I also have pets. I usually wash the towels in hot water and detergent first, 2 rinse cycles, then wash them again in hot water, detergent, and bleach, 2 rinse cycles.
Yup. I wasn’t clear on the fact that it’s not about which washing machine, but just a “good wash”...or 2...or whatever, and - most importantly - don’t let the mold dry or put unclean clothes through the dryer.
I just spent beaucoup time/effort/$$ rebuilding my GE because I’m so thrilled with it (and turned off by the feds’ efforts to stymie the ability of new ones by making them ‘more efficient’). I’ve NEVER had to wash clothes or towels twice in it, contrasting dramatically with every single washer I’ve ever owned previously.