How to Wash and Hang Towels Separately So They Don’t Pick Up Lint and Dust
Where does the gray lint on towels come from?
Towels are woven with looped pile on the surface, so they sweep up fine fibers shed from other laundry like a broom. Fleece-lined hoodies, microfiber blankets, new jeans, and cotton T-shirts that pill easily release especially large amounts of tiny fibers during washing. Once those fibers lodge in wet towel pile, they do not fall off even after drying, leaving gray lint and a rough feel. The solution is simple: do not put lint-shedding clothes and lint-catching towels in the same load.
| Section | Key summary |
|---|---|
| Where does the gray lint on towels come from? | Short key point |
| Combinations you should not wash together | Short key point |
| Steps for washing only towels separately | If it is packed full, friction decreases and lint is not released as well |
| What you must never mix with vinegar | Short key point |
Combinations you should not wash together
| Lint-shedding items (separate) | Lint-catching items (separate) |
|---|---|
| Fleece-lined and microfiber clothing | Towels and dishcloths |
| New jeans and dark cotton | White towels and light-colored towels |
| Blankets and knits | Cotton shirts and underwear |
Steps for washing only towels separately
- Gather only towels and load them directly into the washer without a laundry net, filling the drum no more than halfway. If it is packed full, friction decreases and lint is not released as well.
- Add only the proper amount of neutral detergent, about 30ml for a front-loader. Too much leaves residue in the pile and makes towels stiff.
- At the final rinse stage, put 2 tablespoons of vinegar, about 30ml, into the fabric softener compartment. It dissolves detergent residue and helps release tiny fibers.
- As soon as the spin cycle ends, take the towels out and shake each one firmly to lift the pile. Lint will drop off readily.
- Spread them out without overlap in a well-ventilated place, and empty the lint screen of the drying rack and the washer filter every time.
What you must never mix with vinegar
Some people add vinegar and bleach, sodium hypochlorite, together to disinfect towels, but when the two meet, chlorine gas is produced, which is dangerous in small spaces such as laundry rooms. To bleach white towels, use bleach by itself without vinegar, and apply the vinegar rinse in a completely separate wash cycle. Also, if you add vinegar and baking soda at the same time, they only foam and neutralize each other, eliminating their effect, so choose just one of the two.