Think Tossing Towels in with Your Clothes Saves Time? Think Again.
It’s tempting to throw everything in one load—your towels, your jeans, your favorite T-shirt—and hit “start.” But what feels like efficiency could actually be wreaking havoc on your laundry… and your health. Here’s why keeping towels separate is worth the extra step.
Towels Aren’t Your Average Laundry
Towels are thick, absorbent, and designed to soak up moisture. That also means they trap bacteria, sweat, and dead skin cells. To truly get them clean, they need hotter, longer washes than most clothing. Tossing them in with delicate fabrics? You risk leaving towels damp and under-cleaned while over-stressing your lighter garments.
Lint: The Silent Fabric Villain
Ever pulled a black shirt out of the dryer covered in white fuzz? That’s towels shedding lint onto your clothes. New towels are especially guilty, and mixed loads can turn a quick wash into a frustrating session of lint removal and rewashing.
Collisions of Fabric
Buttons, zippers, and embellishments on your clothes can snag on towel fibers, while the dense weave of towels can cause pilling or stretching on softer fabrics. In other words, both your towels and clothes take a beating when washed together.
Hygiene Matters
Towels carry more germs than your everyday clothes. By washing them together, you could be transferring bacteria and sweat to garments you wear close to your skin. That’s not just a laundry problem—it’s a health concern.
The Takeaway
Convenience is nice, but mixing towels with clothing compromises cleanliness, damages fabrics, and can even spread germs. Keep towels on their own cycle with hotter water to ensure they’re fully clean and to protect the rest of your wardrobe. A small tweak in your laundry routine goes a long way toward fresher, longer-lasting clothes—and a healthier home