It might seem like a time-saver to wash towels with your regular laundry, but it’s a habit worth breaking. Towels are thick and highly absorbent, so they need a longer, hotter wash cycle to get fully clean. Most clothes, especially delicate ones, require gentler washing, so mixing them can leave towels under-washed and clothes over-washed.

Towels also shed a lot of lint, which can stick to your clothes and create a fuzzy mess, especially on darker or synthetic fabrics. The rough texture of towels can cause pilling or stretching on lighter clothes, while zippers and buttons on garments can snag or damage towels. T

owels carry more bacteria, sweat, and dead skin cells than everyday clothes, so washing them together can spread germs. Lastly, towels hold a lot of water and take longer to dry, which can leave clothes overdried or towels soggy.

Washing towels separately with hot water and proper detergent helps keep your laundry cleaner, fresher, and in better condition for longer.