Well, I'm not even close to an authority but IMHO, it's not completely necessary. I keep mine separate because the cleaning ones can get stained and I don't want to worry about 'am I going to stain a good towel'. But there have been times when all the towels have come out to clean up something. I just wash them in hot water, sometimes with bleach or an extra wash if I feel grossed out about it for some reason. People use cloth diapers all the time and don't feel like they are putting a dirty diaper on a clean baby. That's what I told myself when the cat had a really bad accident on the bath mat. I wiped it up, sprayed it very generously with shakley, and washed it on hot. Good as new.

Is cold water good enough? I supposed it should be, but for my peace of mind I'd use hot. My new front loader has a sanitizer wash. It's my favorite cycle.

Nonsense! Wash that towel...if you don't feel it's gotten the toilet "ickeys" out of it I wouldn't want to use it after I have used it to dry myself....or after YOU had used it to dry yourself.
If you feel it's not clean, use hot water and oxy clean of it you Really REALLY feel it's germy use clorox.
What to you suppose they use in a hospital for the sheets, towels and gowns?
And studies have been done that show that cold water and soap and dryer dry is a very good sanitizer....but I would still like to use hot water.
Linda C

That towel has been used on worse than toilet water, just wash it! Not saying your family has bad hygiene, of course, but not everything gets washed completely away every time you shower. Otherwise we wouldn't ever have to wash towels at all!

I wait till a towel starts getting raggedy or ripped, themn it gets taken to the basement and folded and used as a Mop-up towel. I keep a supply of clean dry towels on a shelf in my bathroom for use for showers, hairwashing,etc. I also keep a terrycloth floor mat huing near the shower for wet feet and drying the tile floor after showers. I certainly hope my family notioces my efforts.

Jannie

That's what I do. But DH pulls out the good towels and mops the floor, then argues that it doesn't matter because he can wash them. It drives me crazy. I don't want them used interchangeably.

Definitely keep cleaning towels separate from bath towels. If it was just a one time *mop up* with the bath towel it certainly won't hurt it, but if he grabs one every time he has a clean up job it will eventually ruin all your nice towels. My Son in law does construction jobs around the house and is always grabbing whatever towel he can find to clean up plaster dust..grout compound..you name it.He has ruined all of my daughters nice towels.

That drives me nuts!! I'm funny that way about dish towels too...I hate it when they get yucky..hot pads too..

My DH has ruined many of my kitchen towels with garage grease but it is cosmetic damage rather than me worrying I can't use them in the kitchen anymore.

I often use bath towels to wipe up in the bathroom. I then wash them of course.

Lillith, I completely agree with you!

DH uses kitchen dishcloths to wipe spills off the floor. That's just gross. We also use tattered towels as rags for cleaning, and I would prefer he use them as such.

Off on a little tangent...another vent...putting shoes on the counter tops or on the kitchen table. Ewwwww!

*****putting shoes on the counter tops or on the kitchen table***** OH YUCK!! I also read that purses are pretty nasty too...I put mine on the bar-stool, not the counter. I never put my purse on the table, and never never shoes...

I'm sure if it's been washed it is fine to use again as a bath towel.

Off on a little tangent...another vent...putting shoes on the counter tops or on the kitchen table. Ewwwww!
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If you wash or polish your shoes where else are you supposed to put them?

I use bath towel to clean the bathroom floor, it's still damp and does a good job. Also clean the edge of the kitchen under the lip of the cabinets with a dish towel that's going by the wash. Never a problem, I just don't use and tell.