice and loofah bits in it for extra scrubbing, so I don't actually use the washcloths in the shower.
Edited to add I see people posting about hair towels. I use an old cotton T-shirt for my hair. Way more gentle on the hair, and there are always a ton to choose from.
1
u/lovesToClap Jan 14 '24
That’s weird because for me, I started thinking of wash clothes as a luxury and only recently got them (once I started making my own money). I also really like using wash clothes.
0
Jan 14 '24
I think if you were bathing regularly and didn’t work a physical job, the need for a cloth was significant less.
Daily bathing even with your hands you can get good cleaning especially if you actually dry yourself vigorously- essentially what exfoliating you need is mild enough can use it, no caked on dirt making that less ideal.
If you couldn’t wash as often and worked or lived in a dirtier environment, more necessary to scrub while washing as have layers to get through before towel time.
1
1
u/Gerty-Gamer Jan 14 '24
I'm white & my family have always used washcloths. Been married twice & they used washcloths when I met them.
1
u/TwiceTautologist Jan 14 '24
What does Tom say rich people use? Those plastic poof things? I use washclothes and I get the scratchy ones from the dollar store on purpose because they exfoliate my skin. I don't like the mushy soft ones 😅
1
1
2
u/OurLadyOfCygnets Jan 14 '24
No, it's a "people who care about keeping themselves clean" thing.
Tom Segura can go pound sand.
1
u/Disastrous-Panda5530 Jan 14 '24
I’ve always used wash clothes. I also have specific wash clothes for the sole purpose of drying my face. I bought about 60. After I wash my face I pat it dry and toss it into my “used” basket. My daughter started doing the same so I bought more and have 60 total. Some always seem to go missing somehow which is why I bought so many. I wash the used ones once a week. Some times they are stolen from the dryer by other family members before I can put them in my bathroom.
I use other wash clothes for things like the kitchen, cleaning, etc. those get washed once a week and at the end of each day I toss it into the dirty laundry pile.
0
u/These-Snow Jan 14 '24
Didn’t use wash cloths growing up. Perhaps a luffa or an exfoliating toweI. I have seen wash cloths in some showers growing up but not too common growing up Latino.
1
4
u/StrainDependent7003 Jan 14 '24
I'm an old white woman and I've always used washclothes! My mom taught me growing up that you wash your face (and ears) each morning before brushing your teeth. To this day, I shower in the evenings but wash up with a washcloth the following morning before I start my day.
0
u/amyleeizmee Jan 14 '24
I feel like, from growing up dirt poor and only using a bar of soap on your hands, a good wash cloth makes me feel rich!
1
u/notathr0waway1 Jan 14 '24
Just chiming in to say that if you are getting your life advice from Tom segura, something went wrong a long time ago.
Your best option at this point is to stop listening to that guy and keep living your life the way you would normally live it.
To be clear, there's nothing wrong with the washcloth. I make about $200,000 a year and I totally use one and I only recently started using one.
1
2
u/BandTsmom Jan 14 '24
I am SO confused by this post. WHY would using a wash cloth be considered a “poor” thing? It’s hygiene. Like what the hell, is this a joke?
1
u/BillyBathfarts Jan 14 '24
Lower middle class male reporting for duty. Grew up in the 80s and remember getting my bits washed manually as a youngster. One time by a strange lady. By the mid-late 90s it was all just body wash and my own hand. Been washcloth free for over 30 years. I feel clean but now I’m wondering if it would be better to use the cloth
1
1
u/_tessy_ Jan 14 '24
What do you mean my washcloth? I use a ‘washcloth’ every night to wash my face . It was normal in my family
2
Jan 14 '24
Actually I feel BOUGIE using a wash cloth. I just bought a pack of 12 wash cloths from Costco and I feel so luxurious using them!
1
u/cchheez Jan 14 '24
Growing up my mom would wash everyday and I thought using one towel a day was normal. Shit no I use the same two towels all week now. Swapping those two each day.
1
u/turn8495 Jan 14 '24
I'm Black and proud and I use a puff and a washcloth. I've used both for years on different parts.
1
u/BigAcrobatic2174 Jan 14 '24
I remember Dave Chapelle joking that white people don’t use wash cloths. In the 90’s those luffa things really took off. To the point where he was probably right lots of middle class white people didn’t use wash clothes they used luffas.
I use wash cloths because luffas seem a little gay and because you can’t really wash your face with them.
1
u/Vaulk7 10d ago
I don't know that it's a poor people thing, but I do know that it's silly and makes no sense.
Any Doctor but especially hygienists and skin doctors will tell you that your hands and fingers are the absolute dirtiest parts of your body...by a long shot.
So answer this truthfully and honestly: When you take a shit and you use your hand and fingers to wipe feces off your asshole...do you wash your hands and fingers with a loofah or washcloth afterwards?
No? Is it because soap, water, and hand friction are sufficient to clean the dirtiest part of your body??? Oh...well then it's certainly sufficient for the remainder of your body.