The One Laundry Mistake Almost Everybody Makes—And Why It’s a Bigger Problem Than You Probably Think | July 20, 2025

Annonce:

If you don’t want to ruin your clothing, you need to stop this bad habit ASAP

As someone who often writes about cleaning and home organization, I’ll admit that I sometimes try to cut corners with my laundry. I’ve “forgotten” to fully separate dark and light clothes, and there are times I’ve packed my washer so full, it’s like I’m daring it to malfunction.

To be fair, I’ve shrunk enough T-shirts over time that I’ve (more or less) learned my lesson. But there’s one mistake that I’ve continued to make over the years because I labor under the delusion that it’s actually a smart move because it saves some water and detergent.

Alas, it is not a smart move. I spoke to three laundry experts about one of the biggest laundry mistakes that I frequently make—and you likely do too. Suffice it to say, I’ve been schooled, and my laundry routine will be changing moving forward.

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What laundry mistake are most people guilty of making?

If you wash towels mixed in with the rest of your laundry, I hate to break it to you, but we are partners in laundry crime.

I know, I know: It doesn’t seem like the worst thing possible. It’s not like you’re washing a white towel with a red T-shirt, right? But there are a number of good reasons you shouldn’t ever wash towels with clothes, even if the rest of your sorting game is on point.

Why is washing towels and clothing together such a problem?
It might seem like the ultimate laundry shortcut or like you’re doing a good thing by conserving energy and water, but you’re doing a bad thing for your laundry—on multiple levels. “I don’t recommend washing towels and clothing in the same load because it’s not ideal for either one,” says Viviana Holguin, the people experience leader at Maid Brigade in Westchester, New York.

Here are four reasons this sets you up for a laundry-day fail.

You’ll risk bacterial cross-contamination
Washing towels with clothes is not a good hygienic practice. “People often think that their towels are super clean because they are only getting used when you’re fresh out of the shower, and so you’re clean,” says Logan Taylor, president and training program designer of the Dazzle Cleaning Company, a Seattle-based, LGBTQ-inclusive cleaning company. “But actually, towels are a hotbed for bacteria, way more than your clothes, because they’re just so absorbent.” Bathrooms aren’t always well ventilated, he adds, so washing towels separately will help prevent that bacterial transfer.

And if it’s kitchen towels that are in question, you risk the spread of any bleach-based cleanser residue to the rest of your laundry. But even worse than bleach spots on your favorite T-shirt is the spread of foodborne pathogens like salmonella—a distinct possibility if you wipe your hands on said towel after preparing poultry.

You won’t get a deep clean
“Usually [towels and clothes] are best when washed on different settings—and sometimes even with different products,” says Taylor. In particular, you should be careful when adding fabric softener to towels because it will make the fabric less absorbent.

You could damage your clothes

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