Separating your laundry

cazs

Hi Everyone,
At the mo, I separate as follows:

Darks
Lights
Whites
Brights

But what do you do if an item falls into both categories? I just bought a new skirt: it's white but with large black polka dots on it so shall I put it with Whites or Darks?

What's the rule on this kind of thing anyway if you have items that cross colour categories?

Own_My_Own

I tend to wash things like this with the darks, as I use different powder and the whites one would bleach the dots.

dandy-candy

I do:
Lights
Darks
Reds
Wool
jeans

Cross category colours, I'd go for the darker if it was 50/50 patterned. If only black dots on a white top, then I'd do it in lights.

Looby_-_Lou_2

I'm the opposite to Own my Own - I would wash this with whites. Working on the theory that the black in this instance would be fixed but the other dark dies may not be thus greying the white part of the skirt. Like O m O I use different powders but in this case would use nonbio.

FizzWhizz

I look at the reverse of the fabric. Take your skirt for example; are the black dots solid in colour as they are on the front? If so, the fabric was woven this way and may run, so I'd put in with the darks. If the black spots are patchy and pale, the fabric started white and has been printed with dots. These are unlikely to run and I would wash it with the lights.

I have no guarantees but this definitely works for me!

System

I would wash it with the whites too. Theres nothing worse than grey looking whites. I'd rather risk the dots fading.

Fruball

I do whites with lights in one wash, darks with everything else in another.

Unless something is new or I know it will run, in which case I either wash it alone or with darks.

I have black trousers which I will happily wash with lights as I know they never run.

I wash at 30c with hardly any powder. No accidents yet

cazs

Hm
Wash it with whites was my first instinct, though that may have been as there's more white than black on the skirt I guess, but I wasn't so much worried about the black dots fading rather than any of the black going into any other white item in that wash.

camNolliesMUMMY

I do whites and lights then colours n darks it just works fr us.
But I o a wash at 20c or lower so they not run.

maman

I wouldn't dream of putting anything new in with whites that wasn't completely white. The only exception I make is for light coloured towels/bedding that have been well washed.

I think the skirt would go in with light coloureds if it was me.

If in doubt, I handwash the first few times to see if any dye comes out.

Funky_Bold_Ribena

I do
Mostly darks
Mostly whites

And if I have a few red things, ill do an extra towel wash as all our towels are red.