Is It OK to Wash Towels and Bed Sheets Together?

There’s nothing quite like the feeling of crawling into bed with freshly washed sheets. And while the actual laundry process might not be as fun (especially when it comes to folding those fitted sheets), it’s necessary for that ultimate cozy sleep experience.

It’s also necessary to perform the task correctly—meaning you probably shouldn’t toss your 400-thread count bed sheets in with the rest of your dirty gym clothes. As a general rule, you should launder your sheets separately altogether. Here’s why: Washing them alone allows the sheets to circulate in the water and get cleaner, while also avoiding the risk of damage. Here’s exactly how to wash your towels and sheets to make them last as long as possible.

Why You Should Avoid Washing Towels and Sheets Together

While washing your bed sheets with towels isn’t as destructive as throwing them in a load that has something with a zipper, that doesn’t mean it’s a good idea. The thickness and heavy material can still do considerable damage to your favorite sheets. In fact, it poses a risk for ripping, and towels also produce a lot of lint. 

“The lint from the towel will get onto the sheets, and that’s not something you want to deal with,” Lindsey Boyd of The Laundress told Martha Stewart Living. 

The difference in weight (sheets are thin and soft, towels rough and thick) requires different wash and dry cycles. According to The Folde, linens and lighter fabrics dry more efficiently than towels—aka your sheets can end up over-dried and damaged, and mold or mildew could grow on your towels if they’re left slightly damp.

“The balance between linens in the dryer is like a dance,” the article reads. “You can’t have one dancer dancing to a different song than the other. Everything will get tangled up. And tangled linens take forever to dry. Instead, limit your dry cycles to one type of linen so the tumble dance can be harmonious.” 

How Often to Wash Your Sheets and Towels

Your sheets and towels actually aren’t on the same wash schedule—so this is just another reason to keep them separate. According to the Sleep Foundation, you should ideally wash your sheets once a week, while Wirecutter reports the need for a towel wash every three days. The reasoning behind those frequent washes is the same: dead skin, bacteria, sweat, and body oils can quickly accumulate on both. 

There is an exception: You may want to wash hand towels even more frequently. A 2015 study conducted by Kansas State University found that they were the most contaminated product in the kitchen. 

“Many participants would touch the towel before washing their hands or used the towel after washing their hands inadequately,” the study reports. “Even after properly washing their hands, they reused the towel and contaminated themselves all over again.” 

While washing your sheets and towels separately might seem like an extra, inconvenient effort, it’s actually not. You won’t have to double wash when your top sheet is covered in towel lint, nor will you have to trek out the store for a new set for years to come.