How to sort your clothes correctly before loading them in the washing machine?

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Evgeniya Ovchinnikova

Housewife, Fabric Blogger xtkani.ru.

If you have a lot of things that need to be washed, it is very important to sort them out so as not to spoil anything. Here are five criteria to focus on.

1. Colour

First of all, the laundry needs to be sorted by color - this is the most important point. It usually looks like this for me:

• White and light gray - if you plan to add bleach or wash at high temperatures. Otherwise, I recommend dividing even this party into two.
• Black and dark blue. I usually wash this batch with a special gel for black items so that they retain their rich color.
• Red and orange. I usually erase these two colors together: even if the red fades a little, it will not be noticeable on orange. But if the red thing is new and you have never washed it, it is better to separate the laundry to be sure.
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• Light colored things: yellow, pink, blue, purple. But if the purple color is saturated - wash with blue things or separately.

Denim items should also be washed separately - precisely because of the color, not the fabric. But if there are few of them, sometimes you can add blue and dark gray things to them.

And remember: in parallel with sorting by color, it is necessary to check the pockets of each item so that there is nothing left in them that can ruin clothes, a washing machine or spoil itself. For example, a white batch of items may change color due to a red scarf left in your pocket. It will not be possible to restore these things.

2. Washing mode

Check the groups that you have formed by color. Can they be washed at the same modes, temperature and spin speed? If so, feel free to download.

When in doubt, don't experiment! Divide batches according to the wash cycle indicated on the tag, or simply wash the item in doubt with your hands.

3. Pollution degree

Each washing machine has a short 15–20 minute wash program that is suitable for items without serious contamination. It allows you to simply refresh them. Also, very dirty things can ruin the rest. Therefore, always wash them separately: pre-soak and pay special attention to heavily soiled areas.

4. Weight

It is better to wash large items (blankets, bedspreads, bedclothes, outerwear) separately from the rest of the laundry, otherwise the washing machine will rotate things unevenly in the drum. In the worst case, it will break, and in the best case, you will get poorly washed laundry with stains from detergent powder.

5. Type and affiliation

Obviously, delicate fabrics and underwear should not be put in the machine with the sweatpants in which you walk your dog. And it is better to wash children's clothes separately from those of adults.

For ease of sorting and saving time, you can use special baskets with dividers and arrange things into categories in advance. But my experience shows that the principle of sorting will be different for each family member and you still have to double-check.