Is separating laundry colours dated practice?

[willywallaby]

When I moved out and started doing my own laundry I separated light and dark colours but then gradually I stopped doing it when I realised nothing bad ever happened if I mixed everything together. For most of my life though I've been quite careful about keeping brand new dark items away from white items until they'd been washed a few times. A few months ago I accidentally washed a new red t-shirt in with some white things and they stayed white. And we got some new dark things recently and because of the experience with the red t-shirt I didn't separate anything and still everything is fine. Have dyes modernised or something so that they don't run and you don't actually have to do this anymore?

I do one white wash a week mainly for DS school shirts and my work tops.

the rest gets done together

Whites, lights, jumpers, dark clothes.

And bedding also goes separately.

All my neighbours pale/white items look grubby grey so I assume over time mixing them does affect the colour. I always separate lights/darks/reds&pinks/whites/towels.

Not sure but I do think whites get a bit dingier if not done by themselves. Nothing major but not so brilliantly white as if they are fine by themselves. I occasionally put everything in together and wash at 30 with a colour catcher and it’s all ok. But noticed DD’s white cami too definitely looked faded.

You’ve got to keep white separate otherwise they look grubby.

I do whites, darks, bedding, towels.

I don't separate things but I avoid white because it does go grey eventually. Not after one or 2 washes though. I would wash brand new dark cotton separately though. Although rarely buy anything new!

I always seperate colours and use an oxy powder on the lighter colours to keep them looking good. I grew up with my mother turning everything one colour!

I always separate whites/lights and darks/colours. I definitely think that whites go a grubby off-white over time if you don’t. You can see evidence of it in kids white polo shirts.

Yes clothes don't seem to run like that used to.. it's weird

I’m afraid to mix! I do whites, lights, darks, reds/pinks, delicates, towels and bedding washes.

No wonder my machine seems to be constantly on.

Your whites will definitely get dingy if you mix with dark colours.

I only do it if I have enough white or light coloured items, which is about once a fortnight. Now DS is at school with white shirts that’s going to increase so I might be more diligent.

I definitely do whites alone - DS has school shirts and t shirts which need to be washed every week so it's easy to get a load of whites. I separate our darks and lights but only because I generally have too much washing for one load and it's as good a way as any to separate them.

That’s madness. I do “clothes” and “stuff that’s been in direct contact with feet or arses”.

Do you wash at 30c?

I still wash at 40c, teenagers and 30c just doesn't cut it and I find things do still run. So maybe it's the wash temperature. I do separate white, lights and darks.

This. I've never separated whites/colours in nearly 50 years of doing my own washing but I avoid white clothes. When DD was at school, I bought her new multipack supermarket school shirts when they got too grey. She usually needed bigger sizes before that anyway.

I never separate. Chuck it all in and I just hope for the best

I religiously separate laundry! Used to hate my mum turning all my school shirts pink when I was a kid 😂 even have the kids trained to use two different laundry baskets

I hate having to wash whites separately because there is never enough, so sometimes I put them on a massive boiling pot on the stove .
I'm talking a couple of white tops and bras - it seems far too wasteful to put on a full wash for these and they come out lovely.

I do the whites on their own, everything else gets chucked in together. I only do the whites separate as I have noticed the school shirts start looking a bit grey when mixed.

I separate whites/pastels/colours/blacks/towels/bedding/tea towels.

I’ve had the same towels and bedding for 20+ years as they’ve stayed white this way.

Ny clothes also keep their whiteness / colour.

Whites, lights, darks, towels and bedding here.

Accidentally put white polos with some darks and they went grey and straight in the bin.

I always separate because all of my darks run! If I accidentally put something white in with them it turns grey after just one wash. That's with loads of clothes that aren't even new and have been washed loads!!

Me too !