How to sort laundry so nothing is ruined

Short answer: Sort by colour, temperature and hardness. Hard clothes with zips and Velcro damage soft clothes, and that is the sorting most people forget.

Three things to sort by

Most people sort laundry by colour and stop there. But clothes are also damaged by the wrong temperature and by hard details rubbing against soft fabric in the drum. If you think of all three when loading the machine, clothes last longer and look better. It only takes an extra minute at the laundry basket.

Colour first

Whites together, darks together and light colours together. White clothes turn grey when washed with darks, because small amounts of dye escape into the water with every wash. Light colours can often go in with whites once they have been washed a few times. Read more about washing and care.

New dark clothes

New dark clothes release the most dye during the first five washes. Wash them separately or with other darks during that time. Turn them inside out so the surface does not wear unnecessarily. After that they can join the regular dark load. If in doubt, add a white cloth and see whether it picks up colour.

Temperature next

Wash anything meant for 30 degrees on its own. If you wash it with 40 degree clothes, the delicate fabric suffers and may shrink or lose its shape. Check the care label on each item and group those with the same temperature. If you are unsure about an item, choose the lowest temperature.

Hardness is the forgotten one

Zips, buttons, hooks and Velcro tear at soft fabric and can cause pilling and holes. Wash jeans, jackets and workwear on their own, or at least not with underwear and thin tops. This is the sorting most people forget, and it costs the most on delicate clothes. See bamboo underwear for women.

Close everything that closes

If you cannot avoid washing hard and soft items together, close everything that can be closed. Zip up zips, fasten Velcro and hook bras together. Turn printed or embroidered clothes inside out. The hard parts then have far less to catch on, and the soft fabric gets away with less wear.

Towels on their own

Terry cloth sheds lint that settles on smooth fabric and is hard to remove. Wash towels together and not with clothes. Towels can also often handle a higher temperature than clothes, so they suit a load of their own better. See bamboo towels.

A laundry bag for small items

Socks, bras and tights easily go missing or get tangled in other clothes. Put them in a laundry bag so they stay together and do not catch on zips and buttons. The bag also protects underwires and lace. Do not overfill each bag, so the water can get through. See all bamboo socks for men.

In short

Sort by colour first, then temperature and finally hardness. Wash new dark clothes separately the first few times and keep towels away from clothes. Close zips and Velcro, and use a laundry bag for small items. That way nothing gets damaged in the drum, and clothes keep their shape longer.