Often, this means you’ll need to rewash items, which wastes both time and energy. The rough texture of towels can also cause pilling, stretching, or snags in lighter fabrics.

At the same time, zippers and buttons from clothing can scratch or wear down towel fibers. On top of that, towels typically carry more bacteria, sweat, and dead skin, which can transfer onto clothing during a shared wash cycle. Drying presents its own challenge. Towels take much longer to dry, which can leave them damp while clothes become overdried and shrunken. For the cleanest, longest-lasting results, always wash towels separately using hot water, a strong detergent, and a full rinse cycle.