Sorting clothes and other dirty laundry before washing an essential step to a successful laundry day. This article from Heritage Park explains how to sort laundry to wash your clothing and home textiles easily and efficiently.
Inside this Article:
- Laundry Sorting: A Step You Shouldn’t Overlook
- The 4 Criteria for Sorting Your Laundry: Color, Weight, Fabric Type, Care Guidelines
- Choosing the Best Laundry Detergent
- Special Laundry Considerations: Bath Towels, Jeans, Sheets, Workout Clothes, Bathing Suits, Lingerie, New Items, Dry Clean Only Items, Stains
- Our Clients Also Ask These Questions
Laundry Sorting: An Essential Step You Shouldn’t Overlook
Helping you take the very best care of your laundry is our mission here at Heritage Park Laundry Essentials. We devote a lot of resources to offering guidelines on how to best wash everything from your favorite bedding and towels to shapewear, workout clothes, bathing suits, down jackets, and more. We also explain why choosing one of our gentle detergents is an essential step in caring for your laundry. Whatever you’re washing, one of our three formulas -- All-Purpose, Silk and Wool, and Activewear detergents -- will perfectly fit the bill.
That said, there’s another important step that comes before you even put your laundry in the washer: sorting your wash. We realize sorting laundry may not be your idea of a glamorous activity. But if you’ve ever mistakenly washed a pair of black yoga pants in with your towels, you get it. That’s why we’re here to show you how to sort your laundry like a pro. By focusing on four simple sorting criteria, you’ll wash load after load effectively with minimal effort and fewer mishaps.
The Four Criteria for Sorting your Laundry
Sorting your laundry doesn’t require a PhD in chemistry. But you do need to dedicate a little bit of thought to the process. If you read care labels—and you absolutely should—you know different fabrics come with different recommendations for laundering. Try to follow these. After all, you wouldn’t wash a dirty pair of jeans with a delicate silk blouse (we hope!). Check out our tried-and-true laundry sorting tips:
Color: Prevent Bleeding and Promote Color Fastness
Separating items by color is fundamental to prevent fading, color bleeding, and dye transfer from dark clothing and home linens:
- Whites: Pure white clothes and home linens should be washed separately.
- Lights: Pale colors and pastels form their own category.
- Brights: Vibrant colors should be sorted together.
- Darks: Navy, black, and deep colors belong in this group.
Weight: Ensure Even Cleaning and Prevent Damage
Sorting by weight serves multiple purposes, including ensuring even cleaning; keeping your washing machine “in balance”’ and preventing damage to lighter weight items from heavier items:
- Heavyweight: Towels, bathrobes, denim, and heavy sweatshirts.
- Medium-weight: Most everyday clothing items like t-shirts and cotton pants.
- Lightweight: Delicates, finer fabrics, workout clothes, and lighter fabrics like thin summer garments.
Fabric Type: Tailoring Care to Specific Fabric Categories
Knowing what pieces can be laundered together based on fabric composition can streamline your wash day. Here are some general guidelines about fabrics:
- Cotton and cotton blends: Durable but prone to shrinkage. Can be washed in warmer temperatures.
- Synthetics: Often need cooler temperatures/special care for athletic and performance wear
- Delicate fabric: These items (lingerie, swimsuits, silk blouses) require gentle handling.
- Denim: Benefits from being washed together
- Silk and Wool: Need gentle care, perhaps hand washing, and an enzyme-free detergent.
Care Guidelines
Always check the care label and group items with similar washing instructions:
- Hand wash only: Wash separately with extra care.
- Gentle cycle: Group these items together (use a fine mesh bag to protect delicate fabrics from damage in the machine)
- Cold water wash: Often best for dark colors and delicates.
Every item you launder should ideally be sorted according to all four criteria: color, weight, fabric, and care guidelines. For example: Navy cotton bed sheets should be washed in a dark load with other cotton or cotton blend dark items of similar weight in a normal wash cycle in lukewarm or cool water. That means it’s fine to throw in your dark blue cotton t-shirt with the sheets. But your white bath towels? They belong in a separate load.
Putting It All Together: Choosing the Best Laundry Detergent
Choosing the Heritage Park Detergent is crucial to getting your laundry clean and safeguarding it from damage. For your everyday cottons and synthetics, our All-Purpose Laundry Detergent is ideal. However, for silk and wool items, switch to our specialized Silk and Wool Detergent. This enzyme-free formula is specifically designed to clean and protect these delicate natural fibers. Performance, athletic, and sport wear should be washed with our Activewear Detergent.
Our detergents are all plant-based, pH-neutral, and made to effectively clean fabric without damaging the fibers. Our All-Purpose and Activewear formulas contain special cleaning enzyme blends to naturally dissolve and remove stains, while our enzyme-free Silk and Wool detergent cleans and protects protein-based fibers. Additionally, our hypoallergenic formulas are lab-certified; pediatrician- and dermatologist-tested; and safe for sensitive skin.
