Sorting laundry
Separating a wash pile by colour, fabric type, soil level and care requirement before washing so that each group can be cleaned correctly.
What it means
Sorting prevents the three common laundry accidents: colour bleeding onto lighter items, heat or agitation damaging delicates mixed with sturdy clothes, and lightly soiled items picking up grime from heavily soiled ones. It groups items that share a wash temperature and care symbol.
What to do
Make at least three piles — whites, darks and colours — then pull out delicates and anything with a special care symbol for their own gentler cycle. Match each pile to the lowest safe temperature shared by its items.
How to use this term
Use this process term when a guide tells you to pretreat, soak, brighten, rinse or adapt a stain method.
- Read sorting laundry with the other symbols on the same care label; the strictest symbol wins.
- Match the instruction to the garment's most fragile part, including trims, lining, prints and finishes.
- If the label, fabric behaviour and stain method disagree, test a hidden area or choose the lower-risk route.
Common mistake
Do not escalate a process before checking the care label and testing a hidden area first.
For the broader method, use the Stain-removal guides and then return to this term when the label changes the safe option.
Related terms
Sources
- ISO 3758:2012 Textiles — Care labelling code using symbols — International Organization for Standardization