While washing your clothes is a simple matter of following washing instructions on the label (!) there are other considerations too. Clearly, there is motivation to pack your washer with various clothing items to make each load worthwhile and not have to wash multiple half-full loads.
But some clothing items shouldn’t be washed with others, either for cleanliness reasons or because you can over pack the washer which leads to clothes not being washed properly.
Let’s take a closer look at popular clothing items and how you should deal with mixing and matching them.
What clothes can I wash together?
Cross reference each major clothing item below with other items listed to see which can be mixed together in the same load i.e. Pillows + Blankets = No (should be washed separately).
Then check the notes below for specifics as to why you might not want to mix these clothing items with others on the list.
| Blankets | Towels | Clothes | Tea towels | |
| Pillows | No | No | No | No |
| Duvets | Yes | No | Yes | No |
| Sheets | Yes | No | No | No |
| Intimates | No | No | Yes | No |
Here are some specifics on major clothing items and whether or not you should wash them with other clothing items.
Pillows – Pillows are best washed in pairs, 2 at a time, without other clothing. If you wash one pillow at a time, there’s a chance the load will become unbalanced particularly with a top load washer. By washing a pair of pillows, you can stack the washer so that they balance each other out and don’t imbalance the load.
Duvets – Duvets can be large and bulky and even more so when wet. Other duvets are thinner and can be mixed with other items such as another duvet or even a blanket. Of course, it also depends on the capacity of your washer. Some duvets have a removable outer cover which you can wash separately. In this case, you might choose to wash the cover regularly and the actual duvet less frequently since it’s the cover that will be dirty. You can also potentially wash the cover and duvet together if they colors are similar.
Intimates – Dirty underwear, panties, bras and even stockings and socks can add up in a week. Wash like colors together. Underwear and socks contain bacteria and sweat that can spread to other clothes particularly if you wash in cold water so be careful what you add. Washing smaller items like underwear in hot water might cause them to shrink.
Blankets – Blankets can also be large so when they get wet, they get very heavy. Be careful not to over pack your washer with multiple blankets that might get too heavy when put together and saturated with water. Often your washer might only hold one blanket on its own.
Towels – Towels are best washed by themselves particularly if you use fabric softener. Fabric softener is best avoided with towels since it leaves a thin film on the fabric which can reduce its absorbancy. Towels also tend to produce more lint than other items and are more likely to have mold since they are constantly alternating between wet and dry. This may pass onto other clothing items if washed together.
Clothes – “Clothes” is of course a generic term so specifics matter since the materials and colors can require different washing instructions. Separate colors and wash them apart so you don’t ruin clothing items if colors bleed.
Tea towels – Wash tea towels on their own in the washing machine on a Normal cycle or soak and hand wash them manually if you prefer. Since you’re using tea towels to dry plates and utensils you eat with, wash them separately and not with clothes.
Summary
How much you can pack into your washing machine is dependent on the size and weight of the load and the capacity of your washer. Additionally, some items are best washed (ideally) by themselves such as towels and intimates given the bacteria that can develop on them.
Ultimately, follow all clothing washing (and drying) instructions especially when it comes to separating colors, whether or not to tumble dry and whether or not bleach can be used.