It'd be helpful if you would provide details on what type/brand/model of washer and dryer are involved.

Washer is a top load Kenmore Elite calypso motion # 110.2206 about 9-10 years old?

Dryer is a Maytag gas front load # MDG 6000 BWW maybe 15-16 years or older?

Are you washing the towels with any zippered items? Also, some manufacturers seem to use short threads and it isn't apparent until a few washings later. Obvious cause, though, is snagging.

There are possibly three ways a Calypso can inflict damage such as that.

- Items getting caught between the basket and edge of the wash plate. This can be caused by a bad u-joint or a worn gasket on the wash plate. However, probably you'd be finding items caught there so that'd be an obvious cause.

- Chips or nicks on the wash plate or center dome bad enough to cause abrasion or catch the thread loops on the towels.

- Washing towels with other clothing that have open zippers or snaps that cause abrasion.

Can also be caused by the thread loops getting drawn through the basket perforations during spin but that isn't specific to a Calypso.

Dryers can also cause damage if there are nicks or chips on the drum baffles or filter housing. Wear on the felt seal at front or rear of the drum can open a slight gap for items to get snagged.

Coincidentally, I have a Calypso (Whirlpool version) and haven't had any snagged towels.

You might consider doing a controlled test with a new towel or two of the same kind. Run it through the washer with your regular loads for several cycles but don't put it in the dryer. The washer is the cause if the damage occurs.

Are any of your other towels doing this? Are these all the same brand bought at the same time? I had 12 new white bath towels that I bought at Home Goods it was probably 3 weeks or so and they did this, yet none of my other towels have before or since. I returned them..good towels cost a lot of money. What about your clothing anything damaged?

Thanks for your informative responses!

So I checked inside both drums and no apparent abrasive or rough spots. Since it's only the two of us now, loads do often combine towels with jeans and other zippered items, may have to start separating.

Lastly, the possibility that they are just inferior quality towels could be it.

I'll keep an eye on things, so far it is just two or three towels with this level of snagging.

Cite the serial number here if you want to know the year and week of your machine's manufacture.

You have years of experience with the Calypso and seem to have no complaints other than this issue ... but just to say, proper sorting is important for good results.Zipping and buttoning jeans helps avoid them causing snags in a mixed load ... personally I never wash jeans with anything except some older dark cargo shorts and a couple rag-towels. The indigo and other deep-color dyes tend to bleed for the life of the garment.

Thanks dadoes, I dug up the receipts... dryer 9/2000, washer 2/2006

and yes I've had no other issues with either...Interestingly, bought a Maytag washer (MAV5000AWW) with the dryer in 2000, and replaced it only 5 1/2 years later with the Calypso. Don't recall the issue, but must have been something not worth repairing.

I'd still like to know the serial number. Calypsos weren't produced for very long, be interesting to know if it came off the line near that date or was warehoused for a while. There were a number of engineering changes through production.

This happened to us years ago and it was immediately apparent a zippered hoodie was the culprit: when I pulled the load out of the dryer, the zipper/hoodie was attached to the towel, still snagged onto one of the now-very-long cotton threads/loops. Lesson learned! Hope your solution is as simple as separating loads.

Do you have a cat?

Ohhh...good one..cat in the hamper kneeding with its paws..sure could happen.

It could just be the towels. I had a set that did that, so they've been relegated to dog wash duty.

This is absoltely a thing . i have a fairly new maytag washer and dryer. Im pretty sure its the dryer. There are 2 vents in the dryer with holes. One if the is very rough when I run my hand over it.

Kathleen Cirucci, all electric and gas dryers have those vents/grills in the drum. One is the heat input source which must be sturdy to handle the hot air coming into the drum from the gas burner or electric heating element. The other is the outflow which isn't directly exposed to the element/burner heat. The machine's blower/fan is below the outflow grill. It pulls air through the outflow grill which in turn pulls air through the heat grill which is connected via a duct to the heater box (electric element or gas burner) outside the drum.

Airflow is pulled in through the heater box ---> heat input grill ---> tumbling clothes ---> outflow grill ---> filter ---> [blower] and pushed out through ---> exhaust duct at back of the dryer.