Do you wash towels separately in their own load?

[JacknDiane]

I've always bunged them in with the rest of the washing, am I doing it wrong?

This. 3 teen boys in house so 2 towel loads each week.

I wash towels on a 100 degree wash for 5 days in a cauldron.

Yes.

It’s essential to wash towels at 60C or higher because they have touched your body so may have germs on them. Unlike your underwear or other clothing which is magically ok.

You wash towels everyday? Now I am intrigued. Once a week for my family. Am I abnormal? 😬

No

Towels, sheets and tea towels need 60. Normal clothes 30 or 40 depending on your detergent.

I was separately as I was them at 60C and don’t use Fabric Conditioner.

Yes, quite normal washing towels once a week...but I'm aware from previous threads that there are laundry zealots who will wash towels daily, despite the fact that all they've done is wipe some drinking-quality water off your skin 🤷🏼‍♀️

If there are dubious bacteria on your towels immediately after showering, I have to think there's some fundamental aspect of the shower experience that's going wrong, but I know there are Mumsnetters out there who would never be swayed on this.

For added controversy, I hot wash my towels overnight - that's another thread that ran for pages on how that's tantamount to arson, despite a regular hot wash and 'clean machine' cycle with limescale remover being a key factor in what helps PREVENT my washing machine from bursting into a ball of flames. And the 5 smoke alarms which help alert us to any problem before dying in our sleep. But there are just as many who would never countenance that.

Still, it wouldn't do to all be the same eh 🤷🏼‍♀️

I want to know what washing machines can fit in towels and other laundry. I broke mine washing two bath sheets and two pairs of jeans together.

I think it's too demanding on the machine during the spin cycle with a load of just bath towels so I put it in the usual daily loads. I mean, were only drying clean bodies, I can't see why they need a boil wash?

11kg machine.

We have an 11kg AEG Machine and I can fit bedding with towels and clothing. Two loads a week serves us.

Me too.

Even with this beast, there's a load on each day. I'd have the complete hump with it if the drum were smaller

If towel wash needs to be hotter then shouldn't your foul underwear go in with them?
I just load my machine as I go and wash when I have a full load...

Yes, for several reasons:

They take up their own load of room
I wash them at 60 but clothes at 30
I don't use fabric conditioner with them, but do with clothes

I do them separately. Mainly because I have enough towels for a whole load, and the same for clothes. Also because I like to use a bit of fabric softener with clothes, but can't use it with the towels. And also because I use different a cycle for towels than I do for clothes.

I refuse to wash a load a day, we don’t wear once and wash unless it’s stained or smelly for some reason. I will get 2-3 wears out of a jumper, 3-4 wears out of jeans. T-shirts maybe 2 depending…so my laundry is mostly kids uniforms and underwear, socks, towels, tea towels, pjs, a few T-shirts, kids sports gear. My yoga clothes.

theres 4 of us

That's fine, you do you.

Towels & tea towels - on their own on a hot wash. Bed linen the same.

I have a lot of towels because I have dogs. In fact, I rarely shower at home - i go to the gym most days for a swim, and i get a towel there.

But anyway, I mentioned before that I have a washer dryer and I use the was/dry function, so it goes straight to dry without me doing anything. And the towels come out lovely if I do this on the 90 degree wash. I have tried 60 degree and they are still pretty damp. And if I mistakenly forget to press the wash/dry button and just wash them, then press the 'dry' button, they are unusable - like cardboard.

Washing machines are not always straightforward. You have to work out what works for you. Btw the programme takes 5 hours! Yes, 5 hours. And with the dogs, I do it every few days.

Same with sheets. And I never mix towels and sheets because again it mucks up the drying.

Mine is 11kg, the multiple blokes who’ve been out to fix it have all told me off for overloading the stupid machine. Apparently two bath sheets and a couple of hand towels is a load.

I think because bath sheets are so big and become so heavy when wet it can throw the machine off with a high rpm. I'd put in one per load with more smaller stuff or reduce the spin cycle and accept it will take longer to dry.

If I didn’t do at least a load a day I’d be drowning in laundry. We don’t wash clean clothes- I have to wrestle one of my DCs favourite jeans off him to wash them.
We do use a lot of clothes though. Today will be swimming kit, a PE kit, two football kits and two gym kits as well as the usual socks, pants and school/work shirts and probably school trousers and blazers as they like playing football at lunch… in the mud.