It is never acceptable to mix colors when doing laundry; it is the fastest and easiest way to damage your clothes possibly.
You are probably facing a pile of laundry now, and you are excited to throw them into the washer all at once. This shortcut saves time and cleans the clothes together with no questions asked. When doing this, one thinks they have made a wise choice. However, this shortcut is not the best option one should take when doing laundry.
The most common issue in the laundry is color bleeding. It is the major reason why light-colored and dark-colored fabrics are always separated during laundry. Certain dyes bleed a little, even when the clothes are new. Thus, it becomes an issue if you mix them with other colors.
However, there might be situations when you cannot help but mix colors when doing laundry. So, what should you remember when this happens? Below you can find the washing hacks.
Take Note When Washing Mixed Clothes
- Avoid washing newly purchased colored garments together with light-colored ones. Freshly bought clothes often release dye during the initial wash. It is important to separate and wash new dark-colored clothes with similar hues to prevent color bleeding.
- The laundry result depends on whether you use soft or hard water. Soft water helps colors not bleed as much, but you still have to be cautious when mixing them with white clothes. Meanwhile, hard water is not suitable for mixed colors.
- Dyes do not flow after 1 to 2 washes. If you have new dark-colored clothing, it may bleed still bleed after 2 washes. Thus, do 4 or 5 separate washes for dark-colored loads to ensure the dye flows away from the new clothes.
You have to remember that this is not an ideal thing to do. It is important to separate light and dark-colored clothes. Apart from separating clothes according to their colors, when doing laundry, it is also important to separate clothes according to their fabric types and soil level.
In The Dryer
It does not make any difference. You still need to separate the colors even when in the dryer.
Most of us assume it is safe to mix different colors and fabrics in the dryer. However, many have overlooked that these clothes put inside the dryer are still wet. Thus, color bleeding can still occur.
So, skip the thought of mixing your laundry to cut the costs at the laundry service. It is still best to wash and dry the light-colored clothes and dark-colored ones separately.
Final Thoughts
Laundry is already a daunting household chore, and it becomes more tedious to have the clothes sorted. If you are like us and are busy enough to do this extra step, it is best to set different laundry baskets. You directly throw them in the right hamper whenever you change your clothes. This way, your laundry is already pre-sorted. Do not forget to sort your laundry before giving them to the laundry pickup and delivery service.
