Washing our towels with sheets may sound easy since we launder them almost every week, but this simple task becomes tricky, especially when washed with other clothes or with each other.
The nature of towels and sheets makes laundry harder than it should be — the significant nature of sheets can prevent other garments from washing correctly in the washer. In contrast, the sturdy nature of towels can damage other clothes in the washer.
Can You Wash Towels With Sheets?
So, you can wash towels with sheets; however, it isn’t advisable to do so. Instead, knowing the best way to separate them during laundry can improve your laundry and yield better results.
Washing towels and sheets together might sound time and cost-effective, but that might not be the case for several reasons. Here are some reasons:
1. Different Material
Sorting clothes based on their material during laundry is a must. Sturdy materials can damage the lighter ones in the washer. Towels are made to be sturdy and absorbent materials, while sheets are made to be cushy because of their function. They are light fabrics such as percale, linen, cotton, synthetic, or silk. Changes can not return from the washer in one piece.
Their different material nature also means they dry differently. In the dryer, sheets dry entirely in less than 30 minutes, while towels take longer. You might open your dryer to an overly dried sheet and a still wet towel.
2. Towels Produce Lints
Towels have no problem producing lint, especially new towels, since they are made with a large amount of cotton. Washing your sheets with towels, especially new ones, can lead to lint attaching to them. No one wants to open his/her washer or dryer to find the sheets filled with lint.
3. Towels Get Trapped In Sheets
Since sheets cover our entire bed, they are made large depending on your bed size; because of their extensive nature, sheets roll up in the washer and dryer, encompassing other smaller materials.
In the washer, when towels are trapped in the sheets, they don’t get to experience friction, which is done by rubbing around other clothes — the process by which our clothes clean themselves. In the dryer, trapped towels won’t dry up.
4. Temperature
It is advised to wash towels in warm water since it helps remove dead cells and kill germs, while sheets aren’t meant to be washed in hot water, depending on their fabric makeup. The difference in the allowed water temperature makes it tricky to wash together.
Care Guide For Washing Towels With Sheets
If, after the reasons listed above, you still need to wash your towels and sheets together, maybe because of a limited pile load or an emergency, then below are some guidelines to follow to have a good laundry experience;
1. Avoid Harsh Detergent
Avoid using harsh detergent when washing your towels and sheets together. Some harsh detergent might be suitable for your towel but harmful to your sheets.
Because of the delicate nature of sheets, harsh detergents can damage their fabric, making them look worn out and shortening their life span. Use mild detergent instead of a harsh one. Use warm water, depending on the sheet’s allowed temperature.
The warmer the temperature, the more influential the surfactant qualities of detergents become in removing stains and soil.
2. Use Gentle Setting
Set the washer on a gentle wash when washing your towels and sheets; the gentle wash can prevent the towels from abusing the sheets in the washer, reducing the risk of damaging the sheets.
A gentle setting can also help reduce the amount of lint the towels produce. There is no guarantee that you will eliminate the entire amount of lint, but the lint amount will decrease.
3. Mid-wash Intervention
You will need to interfere with the washing load between the wash to unwrap the sheets that might have already encompassed the towels. This will help the towels wash better. You might also need to do the same during the drying cycle.
4. Temperature
Check the towels and sheet’s laundry labels to know what type of wash, temperature, and drying setting they require. The sheets would likely have a lower temperature level because of their delicate nature, while the towel’s sturdy nature would allow for more heat. The laundry load’s temperature should be within the allowed temperature of the sheets.
5. Fabric softeners
When wash towels and sheets together, fabric softeners are recommended. Fabric softeners aren’t recommended on towels, as they can degrade moisture retention. It is okay to use them on sheets.
6. Color
When washing towels and sheets together, you must consider their color compatibility. The color stain might occur if this isn’t considered.
7. Drying
Drying towels and sheets together in a dryer can get tricky. As mentioned, sheets can ball up smaller clothes, and towels aren’t excluded. You will need to interfere during the drying cycle to ensure the sheets don’t swallow up the towel.
Also, because of their different fabric makeup, sheets can dry much faster than towels. Allowing both to dry to the end of the drying cycle might lead to an overly dried sheet. You will need to stop the drying cycle early on to check on the sheets. You should remove them if they are dried.
Can You Wash Clothes With Towels?
You might wonder if you can wash clothes with towels if you’re considering combining laundry loads to save time and energy.
Well, it is possible to wash clothes with towels. Here is the best way to wash clothes and towels with expert advice.
It is essential to keep an eye on the tumble dryer cycle when drying towels since they take longer to dry than clothes. You should remove delicate items when they are dry if you are drying them with heavy ones.