This question comes up a lot with a Wash, Dry, Fold service: Should you take the time to sort your clothes before you have them cleaned?
This is a fair question — but it has a fairly simple answer:
No. You don’t have to.
That being said, pre-sorting your clothes before having them washed is always helpful, and is a must if you plan to have an in-home or coin-operated laundry day. Failing to properly sort could end up damaging your clothes — or potentially destroy them.
With that in mind, here are a few quick tips to help you sort your next batch of laundry:
Start With Colors
The best place to start is the one that most people are already familiar with: separate your white clothes and colored clothes. Failing to do so may mean that you end up with pink shirts (instead of white), or that your clothes aren’t as clean as they could be.
Separate Your Synthetics
Many people don’t realize that synthetic fabrics — like polyester, nylon, or acrylic — don’t wash the same as cotton or linen. Separating these fibers can help ensure that no dye bleeds in the wash, and all of your clothes come out clean.
Sort By Soil Level
Another good tip is to sort by how dirty your clothes are. Grass stains on your jeans? Don’t put them in the shorts that you wear to the mall if you want to get them as clean as possible.
Read Tags Before You Wash
Last but not least, you should always familiarize yourself with the tags on your clothes before putting them in the wash. The last thing you need is to put a delicate shirt in with clothes that need different treatment. Learning how to read tags will help ensure that everything gets cleaned appropriately and safely.
