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White, Light and Dark

(147 Posts)
Mazgg Wed 08-Mar-23 09:48:07

During a light hearted discussion about the old days I was surprised to find that I am in the minority who still sort their washing into these categories. I don't find it difficult - especially now that I have a washing machine with the option of doing a smaller load. I had my babies in the days of terry nappies and got great satisfaction watching a load of brilliant white nappies blowing in the breeze. I was easily pleased!

Juicylucy Sat 11-Mar-23 12:08:13

I still sort my washing into different coloured loads and so do both of my daughters.

M0nica Sat 11-Mar-23 12:10:05

Those of you who divide your washing into lots of groups. How do you manage to get a full load of just whites, or just pale colours or whatever you divide by?

I presume you do not wash until you have a full load, so presumably do not do each colour group every week. Do you just have cupboards and drawers full of clothes? Ifg I were to do that, we would soon have nothing to wear and would be wrapped up in bedding, until that ran ou. Then what? blush blush

Fudgemonkey Sat 11-Mar-23 12:10:35

I find if you use a colour catcher with whites/coloured the whites eventually discolour

tanith Sat 11-Mar-23 12:12:16

Always sort my washing, darks, whites, bedding and towels I save a weeks worth of t-towels and put them on the hottest wash.

JaneJudge Sat 11-Mar-23 12:13:06

I put everything in the same wash too unless it is something new and dark (black jeans for example)

Coco51 Sat 11-Mar-23 12:15:24

Shinamae

I don’t do this and just put a colour catcher sheet in with the wash..

I used to put one in very wash, just in case, but when I got my new washing machine the instructions stated that colour catchers would damage the machine. I always sort similar colours now.

Sjonlegs Sat 11-Mar-23 12:16:22

Colour catchers have ruined my mother's washing machine and flooded her kitchen before too.

My husband puts them in mine and it drives me insane! I've warned him if/when anything happens he'll be dealing with the fallout .... days off work, new floor, new washer etc. I kid you not!

I wouldn't mind but I separate and delicate wash and use the eco cycle etc and he chucks all the stuff in together including wash clothes and rugby gear with the bedding!

Don't even get me started with him throwing delicates and knitwear and all the other expensive garments in the condenser/drier!

Penelopebee Sat 11-Mar-23 12:22:42

Oh no I must be a total freak. I have 4 linen bins: dark, whites, reds, mixed (which will often get sorted to dark and light mixed)
I do bedding and towels on change day separately. Kitchen cloths often have a bleach soak before washing separately.
Now it's written down I'm trying to satisfy myself I'm organised.!?!?!
I have a red bin as Mr grumpy has a red uniform and over the years had many episodes of red things running so it always just worked like that.
I love things hanging on the line outside and hate winter when it's inside. I like ironing too!
Yes ok I'm a freak lolol

nipsmum Sat 11-Mar-23 12:30:58

As I live alone my washong would lie waiting for ever of I needed to sort by colour or fibre. Everything goes in together at low temp on fast spin.

GrammaH Sat 11-Mar-23 12:40:34

Goodness Me Penelopebee, you should get out more! Are there just 2 of you? There are 2 of us, it would take us several weeks to get enough items in each bin to justify putting a wash on & we'd need more clothes! I'm a "lights, darks, towels & bed linen" type of gal, With the exception of towels,everything gets a 30° short wash unless something terrible has befallen the item in which case it's in with the Vanish & a longer wash at 40°. Not heard of dye catchers, a mixed blessing by the sound of it.

win Sat 11-Mar-23 12:58:52

I do one white and one colour wash every week, towels mats undies and bedding soon fills a load. Trousers more socks always wear two fresh pairs daily, plus fleece jackets and thick thermos fills the coloured load very easily Monica. I also live alone.

sharon103 Sat 11-Mar-23 13:02:29

GrannyGravy13

Mazgg I sort my washing into darks, colours, light colours, whites.

Dusters/cleaning cloths/floor wipe heads get washed separately, as do towels and bedding.

Just how I am…

I do exactly the same as you GrannyGravy smile

Sennelier1 Sat 11-Mar-23 13:33:15

I still separate washing 😊 whites&very-lights often together, darks in a separate load, very colourfull also apart. We have enough clothes to wait for a more or less full load of each of those, so not more expensive than washing everything together. I use different powders too. Sheets and towels on high temperature are two loads, one dark, one white/light.

DeeJaysMum Sat 11-Mar-23 13:40:11

I live alone and am 95% housebound, so live in my pj's.
I'm in the 'throw everything in one load with colour catcher' camp, coz I only accrue enough for a single load maybe once a fortnight

HiMay Sat 11-Mar-23 13:54:43

Still sort everything appropriately after all these years. Can relate to the terry nappies on the line. I still love to hang out washing

Bijou Sat 11-Mar-23 14:02:27

I do separate washes. The thought of washing washing knickers, tea towels, dish cloths, sheets together with heavy black skirts, is abhorrent.
Most washing is on less than 30 degrees except tea towels etc. Use a little of the same washing liquid plus soda crystals each wash and soft rinse apart from towels and tea towels because the soft rinse stops the absorbency.
Most of the dyes nowadays are colour fast.

kevincharley Sat 11-Mar-23 14:15:57

Yes, dark, light, cotton, synthetics, bedding, towels, trousers/jeans, delicates.
Colour catchers just seem a waste of money and add to theever increasing problem of landfill.

MamaB247 Sat 11-Mar-23 14:23:08

I used to mix but even using colour catching sheets my son's white school polo shirts came out grey. So I began to wash whites seperately which has shown me exactly why this should be the norm. His polo shirts come clean easily and don't look grey and washed out any more.

jaybee66 Sat 11-Mar-23 14:23:29

I sort everything the same as my mum taught me. Especially as when I first got married my beautiful white wedding bra turned blue when it got put in with our jeans!

Purpledaffodil Sat 11-Mar-23 14:53:41

Never knew that about colour catchers. Have used for years with no problems. Also reuse if there’s little colour on them.
Someone mentioned duvet covers getting full of washing. I now button them up when I take them off the bed to wash.

Betty18 Sat 11-Mar-23 15:10:08

Yes I do this. Whites, colours and darks. I get so upset when my husband does a wash and just mixes stuff together 🙄

dizzygran Sat 11-Mar-23 15:31:06

I still sort but still mess up - just washed a navy cashmere jumper with the dark in the machine instead of hand washing - hoping it won't have shrunk or bobbled too much.

Callistemon21 Sat 11-Mar-23 15:45:36

There's always an odd black sock.

sundowngirl Sat 11-Mar-23 15:47:20

GrannyGravy13

Mazgg I sort my washing into darks, colours, light colours, whites.

Dusters/cleaning cloths/floor wipe heads get washed separately, as do towels and bedding.

Just how I am…

Me too GrannyGravy. Just get cross if a dark sock gets caught up in the light or white wash and it gets (as my mum would call it) 'ditched'

TiggyW Sat 11-Mar-23 15:49:54

I’ve never had a problem with colour catchers if they’re inside a mesh bag. I re-use them if possible, then use them as cleaning cloths before I throw them away.
Our bedding is all light or white, so I put any white clothes in the wash with that, plus laundry cleanser.
In Winter most of our clothes tend to be dark, so they soon add up to a full load.