Laundry Debate: Should You Sort Laundry Before Washing?
Whether you like to do laundry or not, you can’t avoid washing it! We’ve talked before about washing whites without bleach, which made me curious. Do you sort your laundry? Should you? I’m weighing the pros and cons of sorting clothes plus some laundry products we love!
Pros and cons of sorting your laundry.
Pros:
- You don’t have to worry about colors being ruined.
- Clothes will last longer.
- Washing garments with like colors preserves the color.
- Materials are less likely to pill as quickly.
- Washing in proper water temperatures and spin cycles preserves various materials.
- Creating more balanced wash loads is better for clothes and your washing machine.
Cons:
- Takes longer to sort.
- You’ll have multiple folding sessions as opposed to doing it all at once.
Pros and cons of not sorting your laundry.
Pros:
- Saves time when you have fewer clothes to wash.
- Cheaper and more eco-friendly if you’re washing less frequently.
- Using less water.
- Using less electricity.
- Using fewer detergents and softeners.
Cons:
- Colors can bleed onto other clothing.
- Especially new items that haven’t been washed yet.
- Darker dyes from garments can bleed.
- Whites become dull or discolored more quickly.
- You’ll have to put it all away and fold at once.
Here are my thoughts on sorting laundry:
I tend to invest in most of my clothing since I consider myself a minimalist and enjoy a capsule wardrobe. I really love the pieces that I own, so I like to take the best care of them, which means sorting, washing in temperatures that are recommended, and drying as needed. I even started dedicated days to ironing so I will actually wear the pieces in my closet.
Additionally, white is one of my favorite colors to wear, so between the five of us, there are normally enough white clothes to make a load of wash all on their own. Overall, laundry isn’t my favorite thing in the world, but over the years, I’ve found that taking the proper care of them has made me keep clothing longer and love them even more.
Related: Here are other ways I live like a minimalist.
Here’s how the rest of the Hip2BeHome team feels about sorting their laundry:
Sorting vs. 
Throwing it all in
“I definitely separate my laundry, however, the rest of my family doesn’t. Luckily though, I do the majority of the laundry in the house, so my darks and whites aren’t being washed together. LOL!” – Jenna
“I separate any items that are new, so the colors don’t run on the first wash. I like to wash whites separately so that I can bleach them a bit to whiten them more and freshen them up. Everything else will get washed in cold water.” – Amber
“Laundry is not my favorite thing in the world, but I do separate the whites and super light items. The rest of the darks get thrown in together.” – Lina
“Yes! I separate darks, brights, lights, and whites since I wash them all with different heat settings and detergent amounts. Plus, I do a separate wash for my leggings and other activewear—having those in the same load as my jeans have led to faster material breakdown and pilling in the past.” – Emily
“I’m a laundry sorter all the way! I do three piles – whites, colors, and super darks like black and navy blue. I just throw the reds in with the super darks where they can’t hurt anything if the colors run.” – Jenna R.
Throwing it all in vs. Sorting
“I will admit there are times when I am running so behind on laundry, I just pick up whatever I can get and throw it in! I really only separate an item if it’s new; otherwise, I wash each family member’s clothes as they come. This way seems to save me time.” – Jessica
“Nope – I don’t sort our laundry! I feel like it adds more wash loads to my day, and laundry is a total chore to me. Plus, it’s eco-friendly. At least that’s what I tell myself vs. being ‘lazy’. 😉“ – Alyssa
“Wishful thinking on the laundry sorting. LOL! I would, but nope, not for me! About once a month, I’m forced to bleach all of the whites because my son has to wear white polos on Tuesday for school and it never fails that it’s the day they give them Cheetos for a snack. HAH! That’s the extent of my sorting.” – Alana
“Omg! I’m so bad about sorting my laundry! I just throw it all in there, and if it gets folded on the same day that’s a huge win in my book!” – Tiffany
“I NEVER sort! With 5 people in my house, I do at least 1 load of laundry per day and if I sorted, that would result in 2 loads per day which would mean more time and energy wasted. I honestly always discourage my kids from buying anything white, as I do know that many of their white items ended up looking more gray in color after being washed with darker colors.” – Bryn
The verdict? Sorting colors – 5 vs. Throwing it all in – 5
It’s pretty clear that our team is totally torn on this one! Half of us prefers to sort our clothes, while the other half prefers to get it done fast and throw it all in!
Are you team sort or no sort?
Regardless of your sorting stance, here are laundry products we love:
1. Team favorite laundry detergent.
Many of us used to be Tide lovers, but read why we now love Persil!
2. Stacy’s favorite laundry sorter.
“I love this laundry sorter! We had hampers in our hall, and they were taking up so much of the walking space. This thing is compact enough to slide next to our dryer, and each bag holds more than a load of wash!” – Stacy
3. Sara’s favorite stain remover.
I’ve been using this stuff for years, and it has been the most successful stain remover I’ve ever used! I rely on this stain remover to get out all of life’s messes, set-in stains, and even tough stains from sports.
Here are the pros and cons of front load vs. top load washers & dryers.
