We’ve all been tempted to throw everything into one laundry load to save time, but when it comes to mixing towels with clothes, the convenience isn’t worth the consequences. These two laundry items are fundamentally different in how they should be cleaned, and combining them often leads to disappointing results. Understanding why they need separate treatment can help you maintain your fabrics better and actually save time in the long run.
The thick, absorbent nature of towels means they require hotter water temperatures and more vigorous washing to get truly clean – conditions that would damage or shrink many clothing items. Conversely, the gentle cycles needed for most clothes won’t sufficiently clean your towels. You’ll also notice how new towels especially shed lint that stubbornly attaches to clothing, leaving your dark jeans and synthetic workout wear covered in fuzz.
There are health considerations too. Towels collect more bacteria, dead skin cells, and body oils than your everyday clothes. Washing them together means these contaminants can transfer to the garments you wear directly against your skin. Even the drying process becomes problematic – the bulk of towels means they take much longer to dry than clothes, leading to either overdried clothing or damp towels that develop mildew smells. Taking the time to wash these items separately will keep both your towels and clothes looking and feeling their best.
