Why Washing Towels with Clothes Might Be One of the Worst Laundry Habits You Didn’t Know You Had
You’ve likely done it without giving it a second thought—stuffed your towels and clothes into the same washer load to save time. But this simple shortcut could be quietly damaging your laundry,
shortening the lifespan of your garments, and even compromising your hygiene. According to laundry experts, mixing towels with clothing is a common mistake with costly consequences—and once you know why, you might never do it again.
🧺 Towels and Clothes Are Not Laundry-Compatible—Here’s Why
1. Towels Demand a Tougher Clean
Towels are heavy hitters when it comes to collecting sweat, body oils, and bacteria. To get truly clean, they need hot water, intense agitation, and longer cycles. But your everyday clothing—especially delicate or synthetic fabrics—can’t handle that level of force. Mixing the two means either your towels don’t get clean enough, or your clothes take the hit with fading, shrinking, and premature wear.
2. Lint Transfer Is Real (and Annoying)
Ever pulled a black shirt out of the wash covered in fuzz? That’s towel lint doing its worst. Towels naturally shed fibers in the wash, which then cling to your clothes. Beyond just being unsightly, lint can weaken fabric seams and dull the color and texture of your garments over time.
3. Rough Fabrics Wreak Havoc on Delicates
Towels are bulky, coarse, and heavy. When they tumble around in the wash with lighter fabrics, they can cause abrasions, pulled threads, and snags. Delicate fabrics like lace, silk, or performance wear are particularly vulnerable—and if zippers or buttons get involved, damage becomes even more likely.
4. Mixing Loads Can Spread Germs
Used towels can harbor bacteria, especially if they’ve been damp for long periods. When you wash them alongside underwear, gym clothes, or children’s items, you’re risking cross-contamination.
This isn’t just a gross-out factor—it’s a real concern for families with infants, elderly members, or anyone with a weakened immune system.
5. Dryer Drama: Uneven Loads Waste Time and Energy
Towels take far longer to dry than regular clothing. When you throw them in the dryer together, you get uneven results: damp clothes, stiff towels, and a much longer drying cycle. That doesn’t just slow you down—it drives up your energy bill and puts extra strain on your appliances.
6. Separate Loads = Longer-Lasting Laundry
By customizing wash cycles for towels and clothing separately, you extend the life of both. Your towels stay soft and absorbent. Your clothes retain their shape, color, and integrity. And your washing machine doesn’t work overtime trying to juggle conflicting fabric needs.
🧼 Smarter Laundry Starts Here
Ready to up your laundry game? Here’s a quick guide to doing it right:
Sort Wisely: Group towels by color and wash in hot water. Separate clothes by color and fabric type.
Match the Cycle: Use a heavy-duty setting for towels; normal or gentle cycles for clothing.
Dry Intentionally: Towels need high heat; clothing fares better on medium or low.
Choose the Right Detergent: Use enzyme-based detergents for towels (skip fabric softeners), and gentle formulas for clothing.
Bonus Move: Clean your washer once a month with hot water and white vinegar to keep it running fresh and bacteria-free.
👵 From Frustration to Fluff—One Woman’s Laundry Turnaround
Marjorie, 68, switched up her routine after years of throwing everything in one load. “Once I started washing towels separately, I couldn’t believe the difference,” she says. “My towels came out fluffy, my shirts stopped getting linty, and the whole house just smelled fresher.” Bonus? Her dryer wasn’t running as long either.
💡 The Bottom Line
Separating towels and clothes may feel like a small adjustment, but the benefits add up fast: cleaner laundry, lower utility bills, longer-lasting garments, and less wear on your washer and dryer. In the end, this simple change isn’t just about laundry—it’s about creating a cleaner, more efficient home.
Sometimes, the difference between worn-out and well-kept isn’t how often you wash—it’s how smartly you do it.