We Asked Cleaning Pros If Sorting Laundry Actually Matters, and We Wish We Knew This Sooner
Separate loads of laundry by fabric, weight, and care labels.
Prep clothes by turning them inside out, zipping zippers, and using mesh bags.You invest plenty of time and money in the process of selecting your clothes, so it's important to follow proper laundry instructions in order to care for your wardrobe as best as possible, to ensure that it will last as long as it can. If you're wondering how to sort laundry like a pro for the best results, we're here to help.
Here, two laundry experts share their top insights regarding the steps to take when sorting laundry, how to best categorize various types of items into more specific piles for washing, and more, to ensure that you make the most of each load.James Joun is the co-founder and chief operating officer of the on-demand laundry and dry cleaning pickup and delivery company, Rinse.
Rechelle Balanzat is the founder of the clothing cleaning company, Juliette.Read Next: Prime Day Is Almost Over! Here Are 107 of the Best Deals Still Happening Today
First and foremost, you will want to sort your laundry by color before running a load.
"Separating lights and darks helps prevent dye transfer and keeps your garments looking vibrant," James Joun, the co-founder and chief operating officer of Rinse, says.
Rather than referring to whites versus darks, Joun uses the term "lights" to describe the former category of clothing, noting that he feels this is more accurate.
"This category includes a range of white, off-white, and pastel shades—all of which are susceptible to dye absorption from darker garments," he says.
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Once you have sorted your clothing into lights and darks, it's time to sort your piles further according to fabric type and care instructions, which we will detail further in the next section.
Rechelle Balanzat, the founder of clothing cleaning company Juliette, explains how it's important to read and listen to clothing care instructions.
"Care tags are your cheat sheet to keeping your clothes looking like new," Balanzat says.
While not required, it can be advisable to wash items based on their weight as well, Joun explains, detailing the reasoning behind this in the next section.
Delicates: Joun will place items that are labeled for delicate or gentle cycles in one pile; he shares that examples of pieces that may belong in this category include those made of wool, silk, lace, and other woven materials that are especially prone to damage.
Athletic Wear: To protect the elasticity of these items, be sure to wash them in cold water and light detergent, Balanzat states.
Heavy Items: Clothing such as jeans, sweatshirts, and towels can all be washed together, Joun notes. This is due to the fact that heavier pieces need to be washed for longer periods and may trap lighter items, which can affect cleaning results.
Extra Dirty Items: Items that have been heavily worn or stained should be washed all together in hot water, Joun says, citing exercise clothing and kitchen rags as examples. Doing so will prevent cleaner items from absorbing dirt.
Towels and Sheets: These can be washed at higher temperatures, which are needed to kill bacteria.
Dry Clean Only Items: If an item's tag conveys that it is dry clean only, be sure to follow these instructions and do not place the piece into the washing machine in order to avoid permanent damage, Joun shares. Examples of such items include certain wool and silk pieces as well as structured clothing like blazers and outerwear.
Turn items inside out as you go. While sorting your clothing into piles to wash, turn it inside out and zip any zippers, Joun suggests, noting that this will help to minimize wear during the washing process.
Place laundry in mesh bags. Mesh laundry bags can come in handy when washing extra-delicate items such as lingerie, Joun states, and you can use the period while you're sorting your clothing to bag items as needed.
Read the original article on The Spruce
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