My towels are all white, so they get washed with a 'whites-load'.No I am fine with them being washed with other things.
We love our towels 'hard', they dry better to us and feel good on the skin, I know we are weird.
I hate soft towels, they just don't seem to dry the skin at all.
One thing I never do!!
is wash my Tea towels with anything else.
I use 2-3 a day, so they are the only thing that gets washed alone.I have a dozen, so I wait till 2-3 days worth to wash.
I want them as free from bacteria as poss.
Putting them through the dryer, as opposed to line drying, also makes them soft and fluffy even if you don't use fabric softener. I prefer them like that so I sometimes take them off the line and run them through the dryer just for 10 or 15 minutes to soften them.
It's the English thing, I think. My dad could never abide a soft towel either, jonaj. I use vinegar as my fabric conditioner and my towels come out just right for me . . . I can't dry myself on a super soft towel either :-))