AIBU To Wonder About This Laundry Travesty?

[TheShellBeach]

I am forever reading threads on here about laundry, in which some people admit to putting all their washing in the machine UNSORTED.
Yes! Whites, coloureds, woollens, sheets, towels etc. etc. etc. all put in together.

How can you do this? It's just wrong, isn't it?

(lighthearted)

I thought people only separated washing in books.

Yes they do @InBlue. It depends on the material as well.

When my next door neighbour's washer broke down I offered her the use of mine until she could get it fixed.

She stuffed a mixture of whites, jeans and black clothes in the washer and when she came to take them out the "whites" we're very clearly not white any more. Synthetic materials are the worst for looking dingy.

Also, I use bio powder which also contains bleach for whites, but not for colours.

I used to stick everything in together because that's what my mum did, but then I noticed that it was turning white stuff grey, so I started to separate whites, brights and dark. If there is LOADS of stuff to wash, I sometimes do a colour specific wash like all reddish thigns, all bluish things etc. If I'm feeling very on top of life, I have separate detergents for white vs black and colours too (but I have not done this since having a baby!)

I don't separate anything else except when I'm doing an occasional 60 degree wash and I'll screen out anything that might get damaged.

Tumble dry 99% of stuff even if it says not to. I make a judgement based on how similar it is to other things. It is a heat pump dryer so runs cooler than traditional tumble dryers. Even so, it fades plasticky prints on some items so now if I notice the fading starting, it gets demoted to not tumble dryable. I've only melted one thing which was a pair of DS1's pants.

I don't buy anything that is hand wash only as it will live at the bottom of the laundry bin forever. Likewise anything that is not dishwasher safe gets donated. I need to simplify things like dishes and laundry or they just don't get done.

Luckily my tumble dryer chucks things out looking ironed :D I love this feature!!

I thought my white clothes were staying white because they were all the same colour. It is very slight. Plus I rarely buy white clothing because apparently none of us are capable of eating. But when I had DS2 and all these pristine new baby clothes, you could really see the difference and I started separating, and now I can see it even without comparing to something brand new.

We don’t have white clothing so it’s easier that way to be fair.

Nah, I just sling everything in together. All good.

You wash your bath mats and cleaning things twice?

And I’m boggling at the people who separate out the different colours. How on earth do you have enough for a full load?

I used to stick everything in together when it was just me, as I had barely any whites and who wants to do more than one load a week anyway. Since kids, and particularly daughter #1 who has quite a few white tops, I might as well separate. But just into whites and colours, any further separation is a waste of time.

And I’m boggling at the people who separate out the different colours. How on earth do you have enough for a full load?

You obviously are extremely organised and don't let the washing build up as much as I do

I never buy white clothes though. The idiots at DS’s school decided on white polo shirts and navy jumpers though. I’m not doing a separate polo shirt wash, so they’re less white now. And I don’t care in the least.

Not really; all the red things in the house wouldn’t add up to a full load. Same with any other colour except brown and black.

I put bedding in separately 'cos it's a full load.
Likewise bath towels.
Everything else is sorted into black/navy/purple or "dark" for one load and white/pastel/light grey for the other.
I don't worry about jumpers, they mostly stretch back into shape when they're damp the bonus of buying acrylic ones for DH

I grew up as the girl with grey school blouses and socks and as god is my witness, I will never have grey whites again.

I sort whites, darks, woollens, brights, towels and bedding (which has to be washed at 60 degrees due to dust mite allergies). I also iron most things. I also have a senior job, volunteer, have lots of hobbies and plenty of friends so anyone who wants to tell me to get a life can get in the sea. As a pp said, it’s fine to take care over the things that matter to you. I like my family’s whites to be white but couldn’t care less about other people’s.

I will shut up now as am in danger of sounding like a Bold 3-in-1 advert from 1982.

I throw my whites in with the light clothes and they always stay very white. Towels and sheets have their own separate washes. Everything is also washed in cold water, as is common where I live.

@BertieBotts what brand is it? I might be in the market for a new one - ours is a vented Hotpoint, so works v well, v quickly and v expensively. 🤦‍♀️

I wear white and light coloured tops (as well as other colours) because they suit me, and our bedding and most of our towels are white or light colours, so making up a white/light load is no problem.

DD separates her washing as well - white bedding and white tunics for work (she works in a pharmacy). She also had a white lab coat at university.

This is me. It all goes in. If I am doing bedding or a load of towels I will put them in on their own, otherwise it's just one mixed load.

I do white/pale then darks and a separate ‘why do clothing manufacturers make such awkward things?’ Wash (navy and white striped top, white top with maroon sleeves, anything a strong yellow colour - this all goes in on a delicate wash with a colour catcher and a prayer to the laundry gods)

I separate by colour: whites; reds/pinks; blues/greens; darks. I work all week, so do 4 loads plus ironing back to back on a Saturday. Different powder for whites and colours. DC have white school shirts and PE kit, and DH and I both have a few white shirts and t shirts.

We’re a household of 4 and I never have any trouble making up 4 full loads of any colour.

Then a wool wash about once or twice a year, and a feather duvet wash or two on the hottest days of summer.

No sorting needed in our house, we have compartmentalised laundry baskets and everyone knows the system.

Rather than doing one load of mixed everything every day, I wait until there’s a full load of e.g. whites, or woollens. We can’t afford the cost (or environmental impact) of ruining clothes with lazy laundry habits, so take care of the things we have.

Unless I’ve got loads (when DS is home from Uni) I just throw it all in together. Anything new I’ll wash with other darks for awhile (or lights, de

Sorry that posted too soon

..depending what colour new garment is. Now it’s just my DD and I we don’t always have a big loads of whites and darks. She changes into PJ’s when she gets home, I do the same with work clothes and I don’t wash my skirts every wear as I’m always wearing tights

I do darks, brights, whites &lights, bedding, towels all separate.
Laundry is the only household task that I don't mind. I love bright whites on my line in the Summer. Was in my element when I had babies washing their vests and babygros in Fairy powder and Comfort Pure. Yes I do need to get out more.

I wash things with it’s own kind. So sheets and towels I have mixed but tend not to. I don’t wash sheets and clothes or towels and clothes together as they go on different temps? I don’t really like washing towels on 20 or 30 it’s not hot enough to kill germs although it’s more economical

I use colour catchers