I read that the more you wash them the more absorbent they become. If that is true then I can see the charm in using the flour sacks. I have some more I will do later, but had to go ahead and try one out to see what it felt like with the looser threaded fabric in these. It is different, but still fun. The others will get washed a few times before I begin. I love experimenting with different types of fabric etc. I also want to see what happens to this one with the embroidered stitches after the washing. I will have a true comparison.