S/o How do you sort your laundry?

[Annie Laurie]

I have OCD tendencies when it comes to laundry, and therefore, I am never caught up. Someone tell me it's okay to mix stuff because all bacteria would get killed in the dryer anyway.

 

Diapers twice a week and then because it's poop, I like to do a load of whites or rags with bleach after.

 

Then because I just did a bleach load, I don't want to chance residual bleach getting on clothing, so I'll do a load of kitchen linens or towels. Kitchen linens must never mix with underwear or bathroom linens.

 

Jeans get a separate load because they put holes in my shirts.

 

Whites get their own load.

 

Rugs get their own load.

 

I like to do a bleach load after rugs too.

 

Bathroom linens get their own load.

 

Everyone's clothes get tossed together.

 

Gross rags or pet stuff gets washed alone, sometimes with bleach.

[The Girls' Mom]

If I'm lucky, it gets sorted into darks and lights, with maybe a light colors load thrown in. Often we are just trying to tame the beast and all sorts of things may be thrown in a load.

[LauraGB]

Whites

Reds/pinks/light purples

Darks/blues

Delicates if there are enough

 

I thought I was being smart with making all my kitchen and bath towels and napkins white, so I'm forever washing white loads; hot water, tiny bit of bleach or borax, cold rinse. Forever, because all the socks and most of the underwear are also white, along with many shirts and sheets and ...

[Peela]

By the person.

If there is enough for 2 loads, it will get sorted into lights and darks.

I always wash on delicate (because we just don't get very dirty and its easier on clothes), high spin, cold wash- colours very, very rarely bleed and I do check for anything which might.

Simple.

[Aggie]

denim

whites

dark perm press

light perm press

dark regular (work-out clothes, sweaty shirts, all the ds' clothes)

towels

sheets

in the winter we have a load just for hoodies/fuzzy socks/sweats

 

We rarely use the dryer. Everything is hung up on the line in the summer, on the shower rods in the winter (except whites...they go into the dryer)

[helena]

dark

white

red/pink

med. colors (beige, light blue, etc)

delicates

towels

dish rags

bath mats

rugs

[Susan in TN]

4yo/8yo girls

2yo/12yo girls

boys

whites/lights dh&I

darks dh&I

 

Towels and misc go in with whoever's laundry is being done that day. If the kids want to separate their colors when it's their day for laundry, they are welcome to do it, but I don't think they ever do.

[Giraffe]

DD's laundry

Light-ish

Dark-ish

Sheets

Towels

 

If I'm feeling housewifey I may put a load of whites in by themselves to soak in bleach and then wash. But I only feel housewifey once in a great while. :tongue_smilie:

[nd293]

My complex system is whites (washed on hot) in one load and everything that isn't white in another. :tongue_smilie: Sometimes, if I don't have enough for two loads, I throw them together.

 

I'm much the same. I do a light load, and a dark load, simple as that. If there is anything likely to lose colour, I am careful to keep my dark load very dark, otherwise the middle range of colours can go either way, depending on the relative size of the loads (e.g. a grey or purple might go light or dark, depending on the day).

 

Linen and towels are usually separate from each other, but not always,and usually separate from clothes, but not always.

 

Everything is washed on a cold wash, although linens and towels may get a very hot wash a couple of times a year. It's been years since I had a laundry disaster, so the system works well for me.

[momofkhm]

Since it's Dirty Laundry Day on the boards, I've been seeing various comments about x load, y load, etc.

 

I could be very compulsive about sorting, but I control myself because it could get to the crazy place where I have close to a single item in each load.

 

So how do you sort your laundry?

 

Light colors, dark colors, sheets, towels.

[SweetMissMagnolia]

I know it's not the RIGHT way LOL but I separate delicates (rarely is any but sometimes I have things I want to wash separately),hubby's work clothes,towels and wash cloths,sheets,comforters,and unless it's something that will bleed in the wash I do the rest of the clothes together--now I'm thinking about doing whites separately because lately my kid's socks just WON'T come clean (as in kid and hubby's undies and socks)----I use detergent-color safe bleach-and a fabric softener.....

