Wash Towels Separately Washing towels with clothes can transfer germs and bacteria between items in the wash. For sanitary reasons, you should always wash
It's wise to sort clothes and towels of the same fabric before washing them together. So you can wash cotton towels with cotton clothing, bamboo towels with bamboo clothing, etc. Pairing similar or the same fabrics when washing allows you to use the same settings for the wash cycle.
Always wash clothes, towels, and sheets separately and follow the recommendations located on the tags of these items. Washing towels (and for that matter, sheets, and kitchen towels) with your clothes can expose your clothes to bacteria that has been absorbed into other items.
Wash separately:
Always wash heavily soiled, germ-ridden items like mop heads, cleaning cloths (especially for kitchen or bathroom) or items that are contaminated with bodily fluids in a separate load from regular laundry. Rinse solid matter out of items before washing as much as possible.
Towels should be washed in the warmest water appropriate for the fabric according to the care label. Generally, warm or hot water is recommended for washing towels. Use a cycle specifically for towels or a normal/regular cycle.
Separating linens into separate loads based on their material type (sheets vs towels) will not only give your linen a better clean, it will also help prevent unnecessary wear-and-tear on your linens and your washer – all while extending the life of your linens significantly! Don't Wash Sheets and Towels Together!
It's very important to wash your lights and darks laundry separately, as darker dyes can ruin lighter fabrics. Sort your greys, blacks, navies, reds, dark purples and similar colours into one load, and your pinks, lavenders, light blues, light greens and yellows into another laundry.
According to Gagliardi, for germ-infested kitchen and bathroom items like mop heads, dish towels, and cleaning cloths, wash them as a separate load from regular laundry.
Don't wash different colored towels together. Don't wash different types of towels together. Don't wash towels with other laundry items. Never overload the washing machine or dryer [source: Doctor Joe].
While sharing towels can be convenient and as Glennon points out the towels often do not have someone's name on them, it is ultimately not a good idea to dry off with another person's towel. Sharing towels can spread germs and bacteria, lead to skin problems, and be a violation of personal boundaries.
Washing your sheets with other clothes one time isn't going to ruin them, but we don't recommend getting into the habit of it.
Wash sheets separately to prevent other items from getting tangled or balled up in them. If you do choose to wash other items with sheets, make sure they are lightweight and similar in color.
LPT: Wash your pillowcase(s) with your clothes every time you do laundry. Many people wash their bedsheets less often than they should, which usually isn't THAT big of a deal. However, build up of dirt, sweat, oils, etc. over time can cause issues like acne if you go too long without washing your sheets.
“We recommend washing bath towels after every three uses, or at least once a week, to ensure truly clean towels,” said Kate Elks, Brooklinen director. “Brooklinen's bath offerings, including bath towels and sheets, hand towels, and washcloths, only differ in size, so you can care for them all the same way.”
They don't need a special or delicate programme. However, if your washing machine has a large items/bulky setting, this is great for towels. Ideally, they should be washed for a longer cycle with a fast spin speed.
For household washing machines, the best temperature to wash towels at is at around 40 degrees. Washing at 40 degrees will ensure your towels stay feeling and looking their best for longer, whilst removing most of the germs that breed there.
Before washing the pillow, check the label first. Most pillows are fine to wash at home, though a few may be dry clean only. Memory foam or latex pillows cannot be washed and must be steamed instead. Remove the cover from the pillows and wash it separately with sheets, following the above instructions.
Washing your towels
Jones recommends washing them twice to clear away excess lint. In our towel testing, I've found that most finishes are washed away completely after about five washes. Most care labels on towels say to wash them in cold water on a delicate cycle.
Most towels are made of cotton, so use the cotton program* and set the wash temperature to at least 40 degrees: 60° is ideal for white towels. 40° is best for darker towels, to prevent them from fading.
You can wash bath and kitchen towels together, but you should wash them at a higher temperature (60 °C or above) in order to kill germs. It's also fine to separate your towel types and wash them as a different load to one another to be on the safe side.
Turns out there's a reason you should treat your towels as separate things, and that reason is germs. Bath towels, especially, should be treated as their own thing because washing them with clothes, or other items like tea towels, can transfer bacteria between them all.
The USDA warns against the cross containment of certain kitchen items, including towels, as they can be a source of bacteria that can cause foodborne illness. Putting them into separate loads prevents this from happening while still getting them clean and safe to use.
Three Items That You Should Always Wash Separately from the Rest of Your Laundry. Jeans, heavily-soiled garments, and anything that pills should have a separate wash cycle, our experts say. Lauren is a freelance writer for MarthaStewart.com.
Avoid Dye Transfer
Mary Gagliardi, aka "Dr. Laundry," Clorox's in-house scientist and cleaning expert, concurs: "Sorting laundry before machine-washing is a solid strategy to get good laundry results, and that's why it's essential. Washing dark and light items together is how you get visible dye transfer.
There are many upsides and advantages to separating clothes by fabric and color, mostly to avoid shrinking and unwanted coloration. It is not necessary though, which is why the classic argument remains. If you are in a rush or only have a few clothes left to wash, you can mix colors and fabrics.