I used to be a non-sorter when my kids were younger. 3 young kids go through so many clothes. Just throw it in! Now we do minimal sorting. We have colors, whites, towels, husband work clothes (mechanic), and cleaning microfibers. We are a low maintenance type of family with jeans and tshirts. Very few of our clothing items are pricey or special. I do have a question though for the non-sorters out of curiosity : you don’t bleach anything? We bleach our whites and our towels. We use towels for kitchen use (we hate sponges) and couldn’t imagine not being able to bleach that stuff.
Hi Dawn! Yes! I’m with you on that! I’m generally a “non sorter”, however I do like to periodically pull all the whites and freshen them with bleach every so often.
When there were 4 of us I sorted everything. Now it’s just me. I sort by towels (kitchen and bath), sheets, blankets, and clothes. No whites. And no bleach use for decades. Towels get washed in hot water and they never ever smell musty. I noticed years ago that darker colored bath towels always smelled musty( can’t use bleach on those) so I never buy those anymore. Anyone else have that problem?
That musty smell is leftover detergent in your towels. Run a load of those towels with just water and see how much soap comes out of them! Seriously, your jaw will drop the first time you try it. Going forward, try using half the normal detergent amount on towels, set the washer for “extra rinse” and fill the fabric softener cup with white vinegar. I haven’t had a musty smell in years after learning this trick.
I use a Carbona Color Grabber or Shout Color Catcher in the wash and never have sorting or color running issues! The color catcher soaks up any dyes that come off in the wash 😊
That’s awesome, Susanne!
I am a sorter! My husband frequently leaves stuff in his pockets so I have to go through the laundry anyway. I do laundry each weekend. I have 4 laundry baskets; dump all of the laundry from our hampers out and turn on the TV or music while I work. I check pockets, pull out thick pockets (I’ve found that turned out pockets dry much faster) and sort into the baskets. I usually have 1 load of towels, 1 load of whites (bleach), 1 load of lights and 1 load of darks. I can easily carry the baskets to the laundry room and, when I recruit help, it’s easier to ask my son or husband to rotate the pre-sorted loads through the washer and dryer. If I have to do a small, mid-week load for some reason, I will wash things together if nothing is red or new but, in general, I find it’s best to wash like colors together to prevent fading and/or greying. Also, towels tend to get too much lint on my other clothes so I like washing them separately. When drying, I use wool dryer balls and a lint-free, old towel to help with wrinkles and drying time. As for folding and putting away, I fold as it comes out of the dryer and leave in sorted stacks on our bed until all of the laundry is done then put everything away at once (except my 10 year old gets handed a basket with all of his clothes so he can put them away).
Thanks so much for letting us know what has been working best for you! I love your tip on pulling out the pockets! I’ll have to remember that!
I don’t sort much. For me it’s sheets, towels, whites, and all other clothes. I wear a special occasion outfit two to three times per year. The machine washable pieces of those two outfits get washed separately. I have never had a problem with color bleeding. I wash everything in cold water. I use Purex or Arm & Hammer. I almost always dry on low heat. My dryer is moisture-sensing, so it adds time if necessary. I only dry on medium if I am in a rush and need to wear the item that day. I wear t-shirts and jeans all year long.
Thanks for sharing with us, Sara! I’m loving the idea of a moisture sensor! I’ll have to keep an eye out for that feature in my next dryer!
I used to sort but I gave up. At one time there were 9 people at my house (thank god we are back to just three unless the grand kids come to visit) and thankfully they did their own laundry but I was always tossing some in with mine when the floor had some on it. We don’t have any new clothes so nothing will run anyway so I just sort linens now. I haven’t bought new clothes in over 5 years so I don’t have to worry about anything so just toss in a load and go. I do about a load of clothes a week and then my linens. Both my brothers do two loads a week and then their linens (they work in the yard and on the cars so they get dirtier than I do). I am so excited that the water bill (also the recycling and garbage bill) is under $100 now but when I lived there alone it was usually 90 so doubt it will go down much more. LOL If I didn’t have the Hip2Save gals I would have never made it supporting 9 people on one paycheck. I appreciate all their hard work so much and all the tips from everybody too. I love each and every one of you…………. Hugs from this military brat……..
Aww, We sure appreciate YOU, Pat! Thanks a bunch for the sweet comment! SUPER glad you have been able to grab the savings on the items your family needs most! 🤗
Color Catchers all the way! I grew up sorting all the laundry into lights, whites, darks and towels but NO MORE! When I became and adult and learned about color catchers I no longer separated my laundry. That is, with one exception. I do separate my towels and sheets from actual clothing items. Those get washed separately. But, if it’s clothes they all go in together. I will separate brand new clothing items, especially dark items like jeans and a new black item, but that’s about the extent of my separating. If I fear some color may bleed off, I’ll throw in two color catchers. I’ve gotten even lazier with washing, when we bought our current house, I made it a point to tell my husband that I was getting the biggest washer (with a great review, of course) that I could so I didn’t have as many loads to do every week. Best decision EVER!
