# Sorting laundry — Laundry Care Symbol | Launderwise

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Process & technique

# 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 ](/stain-removal/index.md)and then return to this term when the label changes the safe option.

## Related terms

- [Colourfast](/glossary/colourfast/index.md)
- [Delicates](/glossary/delicates/index.md)
- [Machine wash, cold](/glossary/machine-wash-cold/index.md)

## Sources

- [ISO 3758:2012 Textiles — Care labelling code using symbols ](https://www.iso.org/standard/42918.html)— International Organization for Standardization

[ Back to the full glossary](/glossary/index.md)