Most boring laundry question ever -- I promise, it's a doozy!

[chavtastic]

When you wash whites separately from other washing, to make sure they stay as white as they can, do they have to all be 100% white items, or can they be almost all white but with a little colour (like a white shirt with a black colour, DD's white socks with gingham trim, or my white pants with a little coloured stitching on them).

Yes, I know I'm very sad... (sobs)

Can be white with a little colour IME - so DD white knickers with dots on are OK.

Add some Ecover laundry bleach to keep them sparkling white

No way, I would have too many loads.

Whites, pale pink, blue etc, I do a light wash and a dark wash, and as yet have not seen the bottom of my basket, even though I spent all weekend wahing....

A little bit of colour is permitted IMO.

black collar even...
Wasnt sure whether instead to mix almost all whites in with yellow + other lights, you see...