Striped Towels Don’t Dry

It would seem that putting out clean towels would be a straight forward, rather innocuous chore. Changing out linens on a weekly basis has been a routine we’ve done for our entire marriage. For whatever reason, I do this on Saturday mornings. Probably my mother did too, which would explain why it’s ingrained in my mind to do so. Aspies do not have the entire market on routines.

Two years ago I was able to get a great deal on some striped bath towels. One of the stripe colors in them exactly matches the plain towels I already had. Of course I tend to be the only one who appreciates the color coordination in our master bedroom and bathroom.

I realized a couple of weeks after my purchase that every time I put a clean striped towel on my husband’s towel rack it would get replaced with a solid colored towel. I finally asked Steve why that was. Silly me.

“Striped towels aren’t cotton so they don’t dry me off,” was his mumbled reply.

Really? I thought for sure they were cotton. Off I trotted to our master bath. I grabbed one of the offending towels and looked at the label. Hmm. 100% cotton.

“Sweetie,” I said as I approached his recliner-throne, “This label says 100% cotton!” I showed him the tag.

He grunted and mumbled something unintelligible. He pulled the tag closer and looked at it harder. Then he replied that it must be a mistake as ‘they’ don’t make cotton towels that are striped.

“Why not?” asked a confused me.

“Just because!” answered he.

Okay dokey. I sat and thought about it for a bit. Somewhere in Steve’s past I bet that someone had purchased striped towels that were a cotton blend. I also dislike cotton blend towels, which is why I only purchase 100% cotton ones. Once my Aspie husband has had an experience, that remains the cast-in-concrete standard for the rest of his life.

“Steve, have you ever used one of these specific striped towels?”

“No! Striped towels don’t dry,” was his instant response.

“Would you do me a favor tomorrow morning? Would you please try this one? If it really doesn’t dry you, I won’t put them out for you anymore.”

He mumbled something that I didn’t catch, and I didn’t ask him to repeat. I simply put the striped towel on his towel rod and waited for him to say ‘See, it doesn’t dry’.

Two years later I am still waiting. I guess striped towels can dry after all.

Post Script: After reading this, Steve says that it was the 'feel' of the towels he didn't like. It is very common for Aspies to dislike how things feel against their skin. Some hate tags and seams. Others can't handle elastic or gathered material. Steve apparently is partial to specific kinds of cotton towels. Now, I just have to figure out what kind...