Kitchen towels and bath towels may seem similar, but they can collect very different types of dirt. Kitchen towels often come into contact with food spills, grease, dirty surfaces, and sometimes raw meat, while bath towels mainly absorb moisture, body oils, and dead skin. Fortunately, they do not always need to be washed in separate loads. A washing machine can effectively clean both when you use enough detergent, choose a suitable warm or hot cycle, and dry the towels thoroughly afterward.
The main exception is kitchen towels that have touched raw poultry, pork, or beef. These should be washed separately from bath towels because raw meat can carry harmful bacteria and increase the possibility of cross-contamination. Kitchen towels covered with significant amounts of grease are also better washed separately, since grease can transfer to other fabrics and make thorough cleaning more difficult.
