Should I Sort Laundry Before Washing Them? Washing laundry is a necessity. It keeps us smelling fresh and keeps up good hygiene. Even though someone washes their clothes regularly, they may not be washing them properly.
Today we’re going to be talking about sorting your clothes to ensure they come out smelling and looking their best. We’re also going to give some tips and techniques to make sorting your laundry easier and more time-efficient.
Why Is It Important To Sort Your Clothes?
You may be wondering is it really necessary to sort laundry before washing them? Does it really make a difference? And the answer to both of those questions is absolute yes! Sorting your clothing is an important step that should not be skipped in your laundry routine.
Not only does sorting your clothes prevent any bleeding, tearing, shrinking, or pilling of your clothing. It also perseveres the life-span of your clothing, making them last longer which will save you money in the long-run.
It may seem tedious, but trust me, it doesn’t take long and is totally worth it!
Step 1: Sorting By Colours
The first thing you want to do before washing your clothing is start by sorting them by colour. Put your whites into one pile, your darks into another, and then your colours in another pile. In your white pile, you should only have white clothing.
It may seem obvious but this is very important. If there are light colors incorporated into your white pile, then the bleach will ruin the lightly colored items. But on the other hand, if you don’t bleach your whites, they will go dull and start to go grey.
Next, in your dark pile, add your black, grey, red, blue, and purple clothing. Certain colours tend to sometimes bleed, so if they are mixed in with other dark colours it won’t stain them. But if they were mixed with whites or lighter colours and they bled, they would leave a permanent stain.
Your last pile should consist of colours. You want to pair lighter colours together that aren’t going to bleed. Combine clothing colours such as pastels, tans, or lighter pinks. Mixing these colours will pose no risk of bleeding and ruining your clothes.
Step 2: Sort By Fabric Weight
The next step is to take your organized piles and sort them by fabric weight. Now I know this might seem excessive, but I promise there’s a good reason! By sorting your clothing by fabric weight it will prevent your clothing from tearing, shrinking, or pilling.
For example, if you wash jeans with your delicates, your jeans would tear up the delicates because they are heavy. Plus they will get even heavier when they are soaked in water. This is why it’s a good idea to sort by fabric weight.
Start by going through your white, colour, and dark piles. Sort them into smaller piles that consist of delicates, denim, and cotton. It is beneficial because then you can pick the setting on your washing machine that best fits that pile.
You want to customize your washing machine for each load of laundry, that’s what all those settings are for!
Step 3: Sort By Category
Now this is the last step of sorting. Your going to sort further into additional categories. So you already have your delicates, denim, and cotton. Next you want to separate bedding, towels, and any items that are highly soiled or have stubborn stains.
It’s really important to set aside the items that have stains and treat them with a stain remover. If you wash it with the stain, it may not come out all the way in the washing machine. At that point, the stains will be permanent and there is no way to get it out.
But if you take the time to pretreat with stain remover, your clothes will be good as new.
Tips For Making Sorting Easier
If sorting year clothes seems like a huge task, have no fear! There are a few things you can do to make sorting your clothes easier. The first thing you can do is have designated bins for colours. So throughout the week you put your colours, whites, and darks into separate bins.
That way, when laundry day comes, you only have to sort by fabric weight and category. If you want to make your life even easier, you could have separate laundry bins for fabric weight and category.
Another thing that can help make your laundry routine easier is mesh bags for your delicates. Putting items like bras, under garments, and socks into a mesh laundry bag can prevent items getting torn or lost.
It also helps your clothing items last longer because they have a layer of protection.
Should I Sort Laundry Before Washing Them? – Conclusion
To conclude, sorting your clothing is an absolute must when doing laundry. Even though it is an extra step for some people, it doesn’t take a lot of time. It helps to increase your clothing lifespan and keeps them looking new. For your next laundry day, try to sort laundry, you won’t regret it!