I have seen a lot of posts recently on the subject of "what should I bring on my trip to Europe" that elicit the response "a washcloth"!

Can anyone help this poor european out? What is a washcloth and why would you not be able to do without it for a week or two? Obviously I gather it's a cloth you wash yourself with... but it must be different from a facecloth, which is provided in every European hotel?

Thanks!

Jane

It's a very small towel - about the size of a hankerchief - that Americans use to rub their bodies with to get clean.

Thanks - that's more or less what I imagined the answer would be. I still can't figure out why not just use a facecloth to do the same thing while in Europe...

The terms "facecloth" and "washcloth" are often used interchangeably in the US.

"Americans" (as in the US)are not the only people who use these items.

Getting along without one can be a bit difficult for those of us who are used to using them in showers, baths, etc.

Not everyone in the US uses one but I suspect the majority of folks probably do.

Aashcloth is a flannel in UK speak - and hotels don't supply them over here. Apparently they do in the states.

littlejane:

Washcloth, facecloth or flannel are all the same thing. Think separated by a common language i.e. lift/elevator for example - you get the idea.

Many of the hotels and B&B's that I have stayed in did not provide a washcloth, facecloth or flannel.

Sandy

It shows up on a "bring to Europe" list because in many parts of Europe, take Italy for example, hotels no NOT provide these. Nor do they at most of the hotels I've been to in Germany either.

Bath and hand towels, yes. Facecloths or washcloths, no.

As for flannels, in the US that term is reserved for:

a) flannel pajamas
b) flannel sheets
or maybe sometimes
c) flannel shirts

>As for flannels, in the US that term is reserved for:

woolen trousers

To me, it's a face flannel: flannels on their own are flannel trousers, as for cricket.

But then, I'm old-fashioned.

I have to say the hotels I've stayed in in London all supplied them.

Maybe we can talk about the difference between a "pudding" and a dessert, too.

Thanks for clarifying.

Sandy/J62 I've never noticed the absence of a facecloth in Italian or German hotels but that just goes to show how mucky I must be.

I'll make sure to bring my flannels with me next time. (incidentally is Flanner a person who uses flannels a lot? Doubtful but wouldn't it be nice...)

I just take a sponge with me (or a flannel). Prob. solved!

Flanner using flannels..as in trousers or facecloths?

When living in Germany we bought washcloths sewn up as small pockets into which the soap fit. Use them with the soap inside and you never have the soap slip out of your hands.

I must be a mucky pup too, but I wouldn't fancy using a cloth more than once especially for "possible". That's the bit that gets done last when you wash down as far as possible and up as far as possible ;-)
I would never use a flannel on my face and I suspect that most European women are like me and use disposable pads or cotton wool to clean their faces.
For the rest of me, I use soap.
Many good quality British soaps actually have one side slightly concave, so that the soap is easier to grip.

MissPrism,

Please understand that for some of us it has absolutely nothing to do with gripping the soap and everything to do with how the washcloth feels on the skin.

I suppose washing "down there" (are we talking about the front of "down there" the back of "down there" or both????) with your bare hands isn't much different than using a nice "stimulating" cloth but to each their own in the shower/bath I guess.

I saw "a washcloth" for the first time in my life at the Hilton Metropole in London two weeks ago Oh, well, at first I thought it was a bidet towel..till I began to think logical and thought that was not possible because there was no bidet.

I'm curious about those who really don't understand the idea of using a cloth to wash themselves in the bath or shower.

Have those people ever washed dishes? Do they just use their hand, or do they use a sponge or cloth? Just like dishes, if you only used your hand on your skin, you wouldn't be doing nearly as good a job of removing whatever needs to be removed.