Is It Okay To Wash Towels And Sheets Together?

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

You've heard it said that you should always wash your towels separately from other laundry, including your bedsheets. In some cases, however, you can wash sheets and towels in the same load of laundry. The key thing to remember is the "in some cases." The reason you've been told to stop washing towels with clothes and other laundry is that traditionally, towels were made from different fabrics than bedding. Thick and heavy towels typically require a longer dry time, which could fry light and airy bedsheets. Similarly, towels had a reputation for transferring lint to other items in the washing machine or dryer.

But, that's only if you wash towels made from natural fibers, like cotton, with bedsheets made from synthetic fabrics. The lint from the cotton towels will attach to the synthetic bedding like glue. If you have bedding and towels that are both made from synthetic fabrics, like Amazon Basics Lightweight Super Soft, Wrinkle-Free, Breathable Luxury Microfiber 4 Piece Bed Sheet Set and the MICROFI Microfiber Waffle Bath Sheet, you don't have to worry about lint transfer. To save yourself some laundry time, it pays to read the fabric tag and care instructions on your sheets and towels closely.

A good rule of thumb to follow when doing laundry is "like goes with like." It's fine to wash microfiber bedding with microfiber towels, but make sure you avoid these common mistakes when washing microfiber. Similarly, it's fine to wash 100% cotton towels with 100% cotton bedding. Fabric weight matters, too — you don't want to wash something heavy, like a fluffy terry cloth towel with something lightweight, like silk sheets.

The like with like rule extends to the color of your sheets and towels, too. Keep light colored and white bedding separate from colorful or dark towels, so that the color doesn't transfer to the lighter fabrics. Additionally, pay attention to the care instructions on your sheets and towels. If the label on your bedding says no hot water, but the instructions on your towels say to use hot water, then it is best to wash them separately.

While your bedding and towels may be similar in color, made from the same type of fabric, and have similar care instructions, there's one way they most likely still differ — recommended washing frequency. The truth about how often you should wash your towels may surprise you. In a perfect world, they'd get washed after every use. In a less perfect, but ideal world, you'd wash them every three to four uses. Bed sheets can go longer between washings — either once a week, or in a pinch, every two weeks. Since the washing schedules may not align, you may still find yourself keeping sheets and towels separated.