How to Sort Laundry to Preserve Their Life & Appearance

Sorting laundry might seem like a small task, but it’s important for truly clean, long-lasting clothes. A single mistake, such as mixing whites with darks or tossing towels with delicates, can cause colours to bleed, fabrics to feel rough, or can cause your favorite outfits to look older than they should.

What often goes unnoticed is how much sorting can influence overall fabric care and wash results. Separating clothes by colour, fabric type, and washing instructions helps ensure each item is cleaned in the way it was designed to be cared for. Skipping this step may lead to colour transfer, wear, premature fading, and may even shorten your clothings’ lifespan.

Additionally, proper sorting can help the washing machine run more smoothly by reducing tangling and limiting lint transfer between fabrics. Taking a moment to sort your laundry supports a more organized, consistent wash process and helps maintain the condition of your clothing over time.

Before pressing the start button, take a moment to organize your laundry properly. In this guide, Lysol^® Canada shows how to sort laundry step by step, making sure your clothes stay bright, clean, and fresh with each wash.

How to sort laundry: step-by-step instructions

Sorting laundry is more than just separating colours; it’s about knowing how to divide laundry and how you separate laundry to protect fabrics and prevent colour transfer. Steps are as follows:

Step 1: Check the label first

Before throwing anything in the machine, take a moment to read the care label. It provides details on fabric type, washing temperature, and recommended cycle. For example, cottons can handle warm water, while delicates like silk or wool may need gentle care. This quick step may help s prevent shrinking, stretching, or colour fading later.

Step 2: Separate by fabric and colour

After checking the labels, separate the laundry by fabric type and colour. Keep heavy fabrics like denim apart from lighter ones, such as blouses or T-shirts, to prevent friction damage. Then, sort clothes into whites, lights, and darks, as this helps keep whites bright and stops dye transfer that can dull fabrics over time.

Step 3: Pretreat stains before washing

Before washing, check clothes for stains or odors and treat tough spots like food spills or sweat stains with a stain remover or gentle detergent. Pre-treating prevents stains from setting and can keep fabrics fresh and durable.

Step 4: Launder with care

Sorting is an essential part of laundry, but the real outcome depends on how you wash. Always choose the right water temperature by following the fabric care label, typically: cold for darks, warm for colours, and hot for whites, and pick the appropriate detergent for your fabric. Avoid overloading your washer, as this can prevent proper rinsing and cleaning.

Even after sorting and washing correctly, invisible germs and lingering odours can remain in fabrics. That’s when Lysol^® Laundry Disinfectant - Crisp Linen steps in, a fabric-safe solution that eliminates 99.99% of bacteria and viruses that detergents may miss^*. It keeps your clothes hygienically clean, fresh-smelling, and works in cold water.

Step 5: Air dry

After washing, air-dry your clothes to maintain their natural shape, colour, and softness. This gentle drying method prevents shrinking and heat damage that can weaken fabric fibers. Scientifically, air drying works by allowing moisture to evaporate slowly, preserving fabric strength and increasing the life span of your clothes.

^*vs detergent alone; Always read and follow the label.

FAQs

Why is it important to sort laundry before washing?

Sorting laundry helps prevent fabric damage and colour bleeding by separating clothes based on colour and material type. This ensures each load is washed with the right cycle, temperature, and detergent, helping garments last longer and maintain their quality.

Should you separate white clothes from light-coloured clothes?

It’s recommended to separate white garments from light colours, keeping pure whites apart from printed or embroidered whites to prevent colour transfer and maintain brightness. Washing pure whites alone helps prevent dullness or greying caused by dye bleeding.

What happens if you don’t sort your my laundry properly?

Failing to sort laundry can cause colour bleeding, fabric damage, fading, and uneven cleaning. Sorting by colour, fabric, and soil level enhances wash performance, prevents dye transfer and wear, and extends garment life.

Is it okay to mix different water temperature loads?

Mixing different water temperature loads is acceptable; the resulting temperature is an average of both. In systems like hydronic heating, a mixing valve blends hot and cold water for efficient temperature control.