Should You Wash Clothes and Towels in the Same Load of Laundry?

Washing clothes and towels together might seem like an efficient way to tackle laundry, but it can actually damage your clothing. While combining loads can cut down on laundry time, it doesn’t provide the best results for your garments. Laundry is often a time-consuming task, but taking the extra step to separate items can save your clothes in the long run.

While washing towels and clothes together is not recommended, some perspective is appropriate: You won’t ruin your washing machine if you wash towels and clothes in the same load a few times. But there are several good reasons not to, so it’s best to wash clothes and towels separately to get the best results. Ahead, we’ve outlined the factors to consider before tossing everything into the spin cycle together.

Sort by Fabric Type

Historically, sorting laundry involved separating by color to prevent dye transfer—washing whites and light-colored items separately from dark and bright hues. Different water temperatures were commonly used for each group. Today, washing in cold water has become the norm for most laundry loads.

With this shift, sorting by fabric type is now a smart strategy, particularly for towels. Because towels often shed lint, mixing them with fabrics like athleisure wear, fleece, and corduroy can cause lint to cling to these items. Sorting by fabric type ensures cleaner, lint-free results.

Consider Fabric Weight

Sorting laundry by fabric type rather than color also means dividing heavy items from lighter or more delicate garments. Washing heavy fabrics with delicate ones can result in damage.

Heavy items, like towels, usually take longer to dry than lightweight fabrics. Over-drying can weaken and fade fibers and may lead to shrinking. Due to these weight differences, it’s wise to wash towels separately from clothes—and even sheets—ensuring each load dries efficiently and safely.

Separate Stained Items

Heavily soiled or stained items need special attention. They often require hotter water, longer washing cycles, and sometimes added stain removers or higher detergent doses.

Towels—including bath towels, hand towels, kitchen towels, and washcloths—are often more soiled than clothes. This is particularly true of cleaning rags, which should never be mixed with clothing due to their heavy soil levels.

Avoid Cross-Contamination

Cross-contamination is a critical concern when doing laundry. Washing items like kitchen towels and cleaning rags with clothes can spread harmful foodborne pathogens such as E. coli and Salmonella. Moreover, residue from cleaning agents on rags can damage clothing, leading to issues like color loss due to bleaching agents.

Use Different Laundry Products

Certain laundry products, like liquid fabric softeners and dryer sheets, should be avoided with some fabrics—especially towels. Fabric softeners can leave a waxy residue, reducing towels’ absorbency and potentially damaging fibers over time.

Laundry products containing optical brighteners may also fade dark fabrics. It’s wise to avoid chlorine bleach on many fabrics, especially those with stretch, to prevent damage.

Water Temperature and Washer Settings

While cold water is generally recommended for most laundry, warm or hot water is beneficial for heavily soiled items like dish towels or cleaning cloths. Hot water effectively kills germs and removes tough stains, but it can also lead to shrinking and fading. Therefore, use hot water only when necessary.

Your washer’s settings often include specific temperatures and cycles. Heavy-duty cycles, sometimes called “Heavy” or “Fast-Fast,” use high agitation and longer wash times. These cycles are designed for tough cleaning but can be harsh on delicate fabrics, resulting in potential damage like tearing or fraying. Use them cautiously.

Consider Drying Time and Temperature

Towels, due to their weight and fabric type, usually need more time to dry than most clothes and can handle higher drying temperatures. Thus, they often require longer, hotter drying cycles. To prevent over-drying and potential damage, dry towels separately on a longer, hotter cycle and use a shorter, cooler cycle for clothes.