Do you have to sort clothes by color?

When it comes to the do's and don'ts of laundry, not everyone agrees. The biggest question you'll find creating contention: do you have to sort clothes by color?

Some people throw white clothing in with darks and colors without batting an eyelash. Others say no way. Sort, sort, sort! And what about white clothing items with colors on them? If you're not a separator, if doesn't really matter. If you are, however, this is where the waters get even murkier.

As proud proponents of keeping the machine that does all that washing as clean, safe, and functional as possible, we figured it was time to unpack this age-old controversy. No matter your camp, here's the case for and against sorting your clothes.

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The Case for Sorting

There are a few key reasons why sorting clothing can add longevity to items you love. First, brand new brightly-colored clothing has the potential to bleed, so many sorting devotees insist on the practice to preserve their whites. And if you plan on using bleach to keep those whites even brighter, saving colored fabrics for a separate load reduces the risk of fading or spotting.

The Case Against

For many, the extra step of sorting by color only adds time to an already tedious process. Particularly when the clothes that need washing have made it through previous laundry cycles, the chance of bleeding is fairly slim. Unless you plan to use bleach or other stain removal agents, modern washing machines are better equipped to keep the integrity of your clothing in tact, and it's no longer considered necessity to separate whites from colors. If you're a throw-it-all-in devotee, wash with cold water for that added level of precaution.

Combo Clothing: Where Does It Go?

A red and white-striped tee. A white blouse with bright blue polka dots. A purple shirt with a white collar. Where should these items go for sorters? This piece of the controversy has the most elusive answer, but generally, combo clothing should go in with your color load rather than your whites. Again, cold water creates more of a safety net for the items with bits of white. Some individuals even opt for a dye-trapping agent so mixing has no jeopardy!

So, what's the consensus? There are certainly scenarios where sorting clothing makes sense to preserve the brightness of fabric, but there are just as many scenarios where doing mixed loads won't hurt.

No matter your personal preference, though, one thing is certain: sorting strategies don't matter if your washing machine isn't clean in the first place .

Set yourself up for laundry success with Wash Warrior's Deep Cleaning Tablets. With the power to eliminate grime and dangerous bacterial buildups in your machine, those whites and colors won't just look great after every load — they'll be clean, safe, and truly decontaminated.