Share with Fairy Non Bio your tips and tricks for mixing colours and fabrics. £300 voucher to be won! NOW CLOSED

[JustineBMumsnet]

The rules on laundry and what to do with mixing colours and fabrics can sometimes get a bit confusing with different people saying different things. Therefore Fairy Non Bio would like to know what your tips and tricks are when it comes to mixing colours and fabrics?

Here’s what Fairy Non Bio have to say: “Everyone’s got their own way of doing things. We design our products so that you can get the most out of every load but would love to know how you divide and conquer your washing and what you use for it!”

Do you find that once colours have been washed once you can mix them with the lighter colours? Are there certain fabrics that you know can be easily washed together? Or have you figured out a laundry system that means your dark colours no longer bleed into lighter clothes? Maybe you’ve had a laundry disaster that forced you to change how you did things?

Whatever your tips are, share them on the thread below and you will be entered into a prize draw where one MNer will win a £300 voucher of their choice (from a list).

Thanks and good luck

MNHQ

Standard Insight T&Cs apply

I still separate my washing into lights and darks - otherwise the whites start to look greyish.... My OH though just bungs everything in together!

I wash everything together, never separate anything. In the last 10yrs, I've had 1 incident where a white shirt ended up a bit pink and that was easily corrected with a colour remover.

Do you find that once colours have been washed once you can mix them with the lighter colours?
Yes, but I don’t take the risk with white shirts and mixing fabrics.

Are there certain fabrics that you know can be easily washed together?
Cotton and acrylics seem okay?

Or have you figured out a laundry system that means your dark colours no longer bleed into lighter clothes?
Generally I do a ‘light colours’ wash and a ‘dark colours’. That’s my method.

Maybe you’ve had a laundry disaster that forced you to change how you did things?
I dyed some of my husbands vests pink- didn’t prompt any change in me. Shrank my husbands jumper. It all prompted my husband to take responsibility for his washing .

I just do 2 types of washing, lights (including whites) and everything else, and always wash at 40c as anything lower doesn't seem to remove stains. I use non-bio (dc have eczema) with a scoop of stain remover in each wash.

I only do 2 separate washes - one for colours and darks and one for whites. Temp never higher than 40 (unless I'm needing to wash poo out of the baby's clothing).

I separate whites out and then generally do pale loads and dark loads. We have more than enough washing that it's an easy way of keeping things the right colour

If something looks a bit suspect I just throw in a colour catcher sheet, everything gets chucked in together on 30 with a bit of dettol laundry cleanser

I always wash everything together- except..! The first time you buy clothes with red dye in.. then I wait for a dark wash and do them..

But, I find, particularly with cooler washes (40 degrees or below) that my colours don't seem to run.. also, I don't tend to have 'white' underwear, so I think that helps.. I do have memories of gradually dying my whites grey over time..

But with a baby and a 5 year old and us both in full time work, washing is usually done in a rush, and I have to pack in as much as possible..!

Whites, lights and pale blues (school polo tops) at 60

Everything else is classed as darks and goes on at 40

Dog washing once a week all the bedding and towels and goes on at 60!

I have white uniform tops for work that I won't risk colours running into, so I do have a strict whites wash once a week with that and the DC's school shirts. Things like vests/underwear that don't get seen, or towels/tea towels I'm less fussy about mixing with a darker load. I sometimes have a lighter wash now for things in between the 2. I've never been brave enough to try a colour catcher!

I will always be careful the first time I wash a pair of dark jeans, as I've found those are the thing most likely to bleed colour (the first few washes particularly).

I do whites, darks, colours and "grey"!!

I have to say I was never particularly good at sorting colours - usually more of a 'work clothes' 'school clothes' 'bed linen' mix and apart from any very special items I kept whites and lights together. However, like many I guess I did end up with not so bright whites.... I now use colour catcher in most of my washes and love doing a pure white wash with a whiter than white sachet

I always colour test new clothing before washing for the first time by running under a hot tap. If it doesn't colour run, I'll put into a mixed or hot wash. If it does run, I'll hand wash the item until the colour no longer runs, then start to put it into the mixed wash. I separate colours and whites before washing ...

If darker clothes are old and have been washed lots - like pyjamas or pants - I'll risk mixing them and putting them in a hotter wash. Otherwise, I find it safer to do separate washes.

I just do separate washes for light & dark and use a colour catcher (when I remember) Works most of the time...

I use colour catchers, but they are not perfect. So I still seperate in to 3 groups. Whites, reds/pinks and everything else. I don't use fabric softener, and everything apart from bedding goes on 40 degrees.

I just sort into colours and whites and don't wash them too hot and I find colours just don't run. I do a test wash though with new things that are brightly coloured.

Wash at a low temperature and white separately from co,ours although I tend to find light blues and faded colours of odler garments which are say light grey don't run with the whites.

I always wash at a lower temperature to be on the safe side and to help ensure colours don't run or fade.

Wash at low temperatures

separate clothes that pill or produce lint, like towels, flannel and chenille.

I don't wash colours and whites together it's not worth the risk of messing up your clothes if the colours run.

I struggle to find enough whites to do a separate load so I put them in with colours. Everything goes in at 30 together and if anything is new and could run such as black jeans, it gets washed separately first time and I use colour catchers for the next few washes.

I separate my washing into 4 ..... whites, lights, darks and colours ... never used colour catchers, I only look at the label of new items ... most of my washing in the winter goes in the tumble dryer (except Jackets with zips)

I put all my colours in together apart from whites on a 40 degree wash. I've never had any problems but if I buy a new top which looks like it may run I always wash it separately first to get the colour out.