At first glance, washing towels and clothes together seems like a smart time-saver. After all, it’s just laundry — how different can it be? But according to laundry experts, it’s actually one of the biggest mistakes people make at home.

Here’s why: towels are designed to absorb — water, dirt, and yes, even detergent residue. When mixed with clothes, especially lighter fabrics like t-shirts, underwear, or delicates, towels can trap lint and transfer it all over your clothing. That’s why your black shirts sometimes come out looking dusty or fuzzy.

But there’s more. Towels are heavier and need higher heat and longer cycles to properly clean and kill bacteria. Your regular clothes, on the other hand, can shrink or wear out faster under those same settings. Washing them together means one of the two — your towels or your clothes — isn’t getting cleaned the right way.

And then there’s hygiene. Towels collect dead skin cells, body oils, and moisture — a perfect breeding ground for bacteria if not washed separately in hot water. Mixing them with clothes means spreading those germs around instead of getting rid of them.

So, while washing everything together might seem efficient, it’s actually costing you more in the long run — dull colors, rough fabrics, and even unpleasant odors.

The best solution? Wash towels in their own load, using warm to hot water, and clothes separately on a gentler cycle. Your laundry will last longer, smell fresher, and feel cleaner than ever.