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Should you wash towels with clothes


Can you wash clothes with towels? Care strategies for laundry |

Combining washing loads can be tempting to save time and energy but if you’re thinking of doing so, you might be asking the question: can you wash clothes with towels?

While it is, of course, perfectly possible to put whatever combination of items you like from the dirty laundry hamper into the machine and run a washing cycle, it doesn’t necessarily follow that it’s what you should do.

Here, we take a look at the best way to wash clothes and towels with advice and laundry room ideas from the experts.

Can you wash clothes with towels: the steps to selecting laundry loads

The answer to the question can you wash clothes with towels is, of course, that you can – and many people do. What’s crucial, however, is that you still wash towels the right way to keep them in good condition, and we’ll give you the lowdown here.

The general rule when it comes to laundry? ‘You should try to wash similar items together,’ says Melanie Musson, a cleaning expert with Clearsurance .

1. When not to wash clothes with towels

(Image credit: Paul Raeside/Future)

There are two things to consider when you want cleaning tips on washing towels: temperature and separation from other items.

For the wash temperature, look at the laundry symbols on the labels on your towels. They’re likely to indicate that the towels can go into a hot wash. However, this isn’t a rule – they can alternatively be washed at lower temperatures.

Towels that are shared are best washed at the high temperature indicated for hygiene reasons. The same goes for towels that are heavily soiled, or if someone in your home has an infectious illness. Other than that, though, they don’t have to go into a high temperature wash and can be washed in a normal cycle with detergent.

As for separation, it is best that shared towels are washed in a separate load, and when someone at home has an infectious illness towels should be washed separately from other items.

2.

When to wash clothes with towels

Temperature is crucial when deciding on a load for the washing machine. ‘Since most clothes should be washed in warm water or cold water (depending on the fabric), it is much easier to wash and dry towels separately,’ suggest Derek Chiu and Leslie Tam, co-founders and directors of UrbanMop .

However, if you’re happy to wash the towels at a lower temperature than the maximum indicated on the tag, and bearing the guidelines above in mind, mixing is possible. 

Wayne Edelman, CEO of Meurice Garment Care , which specializes in interior and wardrobe cleaning services, says, ‘We understand and value that not everyone has time to do 100 loads as well as the aspect of water waste. If you only have a single towel, a pair of jeans, a T-shirt, socks, and underwear, it would be a serious waste of water, soap, and energy to do multiple loads so all items in one load would totally work provided the T-shirt is not some fancy designer thing. If the item is highly delicate, you may not want to mix with a towel or anything. ’

If you’ve decided your personal answer to the question of can you wash clothes with towels is yes, there is something you need to be mindful of, however. You shouldn’t use fabric conditioner at all – or, at most, only a little – when washing towels in order to keep towels soft and absorbent, so this may influence what you choose to put together in the drum.

Note also that new towels may shed fluff, so this can be a reason to wash them as a separate load at first.

3. How should you decide on a washing machine load?

In answering the question can you wash clothes with towels, it is important to note that there are still guidelines you should follow when selecting what goes into the machine together. 

‘You should try to keep like colors together,’ says Wayne. ‘It is important to note that a light terry towel and dark sweatshirt will result in lint on both items.’

Think, too, about the nature of the pieces you’re planning to wash. ‘Try to keep heavy items separate from lighter items,’ says Wayne. ‘For example, it is not the best idea to wash a bath mat with a light cotton blouse for fear of the blouse being ruined.’

The extent to which items are soiled should also be considered when making up a load for the washing machine. ‘I would not mix dowels used to wash and dry the golden retriever with the rest of the laundry as everything will be covered in the dog’s hair,’ says Wayne. ‘Use common sense. You do not want to mix heavy cleaning (car wash) towels with your nice clothes.’

4. Drying clothes and towels

(Image credit: Future / Davide Lovatti)

One reason you might decide that even though the answer to the question can you wash clothes with towels is yes, you still want to wash them separately, is the drying cycle. 

Towels take longer to dry than clothes, so you’ll need to monitor the tumble dryer cycle to swerve the potential risks. ‘If you are drying light items with heavy ones, always remove the light items when dry to prevent over drying,’ says Wayne.  

