7 Ways You're Doing Laundry Wrong

Skip the fabric softener or dryer sheets. "Fabric softeners reduce the absorbency when drying off—the whole point of a towel," says Boyd. To prevent towels from getting a yucky smell (the result of bacteria, says Boorstein), be careful not overload the machine, wash on the longest cycle in the hottest water and remove immediately after the wash cycle is finished.