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?

I don't, but only because ours are white and i wash pure whites on there own.

Same, all white towels, cloths, sheets and duvet covers, separate 60 wash.

Nope - all together. Everything in mine goes on 40 degrees

I have enough towels and clothes to do separate washes so I do the towels on their own so i can use a high temperature. I also have a washer dryer - i only use the dryer function for towels and sheets. It works best if I press the "wash/dry" function as then they come out fluffy and dry. If I forget and just wash them, then dry them, they come out like cardboard. So for reasons of temperature, using the dryer and quantity, I do wash them on their own.

Objectively, when I get out the shower I'm the cleanest thing in the house. In theory the towels should be getting cleaner when they touch me.

Are they meant to bend?

Own load

If I do towels on 60 then can usually get a good 3-4 weeks out of them before they start going musty/smelly - yes I'm minging and easily go 3 weeks between whole house towel washes, but like you say they only come into contact with clean skin so do they really need more frequent washing if they smell clean? However if I wash them at 40 they are rank by 2 weeks for sure.
Tumble dry always unless hot and dry so in summer only really.

Complete anecdata but there's definitely a difference in longevity of our towels between 40 and 60 washes, no matter the time of year and use of towel radiators, etc.

Yes, on a hot wash with no conditioner.

The food I eat is clean but if it was left on the plate for a week in a warm room I wouldn't be rushing to eat it...

I do mine on a 90° wash because that's good to keep the washing machine clean too.

OP, I am with you. Just bung towels with clothes together and wash at 40. I don't even use fabric conditioner or biological powder, just plain non-bio detergent and some soda crystals.

I feel I am winning.

Luckily I don't eat my towels

I also do a separate 90° wash for towels and bedding. Everything else at 40° apart from delicates.

90 seems a bit much. 60 works OK for me. I find that drying quickly is more important than washing at high temp

Only if they’re white towels then they go in with dc school shirts.

Thanks I'll try this! I do rarely use the dryer if I can help it but I'll try anything to get softer towels!

i wash them separately as i use fabric softener with the clothes, which apparently damages the fibres in the towels (it is also easier to do all at once!)

Pants, socks, tea towels, towels all in at 60c

@Ferro yes that’s true. I’d forgotten that most are 100% cotton. Some are made of microfibre/polyester. Either way none of may towels have ever noticeably shed fibres. Maybe because I don’t like fluffy towels? Actually that’s partly why I’ve no need for a tumble dryer as I like my towels to feel a bit sandpapery so I’m happy to air dry them.

Hell no, if a towel needs washing it goes in with the rest!

I usually wash on their own on a high heat, but I normally wash at 30.

@Firefly1987 Oh I love a rough, scratchy bath towel! I have some I won't use as they're too soft! They need a good few washes before they're rough enough for me! Funny how we all like different things!

I like to wash towels and bedding hotter than everything else so I wash them separately, but I have to do multiple loads for them anyway so I couldn't fit anything else in with them

I have 4 bath sheets and 2/3 hand towels everyday so always wash on a hot wash each morning with teatowels dishcloths etc never put towels in with ordinary washing, but I don’t know why just never have

Me too. I wash clothes at 30 degrees, and towels and bedding at 60 degrees.