‘Most shrinkage occurs during the last 16 to 20 per cent of drying so we recommend dampening dry items to avoid shrinkage. Many new dryers have residual moisture controlled drying so use it to prevent shrinkage.’

Once they’re dry, fold towels or roll towels to retain the softness correct washing and drying promises.

Can you wash clothes with sheets and towels?

You can wash clothes with sheets and towels. But just as when you wash sheets and towels together or wash clothes with towels, pay attention to the washing labels so you don’t wash the load at a hotter temperature than the lowest maximum indicated when taking all items into consideration. 

Bear in mind that many items of clothing require washing at lower temperatures than can be used for sheets and towels, so for maximum hygiene separate loads are preferable – at least from time to time.

Follow the rules on mixing colors, too, to avoid runs, and avoid putting heavily soiled items with clothes.

Can you wash jeans with towels?

And can you wash clothes with towels if we’re talking jeans? ‘They are a great combo because they usually take the same amount of drying time,’ says Wayne.

As with mixing clothes, sheets and towels, don’t exceed the temperature indicated on the label of the item that has the lowest maximum, though.

Should You Wash Clothes with Towels and Sheets?

Should you wash your regular clothes with towels and sheets?

The short answer: Definitely not.

But what’s the harm in it?  They’re all dirty items that need to be laundered, right?

So what’s the big deal about it?

 

Do you just wash all of your dirty laundry together, regardless of type?

If so, keep reading.  I want to show you the better laundry way.

 

Towels are notorious lint-producers

If you wash a load of fairly new towels, you’ll notice that there is an enormous amount of lint in the dryer screen.   Towels are natural lint producers (love that cotton!).

While the dryer screen acquires much of the lint, it still gets all over clothes.  And some fabrics attract that lint like a magnet.  And that lint?

It’s a pain to remove.

Don’t trust me?  Try washing a black pair of pants with an all-cotton white towel.  I can promise you’ll have a tough time trying to get the lint off with a lint brush.

Mama’s favorite lint brush for clothes → Evercare Magik Lint Brush

 

Clothes get trapped inside sheets

Due to their size and design, sheets tend to ball up in the washer and dryer.  When spinning in the washer, sheets trap other smaller items inside of them.

When those clothes are trapped, they don’t have the opportunity to rub against other clothes.  This agitation is partly what gets the laundry clean in the first place.

Likewise, if clothes are balled up inside a sheet in the dryer they’ll come out wet.

Even if you have a damp-sensor in your dryer they’ll still come out wet, since the sensor perceives the outside of the sheet to be dry.

Read more: Why You Should Not Wash Sheets and Towels Together

 

Towels and sheets need to be washed on a hot, long wash cycle

Regular clothes don’t typically need to be washed on hot, nor on a long wash cycle.  With just normal wear, clothes can be washed on a ‘regular’ setting and don’t need the heavy-duty wash.

If you do wash them on a hot/long cycle consistently, they’ll look old quickly.

Read more: How to Choose the Water Temperature and How to Choose the Washing Cycle

Towels and sheets always need to be washed on hot and on a long wash cycle.  You’ve slept on those sheets for about a week and now your skin cells and sweat are all over them.  You’ve used those towels a couple of times (at least) and your skin cells are all over those too.

And possibly mold and mildew if you didn’t hang them up well..

Towels and sheets are made from sturdy cottons and can take the trauma of always washing them so hard.

To get really clean, they need to be washed on this setting every time.

 

Washing underwear and towels together is just wrong


Think about it: ladies (usually) have nice, lacy underwear.  That is expensive.

Do you really want to put that in the same load as the nasty towel you used to wipe up the spilled milk?  Or the bath towel your son used for 9 nights in row?

You don’t.  Trust me.

Some machines have a dirty water sensor.  The sensors determine how dirty the water is and can adjust the wash cycle for longer if it thinks the load is really gross.  So assume your underwear just needs the normal washing as it usually would and you’ve put it in the washer with those gross towels listed above.  Your washer is going to sense how nasty the towels are and run a longer wash cycle.

What does this mean for your underwear?

It is going to look old and soon.

Anytime clothes are washed (agitated) for a long time, they start to look old before their time.  It can also cause the elastic to break down sooner.

For something delicate like underwear, it can even cause the seaming to come apart since lace and those type fabrics are typically not as sturdy as a heavy cotton.  For long lasting underwear, treat them gently.