Oh neat! I have never used those, Jeanette! Thanks for the helpful suggestion!
I sort! I have found it keeps the colors looking fresher and brighter!
Each kid has their own laundry basket-the 3 boys mainly do sports shorts, jeans, tshirts and so their stuff is all washed together. The girl has more boutique outfits that I resell when we are done so I do my best to keep them in tip top shape! I wash her load together and always with a color catcher in case something bleeds. I was mine with hers or on a separate load, hubby has his own load bc I don’t want his man sweat on our clothes as he works outdoors in 100 degree weather, and then a load for towels!
I used to use bleach but since learning it turns stuff yellow, I do baking soda to freshen out whites. If I am not worried about changing colors and more so want it for sanitizing, then I will use bleach.
Thanks for letting us know what has been helpful when doing your laundry each week! Good to know that baking soda has been helpful for refreshing your whites! I’ll have to try that too!
I sort everything. Just two cents from a different perspective. Clothes are treated delicately around here as I grew up without a coat in the winter and holes in everything; not to mention it was often too short, too tight, or a hand me down from my BROTHER (I wanted girly things when I was little). Everything went into the machine, with an agitator, and powdered detergent, and then into the dryer on high. Our clothes looked pitiful, often faded too soon, and shrunk too much. I am sure how I feel has to do with how readily available new clothes seem to most people; but my childhood and countless others that I know whom go without left an impression. Although I am definitely fortunate enough to buy new stuff for my family now (and we do) I couldn’t ever bring myself to “toss it all in” and hope for the best. If something were to be ruined (just a t-shirt or better) than I would absolutely feel as though I being wasteful/frivolous/careless with what I had. Our nicer things I wash on cold & delicate or spot clean and steam. I don’t dry anything unless it’s socks, towels, dish cloths, sheets, etc. Everything from our “nice” t-shirts (kids Under Armour, Adidas, etc.) to my husbands expensive pants get hung to dry and my daughter’s MJ never sees a machine. I take the time to take care of what we have, our things last, and this works for our family.
Thanks SO much for taking a moment to share your thoughts with us. We sure appreciate hearing what has worked best for your family!
Because I have a front loader that can build up mold and odor, I always wash my whites with bleach and hot water first. That keeps the next load (of colors) from having a moldy smell. By using powder detergent(vs liquid), my washer does not have as much of a mold build up as when I used liquid. I add a half of a scoop of Oxiclean stain/odor remover as well as Tide with bleach to achieve long term, positive results with my colors that consist mostly of my husbands work clothes.
I’m a huge fan of Oxiclean, EH!
I can’t imagine NOT sorting laundry! Mixing loads creates all sorts of graying and lint-on-clothing problems, not to mention that different types of items need different drying times and temperatures. And, I feel that my hubby’s white t-shirts and socks really need bleach to get properly clean. And I don’t know what it is about red clothes, but I find they continue to “bleed” long past the first washing, so they need to go in with very dark colors.
It really doesn’t create any more loads! — I just wait until I have a full load of one type to run it. It’s just hubby and me now, and this still works for us. People with families should have no problem filling loads of one type often enough.
I don’t get how people can wash everything in cold water. It sounds great in theory, but I have never had any luck with cold water getting out stains — It doesn’t! So I use hot for my bleach load, warm for most other things, and cold only for delicates.
Thanks so much for taking the time to tell us what has worked well for you, Lunafalls!
I sort to darks, whites, and reds. Always. Towels are separate too. (We use all white towels so I bleach.) Sheets are separate. (Again all white) cleaning towels are separate (all white) I have a commercial HE washed so we don’t waste any water. Everyone also has their own laundry days and does their own laundry. I’m Sunday. My husband is Wednesday. Our son is Friday. Towels are Saturday along with cleaning towels, and sheets are Tuesday.
I love the idea of everyone having their own laundry day, Lisa!
Yes, I sort my loads into 5 categories, whites, delicates, warm cycle, cold cycle and undies. I use hot water with bleach for whites. Hot/ warm water with undies and cold for the delicates. I have never had issues with color running and our clothes last long
Sounds like you have a great system that works for you, Kayra! Thanks for taking the time to share!
Best stain remover EVER is Fels-Naptha. It’s a bar of soap, gets all my stains out!
YES! It’s rarely seen anymore, but I know exactly where to find it at the store, Paula Meadows!
I am a sorter. I do NOT use bleach and my whites are white! Use vinegar instead. 🙂 ONly use cold water, have done this for 40 years. I also line dry some clothing(mostly towels and jeans). I taught my kids at an early age to sort and do their own laundry.
Vinegar is great to add, Cynthia! It’s great at cleaning and disinfecting both!
Also, use a bar of Fels Naptha for stains!
Thanks so much for the tip, Cynthia! I’ve never used that soap!
I sort, but by type of clothing. I do all the tops, then bottoms & undies. Every other week is linens. It makes it so much easier to hang/fold and put away. We don’t own enough whites to do a bleach load.
I tend to do the linens every other week too. Thanks so much for sharing with us, Laura!