[Julie Smith]

I have OCD tendencies when it comes to laundry, and therefore, I am never caught up. Someone tell me it's okay to mix stuff because all bacteria would get killed in the dryer anyway.

 

Diapers twice a week and then because it's poop, I like to do a load of whites or rags with bleach after.

 

Then because I just did a bleach load, I don't want to chance residual bleach getting on clothing, so I'll do a load of kitchen linens or towels. Kitchen linens must never mix with underwear or bathroom linens.

 

Jeans get a separate load because they put holes in my shirts.

 

Whites get their own load.

 

Rugs get their own load.

 

I like to do a bleach load after rugs too.

 

Bathroom linens get their own load.

 

Everyone's clothes get tossed together.

 

Gross rags or pet stuff gets washed alone, sometimes with bleach.

 

I always mix everything. (Except diapers when I had them). I never had trouble.

[ocelotmom]

Incidentally, my mom got me to voluntarily insist on doing my own laundry at age 12 by not separating laundry. She washed everyone's clothing together, including her red socks which dyed all my lights pink one too many times.

 

So, while I don't normally separate on a regular basis, I do tend to be a bit on the suspicious of new clothing.

[jenangelcat]

I have never sorted my laundry. It always comes out fine. No noticeable issues with the clothes.

[Lizzie in Ma]

You're supposed to do what with it? :tongue_smilie:

 

Do you remember the Aragorn at the Black Gate laundry speech?

From Kate, long ago

 

"Here is my laundry speech a la Aragorn before the black gate...

________________________________________

 

I see in your eyes the same mountain that would take the heart of me. A

day may come when this laundry pile of mine overwhelms me, when I

forsake clean towels and break all scoops of soap, but it is not this

day. An hour of soiled shirts and dirty pants, when the laundry room

comes crashing down, but it is not this day. Today, I fold! For all of

the children in my house, and for my dear husband too, I tell you I will

sit, and fold my laundry!"

 

:+)

Kate

[mommymilkies]

You're supposed to do what with it? :tongue_smilie:

 

Do you remember the Aragorn at the Black Gate laundry speech?

From Kate, long ago

 

"Here is my laundry speech a la Aragorn before the black gate...

________________________________________

 

I see in your eyes the same mountain that would take the heart of me. A

day may come when this laundry pile of mine overwhelms me, when I

forsake clean towels and break all scoops of soap, but it is not this

day. An hour of soiled shirts and dirty pants, when the laundry room

comes crashing down, but it is not this day. Today, I fold! For all of

the children in my house, and for my dear husband too, I tell you I will

sit, and fold my laundry!"

 

:+)

Kate

 

:lol:

 

I'm bringing this thread back to life. I only sort out diapers. How does everyone sort their laundry? I only have a tiny closet where the washer & dryer sits in and NO laundry area otherwise. Do you wait for the laundry to overflow and then sort it and do it all in one day? I just don't think I'd have enough laundry for a rags or towels, etc. load unless I only did them once a month, but we'd run out of things to wear before then! :lol:

[twoforjoy]

Darks, lights, and diapers.

[LaxMom]

Light athletic gear

dark athletic gear

light delicates

dark delicates

whites/off whites regular

brights regular

darks regular

pastels regular

sheets

towels dark

towels light

towels white

kitchen stuff

cleaning rags

 

Yeah, I think that's it. :tongue_smilie: And, next to food shopping, laundry is my favorite chore!

:001_wub: Me, too.