 

Exceptions to the ‘Wash Towels & Sheets Alone’ Rule

If you are in college, you are allowed to wash your towels, sheets, and clothes altogether.  Money for washing clothes is hard to come by while in college, so just be as efficient with your washing machine money as you can be.  Most of you only use one towel or so a week, right?

If you are washing a load of sick laundry, you are excused from the rule.

You know the kind:  your child has vomited half the night and you’d like to put towels, sheets, mattress pads and pajamas in the washer at one time.   Just do it.  Make sure to use bleach and put on the ‘Sanitize’ cycle if you have one.  And then sanitize your washer.  Bleh.

 

So I must know.  Do you wash your towels/sheets with your regular dirty laundry?  Don’t worry – I’m not passing judgment!  Just curious what my readers typically do.

Is it possible to wash towels with clothes

It would seem - why not? If things are created from the same raw material, the same color, what can happen?

But no, it is better to separate clothes and kitchen and bath textiles when washing. Why this should be done, what consequences can be, when you can, and finally how to wash and dry properly - we analyze in the article.

Why you should not wash towels with clothes

Definitely wash kitchen and bath textiles separately from clothes. Why?

Kitchen towels are always on the cutting edge. Make no mistake, everything you cook is on them:

Cotton absorbs odors well, so if you don't want your clothes to smell like food, wash kitchen utensils separately.

In addition, high washing temperatures are recommended for kitchen towels, while they are contraindicated for other types of textiles.

In the kitchen, good housewives have dozens of towels, they are changed as they get wet, sometimes 2-3 times a day. Therefore, you should not worry that the machine will work with an empty drum.

Clothes cannot be washed with bath accessories, but for a different reason. Usually they are made from terry cloth, the washing conditions of which differ from ordinary fabrics. If they are not observed, the canvas will gradually become rigid. In addition, if the clothing contains zippers, buttons, Velcro, this can lead to ugly puffs.

And there is one more thing. It happens that new terry towels lose cotton fibers for some time. Cleaning them afterwards from clothes (especially synthetic ones) means spending time and effort.

When allowed

So, we found out that kitchen towels can only be washed with each other or with potholders and an apron, but bath towels can be added to terry cloth home textiles:

Rules for single washing

Terry cloth becomes stiff very quickly. Why? It's not about the quality of the raw materials, but about the hardness of the water. It must be softened, otherwise the funds do not dissolve well and are rinsed out. Washing powder settles on the villi, so they become hard.

Filters and special household chemicals will help soften the water. In addition, use soft products - gels, shampoos, as well as a delicate mode.

Normal conditioners seem to help soften the texture of the terry cloth. But it's not, it will only get worse. For fleecy textiles, special silicone-based rinses are available. But if they are not on sale, you can add ordinary table vinegar to the rinse water.

At what temperature to wash towels

Kitchen textiles are most often washed at high temperatures. For a bath, medium temperatures are preferred - not higher than 60 ° C. Frequent washing at high temperatures damages the cotton fibers and destroys the dye. And by the way, the temperature does not affect the solubility of the powder.

Drying features

Terry textiles are dried in the fresh air or in a tumble dryer at high temperature - it helps the fibers not stick together, but rather lifts them above the base.

If drying takes place outside, towels should be taken off slightly damp. And it is very important not to overdry, then the canvas will be hard.

First aid for hard textiles

But the towel is hard. What to do?

Terry products almost do not wrinkle, but hard ironing is possible and always with steaming. Moist steam will soften the villi.

To enhance the steaming effect, you can treat the fabric with a spray of water or a fabric softener.

Can towels be washed with clothes?

Author: admin · Posted by · Updated by

Let's see together how best to wash towels with clothes! The procedure for washing clothes and textiles should not only rid things of dirt, but also disinfect

. At the same time, if possible, preserve the beautiful appearance of clothes, the softness of towels, bathrobes. To do this, washing machines with different temperature and time modes of washing, detergents, bleaching and softening fabrics come to the aid of housewives. One of the important principles of good washing is the rule not to put all things into the washing machine tank at once, that is, mixing dark and light linen, coarse and fine fabrics.

Hot water is a must for washing towels and bed linen. Not only for a good cleaning of these things, but also for disinfection.

Learn more