Washing towels alongside bedding can slow down drying and damage fabrics, according to a bedding expert, who advises separating the two to speed up indoor drying this winter.
Why towels and bedding should not mix
James Montgomery-Castle, bedding expert and buyer at Soak&Sleep, said the towelling material can damage softer fabrics like linen and cotton, as lint clings to smoother materials and can cause pilling over time. Towels also hold much more water, so they are best washed separately.
With temperatures dropping and daylight hours shrinking, those without outdoor space or a tumble dryer face the challenge of drying laundry indoors. Draping bedding over radiators is a habit experts warn against, as hanging large items over radiators is one of the leading causes of condensation and damp in winter.
Preparing bedding for the machine
Before setting the cycle, fasten all poppers and zips on duvet covers and pillowcases. This prevents tangling and stops other garments from bunching up inside. Items trapped inside a duvet cover or pillowcase will not spin correctly and will come out damper than the rest of the wash.
Avoid overloading the drum, as bulkier items need space to move freely for proper spinning. If they twist into a ball, they can unbalance the machine and reduce the spin cycle's effectiveness. A useful guideline is to leave roughly a hand's width of space at the top of the drum.
Extra spin for faster drying
After the wash finishes, run an additional spin cycle to extract as much water as possible. Wet bedding should not be left sitting in the drum for an extended period, as this can cause a damp odour to develop.
