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Washing clothes with towels seems like an excellent way to save time. After all, you can run several items through the wash together, so why not? The short answer is that you shouldn’t throw in the towel when it comes to separating your laundry.
Keeping your sheets and towels separate makes sense because you should wash them at higher temperatures than your clothing.
Can You Wash Clothes With Sheets And Towels?
Washing clothes with towels and sheets is possible as many people do so already. However, if you ask anyone who launders clothes for a living, “Can I wash sheets with clothes?” they’ll say, “Yes, but you might not like the results.”
They’ll explain that washing a towel with clothes is counterproductive as both require very different heats during the wash.
Towels typically consist of cotton, a hard-wearing fiber that stands up well to washing and wearing. Sheets generally are made from some version of cotton. While they may feature blends with other materials, the result is the same: a hard-wearing fabric.
Clothing, on the other hand, comes in many fabric types, some of which require careful washing on a gentle cycle or in cold water.
When it comes to washing sheets and towels, you should always use a hot temperature. By doing so, you kill off any germs and rinse away any oils left on the surface. While you can wash them at lower temperatures, you shouldn’t do this every time.
Therefore, it’s better to wash the sheets and towels on the same day so that you make up a full load. Alternatively, you can make sure that the clothing you plan to clean at the same time can handle higher heat.
Can You Wash Sheets and Towels Together?
Much of the time, you can. Just check the washing label to determine the maximum temperature for the material. We also recommend taking care with fitted sheets as these have elastic in the corners, which can be heat sensitive.
Can You Wash Bed Sheets with Towels?
It depends on the sheet itself, but it should be fine if you have 100% cotton flat sheets. However, check for color fastness first and separate the lights from the darks.
What Is the Best Way to Wash Towels and Sheets?
Now that we know more about washing clothes with towels, it’s time to look at the logistics.
The best way to wash towels and sheets is to separate each. Gather all the towels for a weekly wash on the same day so you have enough for a full load. You can do the same for the sheets.
Pay attention to the cleaning agent and look for one with stain-busting enzymes. These products loosen the sebum the items soak up. Finally, put them on a long washing cycle, and set the temperature to high.
When Can You Wash Clothes with Towels?
Now that you know the answer to “Can you wash towels with sheets?” it’s time to revisit the logistics of how to wash clothes with towels. For this section, let’s assume that your clothing can stand up to a long, hot cycle in the machine because it’s cotton.
Washing clothes with towels under these circumstances makes sense as long as there are no color runs. To be safe, test the garment for color-fastness before you add it to the machine.
Can Towels Be Washed with Clothes without Regret?
Before you think of throwing both lots of laundry together, check the labels. Failure to do so will likely lead to tears with delicate clothing items. It’s also worth noting that the towels are heavy when wet and might rip more fragile fabrics like lace.
If you’re unsure and feel like testing, “Can towels be washed with clothes,” use older, sturdier items. We also advise washing new towels on their own for at least the first wash, as they may shed fluff.
Can Towels Be Washed with Clothes if Someone Is Sick?
If someone in the home has an infectious disease, it’s best to wash their towels and linen separately from the rest of the clothing. In such instances, you must always use high heat and a long soak cycle to rinse away the infectious agent.
Can I Wash Sheets with Towels?
The reason it makes sense to wash your linen and towels separately is the drying times. If you hang your clothing on the line, you can stagger the laundry days to ensure there’s enough space on the line.
However, if you’re like most Americans, you’ll use a drier instead. The thickness of the towels means they dry more slowly than sheets, and sheets dry more slowly than clothing because of their size.
So, even if the answer to “Can I wash sheets with towels?” is “Yes.” it might be better to rephrase the question. Ask yourself if you have space to hang both lots of washing out on the same day or if you’ll have room in the drier.
How to Decide What to Add to the Load
The answer to “Can you wash sheets and towels together?” may also change depending on where you live. If you live alone, running the machine for one sheet or towel by itself is wasteful. In a family situation, it’s easy to create a full load.
Here are some other tips to help you decide what to put in the same load:
- Separate the lights from dark to reduce color running and noticeable lint.
- Sort the washing into sections depending on how heavy it is when wet. A bath mat might be too bulky to wash with a sheer skirt and might damage it.
- Check for soiling before adding a load, and set aside the dirtier items. These may cross-contaminate the washing and usually require more space for a good cleaning.
- When washing towels, you should not use fabric softener, so don’t add it to any load to which you must add fabric softener.
- Add a half cup of white vinegar to the rinse cycle to soften towels and remove detergent residue. Use this method only when washing towels.
Drying Your Clothes and Towels
Now that we dealt with washing clothes with towels let’s move on to drying them. Even if you wash them together, you ideally want to separate them at this stage.
Pop some dryer balls in with them to improve the drying time. These innovative products reduce the drying time by separating the washing and absorbing some of the moisture.
If this proves impractical, then you can always put them together. However, be prepared to unload and reload the drier during drying time. Set the timer during the cycle and remove the clothing when it is dry or dampen the lighter items.
In most cases, this will be long before the towels dry. Drying the clothing beyond this point could lead to shrinking if you have an older machine.
As the worst of the shrinking occurs in the last 20% of drying time, it may be worthwhile to remove lighter items then and let them air dry the rest of the way.
Now you understand the answer to “Can you wash towels and sheets together?” and how clothes fit into the equation. What would you like to learn next? How about how to wash clothes with poison ivy or what clothing you should always dry clean?
Do you have the time to separate the laundry, or would you like professional help? For those challenging cleaning projects or ones you don’t have time for, contact Martinizing Dry Cleaning.
Our service areas include:
- Alameda
- Alamo
- Blackhawk
- Danville
- Diablo
- Dublin
- Lafayette
- Livermore
- Montclair
- Piedmont
- Pleasanton
- San Ramon
- Walnut Creek
Give us a call at (925) 938-5000 or reach out through our website to schedule a convenient pickup, and never worry about washing clothes with towels again.
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