It might seem like no big deal—tossing your towels in with your everyday laundry. After all, they’re all dirty, right? But mixing towels with clothes in the same wash is a habit that could be quietly ruining your laundry routine. Here’s why you might want to keep them separate from now on:
1. Towels and Clothes Need Totally Different Washes
Towels are thick, heavy, and designed to soak up moisture. That means they need a hot, long wash cycle to truly get clean. Clothes? Not so much. Most garments—especially delicate items—prefer shorter, cooler, and gentler settings. When you mix the two, your towels often come out not fully clean, and your clothes can take a beating from the harsher settings.
2. Lint Everywhere (And It’s Not Pretty)
Fresh towels tend to shed a lot of lint—and when you wash them with clothing, especially dark items or synthetics, that lint ends up sticking everywhere. One wash can turn a black T-shirt into a lint-covered disaster. Not to mention, it takes extra time to clean it all up. Nobody has time for that.
3. Snags and Fabric Damage
Clothes with zippers, hooks, or buttons can easily catch on towel loops, pulling threads and damaging both items. And towels themselves are rough on soft fabrics—causing pilling, stretching, or thinning. It’s a recipe for ruining your favorite hoodie or that cozy bath towel.
4. Bacteria Transfer Is a Thing
Towels absorb more than just water. They pick up sweat, d3ad skin, body oils, and sometimes even mildew if they’ve been left damp too long. Washing them with underwear, shirts, or baby clothes could mean cross-contaminating items you wear right against your skin. Yikes.
5. They Dry at Different Speeds
Throwing a bunch of towels in with lighter clothes can mess up the drying process. Towels are thick and hold on to moisture longer, while thin clothes dry faster. That means you’ll either end up with damp towels or shrunken shirts. Plus, your dryer ends up working harder than it needs to.
The Bottom Line? Wash Towels Alone.
If you want cleaner laundry, longer-lasting clothes, and fresher towels, do yourself a favor—wash them separately. Use hot water, a good-quality detergent, and a full, heavy-duty cycle just for towels. Your skin, your fabrics, and your dryer will thank you.