The Laundry Item You Should Avoid Drying With Your Clothes At All Costs

Many of us dump our damp laundry into the dryer without much thought, thankful that the chore is almost over. While you might take out delicate items to air dry, the rest gets shoved in a bundle. However, it turns out there is one item you should never dry with the rest of your laundry, or else you will reduce your machine's efficiency and potentially damage the clothes tumble-drying inside. And that one item is a towel. 

At first glance, it might seem silly to separate your towels from the rest of the load, especially if they can all be dried at the same temperature. Why run your machine twice if you can finish the entire chore in one go? But your appliance works best when you sort by temperature needs and weight. You might need to run more loads in the long run, but they will be more efficient, take less time to dry, and prolong your appliance's lifespan.

Because towels are thicker, larger, and heavier than most clothing items, they require a longer drying time. Whereas a load of towels might take over an hour to properly dry and fluff, a load of t-shirts and shorts can take closer to 30 to 45 minutes. Therefore, if you mix them, you will be unnecessarily exposing your clothing to more prolonged heat, which could result in damage. Not only will they be tumbling longer — increasing their chance of shrinking or getting misshapen — but the high temperatures can weaken the fabric or make it lose its color. You're essentially leaving dry clothes in the dryer.

Tossing items of different weights into the dryer together can also stress your appliance unnecessarily. It can throw it off balance, which can cause the components to degrade more quickly. That means you will have to replace your dryer sooner. To fix this issue, dry your towels in a separate load. However, if you really need to dry lightweight clothes and towels together, keep an eye on the cycle and remove the clothes the moment they become dry. This allows the machine to focus only on drying the towels, saving your wardrobe and appliance.