25 Apr 2025 The One Laundry Mistake Almost Everybody Makes—And Why It’s a Bigger Problem Than You Probably Think

If you don’t want to ruin your clothing, you need to stop this bad habit ASAP
By Barbara Bellesi Zito

As someone who often writes about cleaning and home organization, I’ll admit that I sometimes try to cut corners with my laundry. I’ve “forgotten” to fully separate dark and light clothes, and there are times I’ve packed my washer so full, it’s like I’m daring it to malfunction.

To be fair, I’ve shrunk enough T-shirts over time that I’ve (more or less) learned my lesson. But there’s one mistake that I’ve continued to make over the years because I labor under the delusion that it’s actually a smart move because it saves some water and detergent.
Alas, it is not a smart move. I spoke to three laundry experts about one of the biggest laundry mistakes that I frequently make—and you likely do too. Suffice it to say, I’ve been schooled, and my laundry routine will be changing moving forward.

See the full article on Reader’s Digest

What laundry mistake are most people guilty of making?

If you wash towels mixed in with the rest of your laundry, I hate to break it to you, but we are partners in laundry crime.

I know, I know: It doesn’t seem like the worst thing possible. It’s not like you’re washing a white towel with a red T-shirt, right? But there are a number of good reasons you shouldn’t ever wash towels with clothes, even if the rest of your sorting game is on point.

Why is washing towels and clothing together such a problem?

It might seem like the ultimate laundry shortcut or like you’re doing a good thing by conserving energy and water, but you’re doing a bad thing for your laundry—on multiple levels. “I don’t recommend washing towels and clothing in the same load because it’s not ideal for either one,” says Viviana Holguin, the people experience leader at Maid Brigade in Westchester, New York.