It’s an age-old argument that we’re here to settle.
Do you HAVE to sort your laundry before washing?
Yes – but not like you think!
Traditionally, sorting your laundry involves dividing by color – whites, blacks, reds, etc. But modern dying processes have come a long way, and after the initial wash, your red shirt is much less likely to contaminate your khaki pants.
We like to think of ourselves as laundry experts (125 years of cleaning clothes has earned us some bragging rights!), and we firmly believe that dividing your clothes into a few simple categories is a gamechanger for cleanliness.
Laundry Category 1: Active-wear
Gym clothes are objectively much different than the rest of your wardrobe.
Not only are the fabrics unique, they get grosser than the rest of your clothes as well. And for those reasons, they deserve some time to themselves in the wash!
Don’t mix your nice blouse with your sweaty leggings. Your active-wear and gym clothes should be washed on their own, using cold water to minimize damage to the stretchy properties of the fabrics.
Laundry Category 2: Whites
Yes, it makes a difference when you wash whites with nothing but whites. And not just because of dye transfer!
A load of nothing but white clothes means that you can get fancy with the products you use, like bleach or other brightness boosters that you can’t add to mixed loads.
Laundry Category 3: Beddings and Bath Towels
These oversized items take a beating in the wash and dryer, and you don’t want your clothes trapped in the middle.
When it comes to washing bedding and bath towels at home, warm or hot water is ideal to kill any lingering bacteria and germs. When you throw a towel in with your load of clothes running on cold, it isn’t going to reach the same level of cleanliness.
These items can also generally be thrown into the dryer on high heat, which should be avoided for much of your wardrobe.
Use Common Sense to Sort Your Laundry
The gross rag that you used to change your car oil shouldn’t be washed with your favorite sundress, and sweat-soaked leggings probably shouldn’t be washed with your pillowcase.
When it comes to sorting your laundry, common sense and intuition are key. If it doesn’t make sense, don’t risk damaging something you love in the wash!