 

That's pretty much what mine looks like:

Synthetics:

bright workout clothes

black/gray/navy workout clothes

(little detergent, no bleach, no fabric softener)

 

Woolens:

as they sort out at the time

 

Cottons:

whites (detergent, maybe bleach, fabric softener, maybe bluing)

lights (detergent, fabric softener, maybe Biz)

brights (detergent, softener, maybe Biz)

dark heavy (detergent, softener)

dark lightweight (detergent, softener)

sheets (detergent, softener, maybe bleach, maybe Biz)

bed blankets (detergent, softener)

throw blankets - down (detergent)

throw blankets - fleece :ack2: (detergent, softener)

dark towels (detergent, softener)

white towels (detergent, maybe bleach, softener)

kitchen towels <dishcloths, towels, microfiber rags, napkins, etc> (detergent, bleach)

 

(and, of course, when we had diapered kiddos, a load of diapers and a load of covers)

 

Everything gets hung out except white cotton socks. And everything is hung in the "proper" order:

Dad's shirts - long sleeved, collared, t-shirts, dark to light in each category, then mine, Bailey's and the boys'. Same drill with pants, followed by dainties, then socks.

 

Once, when my dad was visiting he was chatting with me while I hung the laundry. I went to hang something and realized I'd missed a pair of my husband's dainties that were in the middle of the dark to light gradation in the basket...

Me: curse, curse, curse <take lighter pairs down, hang middle ones, rehang lighter ones.>

Dad: uh, anal retentive much?

:lol: I get it from him!

 

Back in the days when the boys were wee and I was profoundly sleep deprived, I was so caught up on the laundry that everything was pressed before it was put away, and I changed the sheets about every three days to keep the laundry flowing along (also pressed). Sigh. I wish I could get back there. :crying:

[Mrs Mungo]

lights

darks

towels

dh's uniforms

sheets

[LaxMom]

:lol:

 

I'm bringing this thread back to life. I only sort out diapers. How does everyone sort their laundry? I only have a tiny closet where the washer & dryer sits in and NO laundry area otherwise. Do you wait for the laundry to overflow and then sort it and do it all in one day? I just don't think I'd have enough laundry for a rags or towels, etc. load unless I only did them once a month, but we'd run out of things to wear before then! :lol:

 

I have three hampers upstairs for whites/colors/darks. I pick out the appropriate items for each load from the color group I'm doing (in the laundry room).

 

Sheets are taken off the beds and put into the washer, new ones pressed and put on the beds <don't judge me>.

 

Towels are removed from the bathroom en masse and taken to the washer - white ones, I hide in the whites hamper until I have enough.

 

Woolens just get worn <obviously in season, it's 90 here right now> until I decide they're vulgar looking, then I snag all the sweaters I can find.

[ElizabethB]

Darks

Lights

 

Dark towels and sheets, washed on hot to kill dust mites but separate from lights so they do not bleed.

 

If you wash your dark sheets and towels on warm, you are not killing the dust mites.

[chicagoshannon]

I do:

Diapers

kids clothes

underwear

jeans and towels

all the rest

sheets

[LuvToRead]

DH's work clothes get washed together

Towels get washed together

The BooKshelves get handwashed

Everything else (except odd stuff such as rugs and shower curtains) get thrown in together.

I do wash some things separately, such as this T-shirt with glitter, because the glitter gets everywhere!

 

I do try to wash new, brightly colored stuff separately the first time, just in the case the dye runs.

[Laura Corin]

I sort into whites and colours. I just pull out of the clothes bins the load that seems to need doing. I mostly do colours - whites get done once a week (karate day, usually). Sheets and towels are separate loads too.

 

Laura

[6packofun]

Whites or mostly whites, but NOT kitchen or bath towels

Kitchen towels get their own wash--it's the only small load I do to save money

Bath towels

Bed sheets with the occasional clothing item tossed in

Anything with colors--but new items go in a load with ONLY similarly colored stuff that is a darker shade (LOL)

 

So generally, once a new item has been washed once or twice with like colors, it goes into an all-colors load. For a long time I did darks and reds separately, but now I might only separate denim because it takes longer to dry.

[ma23peas]

Clean or Dirty. Seriously. No time to sort.

[Garga]

Anything with color in one load.

Anything white in another. Sometimes I remember to add bleach.

Cold water.

 

All the underwear in its own load.

Hot water.

 

 

Simple! Laundry is easy in my house.

[greenvneck]

I don't sort. I wash all clothes on cold, with an extra rinse. Towels, kitchen linens, sheets, and rags all get washed on hot with an extra rinse with vinegar. Easy-peasy. I have NEVER had anything bleed or discolor washing this way, in, uhhhh, almost 30 years of washing clothes (I started doing laundry at age 9).

