by 1. Color
First of all, the laundry needs to be sorted by color – this is the most important point. For me, it usually looks like this:
- White and light gray – if you plan to add bleach or wash at high temperatures. Otherwise, I recommend splitting even this batch into two.
- Black and dark blue. I usually wash this batch with a special gel for black items so that they retain their rich color.
- Red and orange. I usually wash these two colors together: even if the red fades a little, it won’t be noticeable on the orange. But if the red thing is new and you’ve never washed it, it’s better to separate the laundry to be on the safe side.
- Multi-colored items of light shades: yellow, pink, blue, purple. But if the purple color is saturated, wash with blue items or separately.
Denim items should also be washed separately, precisely because of the color, not the fabric. But if there are only a few of them, sometimes you can add blue and dark gray items to them.
And remember: in parallel with sorting by color, you need to check the pockets of each item to make sure there is nothing left in them that could ruin the clothes, the washing machine, or ruin itself. For example, a white batch of items could change color because of a red handkerchief forgotten in the pocket. It will not be possible to restore these items.
2. Washing mode
Check the groups you have formed by color. Can they be washed at the same settings, temperature, and spin speed? If so, feel free to load.
If in doubt, don’t experiment! Divide the batches according to the washing mode indicated on the label, or simply hand wash the item you’re unsure about.
3. Degree of pollution
Every washing machine has a short 15-20 minute wash program that is suitable for items that are not heavily soiled. It simply allows you to refresh them. In addition, very dirty items can ruin the rest. Therefore, always wash them separately: pre-soak and pay special attention to heavily soiled areas.
4. Weight
Large items (blankets, bedspreads, bed linen, outerwear) are best washed separately from other laundry, otherwise the washing machine will rotate the items unevenly in the drum. In the worst case, it will break, and in the best case, you will get poorly washed laundry with stains from washing powder.
5. Type and affiliation
Obviously, delicate fabrics and underwear should not be put in the machine with the sweatpants you wear when walking the dog. And it is better to wash children’s clothes separately from adults’ clothes.
To simplify sorting and save time, you can use special baskets with dividers and sort things into categories in advance. But my experience shows that each family member will have their own sorting principle and you will still have to double-check.
