Progress Report on Guest Towel Preservation
The nice towels have been in the bathroom for three years. They have not been used. They are waiting for guests who have not yet used the guest bathroom.
Progress report: guest towel utilization. Period: Three years of tenancy. Towels: Two, pale grey, purchased from a quality retailer. Current condition: Unused. Perfectly preserved.
The Design Intention
The guest towels were purchased to communicate: this household prepared for your visit, there are towels for your use, you are a guest whose comfort was considered. The towels signal intent through their placement and quality.
The Outcome
Guests see the towels and form one of two assessments:
Assessment A: These towels look too nice to use. They are probably decorative. I will use the other towels. Assessment B: These look like the guest towels. But using them seems like it would disturb something. I will use the other towels.
In both cases, guests use the other towels. The guest towels remain on the rail.
The Periodic Maintenance
The towels have been refolded seven times across the three-year period. Refolding was required when: a guest moved them to check if there were other towels, a cleaning session disturbed their arrangement, and once when the cat knocked them to the floor during a visit.
The towels are currently in optimal condition. They are cleaner than they were when purchased, having been washed once in year two when it was decided they should be fresh even if unused.
The Question
The towels were purchased for use. The towels are not being used because they look like they are for display. The display quality prevents their function.
The towels will continue to be maintained until a guest requests specific permission to use them, or until the household decides to use them for everyday purposes, which would require a decision that the towels are no longer guest towels.
Both events remain pending.