Why is it that you cannot mix blue jeans and towels in the same load of laundry?

Question

I spent most of my childhood raised by a single father, who started out not very domesticated. There was a time that one of my chores growing up was laundry, and while he was teaching me, he would wash the jeans and towels together. I spent years of my adolescence thinking it was perfectly okay. During my high school years he remarried and I was relieved my laundry duties. Don't worry, there were still plenty to take it's place. But when I moved out on my own, and had to start doing my own laundry again, I find myself wanting to wash my jeans and towels together. Nothing devastating has ever happened. The washing machine never exploded. Yet if someone else is in my presence while I am washing clothes, they are always there to remind that you can never mix the two in the same load.

Why is this such a bad idea? I am confused. I now try hard to keep them seperate, but just what is it that happens when you wash the two of them together that is so bad? Lint?

Answer 1

Actually it is to make the towels last longer, stay fluffier longer and to avoid those nasty pulls. Jeans are abrasive especially in the agitation and spin cycles. Because they are heavy too, they rub against the fibers of the other clothing they are washed with and this compresses the fiber, collapsing loft over time. (Ever wonder why towels don't seem to be as fluffy and absorbent over time? Or that the towels seem to "get thin"?) And, because they have zippers and buttons they often snag against other items in the wash causing damage, like loop pulls on terry towels. Personally, I purchase very expensive towels and want them to last a very, very long time before they become doggie towels.

Answer 2

Strange admonition you're getting. I do 15-20 loads a week and the towels and jeans do just fine together.

The reality is:
Turn the jeans inside out to wash them if you don't want them to fade.
Wash them with blue, purple or black towels. Don't wash them with light colored or bright colored towels because one or the other might bleed dye into the other and make them look funky.

Both towels and jeans are made of a heavy weight cotton. If anything is made to wash together, then these two would be it.

Answer 3

For one thing, towels are linty and it gets all over jeans
or other clothes. Towels should be washed alone(with other towels) You don't wash something red that fades with something white. It's just good sense to separate the laundry.

Answer 4

First of all generally you'd bleach your white towels, right? Well you wouldn't want to bleach your jeans too.
Secondly the lint from the towels will cling to dark colored jeans making them look faded.

I wash dark colored towels with my light jeans if its just a small load. It will not hurt, but takes forever to dry if you are trying to wash a large load of clothes!

Answer 5

That means you have dark towels. Towels used to come in light colors all the time. Jeans dark, towel light, together a mess.

I wash towels and jeans together, as the washer is really not aware of what is in it...but that it has to wash what is in it.

I don't mix darks and lights....

Answer 6

I think that rule only applies if the towels are light color (white, pink, yellow, lught blue, beige etc) as the dark rinse jeans would stain the towels. Otherwise it's fine to wash them together.

Answer 7

Hi. I find myself doing this also. The only problem I see is that if the towels are light or pastel...they tend to get dingy looking from the jean dye. If they are dark then I think it would be good for the jeans to pick up the dark pigment. Hmmmm, I think: We are adults and can do our own laundry how ever the hell we want to! So there, right? :)

Answer 8

the dye from brand new jeans may give the towels a blueish hue....that's it. If you've washed them a million times your fine. And I'll bet if you ever ask someone who' s telling you it's not ok - why - they won't have an answer for you (or a good one at least)

Answer 9

It may be too late if they went in the dryer. Try re-washing w/ about 2 cups bleach added to the water, I would even let them soak for about 1/2 hour before running the cycle. The bleach will not yellow your towels if there is a good ratio of water/bleach. Try it!! Good Luck!!

Answer 10

It is perfectly fine to wash towels w/blue jeans as long as the towels are dark colors. New blue jeans, (not pre-washed), will bleed onto light fabrics.