[Mom22ns]

Whites on hot

Darks on warm

Reds/bright colors on cold.

[mom31257]

Whites

Grey/Tan

Blues/Bright Colors

Darks

Reds

Towels

Sheets

[*Lulu*]

bath towels

dish towels

sheets

clothes

[AngieW in Texas]

I don't sort laundry and never have. The closest I come to sorting is having mesh bags for the things that need to be washed but can't go in the dryer. My 13yo has a LOT of shirts that she's afraid to put in the dryer because she's had them shrink that way before. She puts almost all of her shirts in the mesh bag.

 

Everything gets tossed into the washer together with a Shout Color Catcher sheet.

 

I guess I do sort some. I wash the towels we use instead of guinea pig litter all by themselves. When my kids were in cloth diapers, I did those loads all by themselves. That's it though.

[NanceXToo]

I confess.

 

I don't sort my clothes at all.

 

The only exception is if something is new and black and I think it may be likely to run- then I will set aside dark clothes until there's enough to do a wash.

 

But most of the time... blacks, whites, his clothes, her clothes, teeshirts, towels, they all get thrown in together!

[SeekingSimplicity]

The only sorting I do is: don't wash your underwear with your kitchen towels.

[Mrs Mungo]

You're supposed to do what with it? :tongue_smilie:

 

Do you remember the Aragorn at the Black Gate laundry speech?

From Kate, long ago

 

"Here is my laundry speech a la Aragorn before the black gate...

________________________________________

 

I see in your eyes the same mountain that would take the heart of me. A

day may come when this laundry pile of mine overwhelms me, when I

forsake clean towels and break all scoops of soap, but it is not this

day. An hour of soiled shirts and dirty pants, when the laundry room

comes crashing down, but it is not this day. Today, I fold! For all of

the children in my house, and for my dear husband too, I tell you I will

sit, and fold my laundry!"

 

:+)

Kate

 

I printed this out and had it hanging in my laundry room for *years*!

 

:lol:

 

I'm bringing this thread back to life. I only sort out diapers. How does everyone sort their laundry? I only have a tiny closet where the washer & dryer sits in and NO laundry area otherwise. Do you wait for the laundry to overflow and then sort it and do it all in one day? I just don't think I'd have enough laundry for a rags or towels, etc. load unless I only did them once a month, but we'd run out of things to wear before then! :lol:

 

The kids have 3 tall hampers upstairs: darks, lights, towels. I do laundry pretty much every day. If I am doing a load of lights, then I dig all of the light colored stuff out of my hamper, ask for donations from bedrooms, and I add the stuff from the kids' light colored hamper.

[mcconnellboys]

In a typical week, I wash:

 

a load of whites (or things that are mostly white);

 

a load of towels (and sheets, if washing those);

 

a load of colored clothes - sometimes two if my son has dirtied a lot of clothes;

 

a load of my clothes (which I wash in cold water as they are not typically as dirty as the clothing of my husband and son, which I wash in hot water with an extra soak, LOL);

 

a small load of towels from our bath, which are a different color and can't be washed with other things as they'd pick up lint and look bad.

 

Occasionally, I'll have more bedding to wash. Also, occasionally, I'll have a load of "rag" towels to wash that we use in cleaning, work outside, etc.

[PBnJ]

light colored clothes

darks

bleachable whites

[historically accurate]

I don't sort. Kids actually use the washing machine as their hamper. When it gets fullish, I start it...

[Pamela H in Texas]

My sort method: Dirty vs Clean. LOL

 

Seriously, that is close. If we have a little bit of a pile (not often), then I do kinda do colors or things like hubby's work clothes or towels separate. And sheets are usually done with only sheets, but we have eight beds so that is pretty easy most of the time.

[WishboneDawn]

Sort?

[Evergreen State Sue]

If I have enough for of each, this is how I sort.

Towels

undies

jeans

sheets

pants/shirts

t-shirts/shorts