Sorting Laundry 101

If you want to know how to sort laundry, you have come to the right place. This is the definitive guide to sorting laundry.

1) Empty all pockets
2) Pre-treat any stains

For your first level of sorting dirty laundry, divide items into the following piles:

1) Whites
2) Darks
3) Brights
4) Other Step31) Next, perform a 2nd level of sorting the dirty laundry, based on temperature.
2) Look at your pile of whites, and ask yourself the following question, "Is this item likely to shrink?"
3) Subdivide the whites into the yes pile and the no pile.
5) The yes pile should be washed in cold water.
6) The no pile can be washed in warm water
7) Now perform this 2nd level sort for each of your other color groups.
8) As this point your could have up to 8 groups of dirty laundry.

Next, perform a 3rd level of sorting dirty laundry, based on durability.

1) Look at one of your piles, and ask yourself the following question, "Does this item have fabric that will tear easily or straps that will tangle?"
2) Subdivide into yes and no piles.
3) The yes pile should be washed using the gentle cycle.
4) The no pile can be washed using the permanent press cycle
5) Now perform this 3rd level sorting laundry for each of your other groups.
6) As this point your could have up to 16 groups of dirty laundry.

Laundry washed in cold water or on the gentle cycle should not go in the dryer. Instead, hang them to dry.
Other laundry can go in the dryer on low heat.