Here's a quick sample guide to laundry sorting along with Heritage Park Detergent recommendations:
|
Sorted Load |
Best Heritage Park Detergent |
|
White, lightweight cottons (e.g., white T-shirts, underwear) |
All-Purpose Detergent |
|
White, heavyweight cottons (e.g., white towels, terry bathrobes) |
All-Purpose Detergent |
|
Light-colored, medium-weight, mixed fabrics (e.g., light blue shirts, khakis) |
All-Purpose Detergent |
|
Dark, heavyweight items (e.g., dark jeans, sweatshirts) |
All-Purpose Detergent |
|
Dark, heavyweight items (e.g., dark jeans, sweatshirts) |
All-Purpose Detergent |
|
Dark, lightweight synthetic blend activewear (e.g., yoga pants, running shorts) |
Activewear Detergent |
|
Bright, lightweight items (e.g., summer dresses, bright t-shirts) |
All-Purpose Detergent |
|
Cotton bedding (sheets, pillowcases, duvet cover) |
All-Purpose Detergent |
|
Silk bedding |
Silk and Wool Detergent |
|
Washable wool sweaters |
Silk and Wool Detergent |
Special Laundry Considerations
Along with our general sorting guidelines, certain categories of laundry require special care, including being washed in a dedicated load.
Bath Towels
Bath towels should be sorted by color and weight and washed in a towel-only load to prevent lint transfer (washing with bath mats or robes of similar weight color and weight is okay).
“Towel weight is measured in GSM, which stands for grams per square meter,” said Erika Smith, Brand Manager of Fine Linen and Bath, a leading online retailer of luxury home linens. “Towels with a high GSM (650 and above) are heavier fabric that softer, plush and more absorbent, but they can also be more challenging to wash. Washing towels of similar weight together is the best way to ensure efficient cleaning.”
Also, over time, even luxury towels can lose some of their softness and look a bit dingy. This is due to buildup from minerals in the water or from the use of fabric softener or dryer sheets (both of which should be avoided completely). To refresh and revive towels, follow these steps:
- Wash your towels in warm to hot water -- not scalding -- with one cup of white distilled vinegar. This will strip towels of any built-up residue and help restore absorbency. DON'T USE DETERGENT, only white vinegar.
- Run the load a second time using only a half-cup of baking soda. This will help freshen and remove any lingering smells. AGAIN, DON'T USE DETERGENT, only baking soda.
- Dry according to instructions WITHOUT fabric softener sheets.
You can repeat this process when needed for soft, fluffy towels that smell fresh.
Jeans and Other Denim
Wash jeans inside out in cool to lukewarm water. Denim is both heavy and prone to bleeding, so wash denim in a dedicated load. There is no need for a special “denim detergent”; our All-Purpose Laundry Detergent in any variety is perfect for washing jeans.
Sheets, Duvet Covers, and Shams
Wash cotton, bamboo, linen, rayon, and synthetic bedding in a dedicated load using our All-Purpose formula. We recommend washing your entire sheet set at once to ensure even wear. Similarly, launder duvet covers and shams at the same time. Silk sheets and bedding should be laundered in our enzyme-free Silk and Wool detergent and air dried.
Workout Clothes and Exercise Gear
Always use our dedicated Athleticwear Detergent for these items. It's specifically formulated to clean and protect performance fabrics without leaving residues that can impact moisture-wicking properties. The enzyme blend also cleans away dirt, sweat, body oils, deodorant, and lotions.
Bathing Suits, Lingerie, and Delicate Clothing
Our rule for any of these items is go as gently as possible. You can handwash them or launder in a small load (delicate items only) on a gentle/handwash setting in cool water. Place each item in its own mesh laundry bag and use the appropriate detergent.
New Items: The First Wash
Always wash new clothing, bedding, and towels before using. This is essential for removing any treatments that have been used on the fabric during the manufacturing process. Read more about how long it takes to break in new towels.
Dry Clean Only Items
If an item’s care label states “dry clean only,” follow the guidelines. In a pinch, we have laundered “dry clean only” items but it is not recommended as a general practice. (Never try to wash anything with a lining).
Stains
Stains should be treated as quickly as possible and then laundered as normal, Check out our stain removal guidelines.
We hope these sorting guidelines are helpful. They require a bit of extra effort (and possibly an additional laundry basket) but will help ensure your clothing and home linen stays clean, fresh, and well-cared for without damage. As always, the Heritage Park team is here to help answer questions about any of our plant-based, effective detergents or laundry care in general. Feel free to drop and email or give us a call. We are here to help!
