To wash separately from other clothes, you need to sort your laundry based on several key factors to prevent color bleeding, fabric damage, and general wear and tear. Here’s how:
Sorting Your Laundry
Proper laundry sorting is essential for clean and well-maintained clothes. Follow these steps:
- By Color: This is the most common and crucial separation.
- Whites: White shirts, socks, undergarments, etc.
- Lights: Pastels and light-colored items.
- Darks: Black, navy, dark red, and other deeply colored garments. New dark clothes are especially prone to bleeding dye in the first few washes.
- By Fabric Type: Different fabrics require different care.
- Delicates: Lingerie, lace, items with embellishments, and sheer fabrics. These often need to be washed in a mesh laundry bag or hand washed.
- Heavy Fabrics: Jeans, towels, and blankets.
- Activewear: Synthetic fabrics like spandex and polyester. These should generally be washed separately or with other activewear to avoid damage from zippers or buttons.
- Knits: Sweaters and other knit garments which can stretch easily.
- By Soil Level: Separate heavily soiled items from lightly soiled items.
- Heavily Soiled: Clothes with mud, grease, or significant stains. These might require a pre-soak or extra wash cycle.
- Lightly Soiled: Clothes worn for a short period or that are mostly clean.
- By Care Label: Always check the care label for specific washing instructions.
- Hand Wash Only: Garments that require hand washing.
- Dry Clean Only: Garments that need professional cleaning.
- Specific Wash Temperature: Follow recommended temperature guidelines (e.g., cold, warm, hot).
Practical Tips for Washing Separately
- Use Laundry Bags: Protect delicate items by placing them in mesh laundry bags.
- Turn Clothes Inside Out: This helps prevent fading, especially for dark clothes.
- Check Pockets: Remove all items from pockets to avoid damage to clothes and the washing machine.
- Pre-treat Stains: Address stains before washing to increase the chances of removal.
Example Scenario:
Imagine you have the following items:
- A white cotton t-shirt
- A black pair of jeans (new)
- A red silk scarf
- A pair of gym shorts (polyester)
- A load of white towels
Here’s how you'd separate them:
- Whites: White cotton t-shirt, white towels
- Darks: Black pair of jeans (wash alone for the first few washes to prevent dye transfer)
- Delicates: Red silk scarf (hand wash or place in a mesh bag on a delicate cycle)
- Activewear: Gym shorts
Washing clothes separately based on color, fabric, soil level, and care instructions helps preserve their quality and appearance.
