DEAR ABBY: We had houseguests during the holidays -- an old friend and his new girlfriend. My parents had given us a beautiful set of expensive towels, which we used for our guests.
Whatever cleanser the girl used to wash her face destroyed them. My wife is devastated, but insists that we can't say a word to them about it. I disagree. I say we should not only mention it, we should request that they replace them. What do you think? -- BLEACHED OUT IN THE BIG CITY
DEAR BLEACHED OUT: If your guests realized that they had damaged your towels, they should have offered to replace them. (If what caused the damage is a product the woman uses regularly, wouldn't you think she'd have known it could cause a problem?) I don't think you should request that the items be replaced, but it would not be out of line to mention that they were ruined. And if the couple visits again, make sure not to use the good linens.