Sort items by color and test colored towels for colorfastness. Separate lights and darks to avoid color migration. Wash similar shades together. Even colorfast items can cause other items to take on a dull look, especially whites. It's also important to wash towels separately to avoid lint migration to other fine fabrics. Use hot or warm water in your washer, but only the warm setting in your dryer. Extreme heat or too much bleach will cut down on the life of a towel. Dark colors, like black or midnight blue, will fade more quickly than light colors.