It’s all too easy to grab a big pile of mixed-up laundry out of the basket and throw it into the machine. We’ve got all the answers on how to sort your laundry before washing it right here!
Although, it’s not a pretty sight when your best white shirt turns a strange shade of red or pink! If only you had thought about sorting your laundry before washing it!
But what are the best ways to separate your clothes? There are all kinds of materials, colours and sizes so how many piles should you make?
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Should you separate your laundry?
The short answer is yes! Taking a few extra minutes to sort your laundry into different piles for each wash will ensure your clothes stay the right colour and in better condition for longer.
Colour stains aren’t the only risk you take by not sorting your laundry. Items with metal zippers or buttons could cause damage to more delicate materials such as silk or wool. Sometimes you may need to wash clothes at different temperatures. Towels and bed linen can withstand high heat however your jeans or delicate items could shrink or lose their colour if washed at the same time!
So in summary, yes, it is important to sort your laundry for many reasons!
You may come to regret throwing it all in the washing machine without taking a minute to look through it.
How to sort your laundry ? – The 3 categories
Colour
The primary category you should sort your clothes by is colour. This prevents the transfer of dye from darker clothes to lighter ones. Typically, there are 3 different shades you can sort your clothes into:
Whites
Brilliant white socks and underwear, t-shirts and dresses. Also, towels, bed sheets and white formal shirts should be included in your pile. If you use bleach in your wash you will certainly need to wash your white clothes separately!
Lighter colours
(light blue, pink, light green, yellow etc) – This can also include pastel-coloured blouses, shirts and dresses. Sorting grey clothes can be a bit subjective. If it’s a light grey then keep it in this pile, if it’s a darker grey then it can go in the dark pile just to be safe!
Dark
This is the easiest pile to sort. Anything black, brown, blue, navy, dark green or even multi-coloured should be sorted and washed separately.
This sorting method should be used regardless of the type of laundry to be washed. Whether it is household linen, clothes or even children’s clothes.
Fabric Type and weight
Separating your laundry
You can separate your laundry into different fabric piles based on their weight also goes a long way to ensure your clothes are kept in good condition. It can also help speed up the drying process after the wash!
Heavier items such as towels or denim should be washed separately from lightweight clothes to avoid damage or abrasion to the thinner fabrics. As we mentioned earlier, if your clothes have any zippers or buttons you’ll want to wash those on their own or with other heavier items.
You should also consider which items shed the most lint. There’s nothing more frustrating than your clothes being covered in fluff once they’re dry! Wash the ‘fluff givers’ on a separate cycle and it will save you a lot of time later with the lint roller.
The level of stain
This one seems a little obvious but clothes with extra dirty stains benefit from being washed alone. They receive more washing detergent and the appropriate agitation needed to remove the stain effectively. It also lowers the risk of any stains transferring to your other clothes.
Top tip! It is always a good idea to keep a bottle of stain-removal treatment next to the laundry basket. The earlier you treat tough stains, the less you’ll need to separate them, saving time and energy!
What is the best ways to sort your laundry efficiently ?
If you don’t want to waste the time fumbling through a huge pile of laundry, there are some handy tips and tricks to help you divide up your clothes in advance!
Purchase a laundry divider
A laundry basket with multiple sections can be a game changer when you need to separate your laundry! If you prefer to sort just by colour then you can easily buy a divider with 3 sections. Additionally, if you want to sort by weight as well then you can even buy baskets with up to 7 different sections!
Use mesh bags for underwear
These bags are great for protecting your delicate underwear. Keeping them in the zipped bag ensures they are cleaned properly and cannot be damaged by other heavier materials. They also prevent you from losing any odd socks in the rest of the laundry!
Check the labels properly
Those little labels inside your clothes usually get overlooked but they do contain very useful information! If you’re not sure what type of material your item is or what temperature to wash it at, the label will tell you and you can sort it into the appropriate category!
How to sort laundry as you go?
To save time when it comes to washing, separate your clothes as you collect them instead of accumulating them all in one basket.
Sorting your laundry into piles
Sorting your laundry isn’t just a pointless exercise to waste time. It is important if you want to keep your nice clothes in their best condition.
Once you do it once or twice it will become automatic and you’ll never look back! Sorting your laundry is now a breeze.
Washing and ironing goes hand in hand
Related reading: 5 Pantry Organisation Hacks for a Clutter-Free Pantry
You can also ask for a professional domestic cleaner to help you with your laundry cleaning and ironing.
