Do You Pre-Sort Your Laundry?
December 13, 2007 by Maricar
Filed under Laundry, Organizing and Clutter Control
Rule #1 in doing laundry is to sort. Whites, lights, darks. I’ve always known that it’s the way to go. But it was only fairly recently when I discovered the advantages of pre-sorting laundry.
I don’t know why I didn’t do it before. I used to just have one hamper where we throw all our dirty clothes. When it’s full, I hauled it all to the laundry room, dumped everything on the floor, and sorted. Whites, lights, darks. The problem with this system was that there were days when I didn’t have enough for a full load. And the laundry room would become a sort of holding area until we generated more dirty clothes.
One day, someone (I think it was my mom. 
) told me that it’s better to pre-sort the laundry. It made sense to me to separate the different loads before they entered the laundry room.
So now I have a 3-compartment hamper. Yes, it’s still whites, lights and darks. But now I can immediately see if I have enough for a full load. I just bring what can be washed that day. I have fewer dirty clothes hanging around in the laundry, waiting their turn. I don’t know if it’s made doing laundry any faster, but I know my laundry room’s a tad bit neater!
image via Clorox
Tags: laundry, sorting laundry, laundry tips, housekeeping, homemaking
Sometimes I do. I try to take all my laundry to the basement each day and it gets sorted there. When there is a load (pretty much every day) I do it. It just never gets folded.
My son (16) has been pre-sorting his laundry into the 3-part hamper since he was 3 or 4. I even bought a 3-part hamper that has a “lid” over the hanging hampers to put folded laundry on. And it has a rack on the backside w/extended arms on each end to hang the laundry. There is a space on the front side between the “lid” and the hampers to put clothes into the hampers w/o lifting the lid. I LOVE it as my laundry room is small.
my 4 year old daughter helps me pre-sort our laundry. she always have fun figuring which clothes goes to dark hamper or bright colors hamper or whites hamper. it is simpler than letting her help me fold the laundry.
Funny you should mention this. I don’t sort our laundry at all. Ever since they started pre-shrinking clothes and we couldn’t use hot water in the washing machine I really couldn’t think why I would waste time sorting.
Last night laying in bed I thought about all the very thin t-shirts and blouses I’ve purchased that have gotten little holes. One reason, I thought, might be that I’ve been washing them with the jeans and it’s too rough. Maybe?
I vowed to start sorting laundry. At least removing the jeans from regular wash.
I would – but with a family the size of mine, there’s a full load every day! Of everything!
I’m big on sorting though – now if I could just get my hubby to understand why! Since he’s been at home more, he’s taken on doing the laundry. I must admit, he does scare me at times.
Hi Pickel, I know what you mean! LOL
Hi Betsy and Gem, I know I should already start teaching my son to sort his laundry. Thanks for the reminder!
Hi Tracee, Yeah, I would also think the jeans may have something to do with those holes. I always wash the jeans separately, even from clothes that are the same color. But I also remember that my family’s shirts got little holes soem time ago, even though we separate them. Do you add anything to the wash other than detergent/softener?
Hi Gayla, Ooooh! Your man does the laundry! I say let him!
I’m a pre-sorting machine! lol
Wouldn’t have it any other way.
Hi Allison, why is that? I guess you enjoy sorting.
Ok, you got me. I do enjoy laundry duty, gives me warm fuzzies of child hood with mom.
I’ve had several “bleeds” and sort my laundry very carefully in baskets using an Elfa basket system. I sort by WHITES – any white needing hot water, like kitchen towels; REDS, ORANGES, and PURPLES; BLUES, GREENS, GRAYS, and YELLOWS; lightweight WHITES (usually undewear and other knits); JEANS and KHAKIS; and BLACKS. I also have baskets for sheets and bathtowels. I’m also careful to separate by weight – no navy tees with navy jeans. Bath towels are on Monday, bed sheets on Tuesday, and WHITES are on Wednesday. The others are done as a basket looks full. Everyone here is tall enough to sort their own clothes.