Yes, You Do Really Need to Sort Your Laundry, According to Scientists

Some are forgoing this age-old laundry rule.

We’ve all been there.

You want to wear your favorite white T-shirt and best-fitting jeans, but both are in the laundry hamper.

So, you decide that it won’t hurtjust this onceto toss them in the washer together.

We talked to two experts about why sorting laundry is still important.

Avoid Dye Transfer

Mary Gagliardi, aka “Dr.

Washing dark and light items together is how you get visible dye transfer.

There you have it.

The experts agree that, if you’re able to, you should be sorting your laundry.

Here’s how to sort laundry to keep your clothing looking like new.

Read the care label.

Start by reading the care label, especially with new clothes and if you’re new to doing laundry.

Always separate washable items from dry-clean-only garments that need special attention.

Sort laundry by color.

After the dry-clean-only clothes have been put aside, sort the rest of the laundry by color.

White, pastel, and light gray clothes go in one pile.

Dark clothingnavy, brown, dark gray, black, redgo in another pile.

Sort by fabric throw in.

Now, sort each pile one more time by the pop in of fabric.

Separate jeans and cotton T-shirts from lightweight synthetic fabrics or delicate lingerie.

Delicates can be placed in a mesh laundry bag before being added to the washing machine.

Sort lint-producing cotton towels from microfiber activewear and blankets to reduce the amount of lint and pilling.

Sort especially dirty items.

If you have any heavily soiled items, do one final sort.

Muddy kids' clothes or greasy work garments should not be washed with lightly soiled clothes.

The soil can redeposit on other fabrics.

This is because heavier items take longer to dry than lighter ones.

confirm you read the garment label for each item to determine if it can be machine-dried.

Some items will need to be laid flat to dry or line-dried.”