# How do you separate your laundry loads? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 17, 2013, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-separate-your-laundry-loads/655983 "2013-04-17T23:48:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![That\_Don\_Guy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/that_don_guy/32/538_2.png) [@That\_Don\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/That_Don_Guy)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2013, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-separate-your-laundry-loads/655983/61 "2013-04-18T19:13:59Z")
Whites (including white pillowcases) Color shirts (including T-shirts) Pants Towels and dishrags Sheets Maybe I live a charmed life or something, but I have never had a problem with putting something colored (for example, a red bedsheet) in with my whites and then have the whites change color. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2013, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-separate-your-laundry-loads/655983/62 "2013-04-18T20:17:38Z")
I’m glad to see so many “wash them all together” people. I thought I was the only one. ---
**Author:** ![geneb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a88e4f/32.png) [@geneb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/geneb)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2013, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-separate-your-laundry-loads/655983/63 "2013-04-18T21:22:31Z")
My wife normally does the laundry and she tends to just kind of put everything in there and see what happens. When I do it I separate out the whites and the colors. If there are too many colors for one load, I will separate them out further by weight. My slacks and dress shirts are dry cleaned, primarily because I want them ironed and am terrible at it. ---
**Author:** ![PurpleClogs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f04885/32.png) [@PurpleClogs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PurpleClogs)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2013, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-separate-your-laundry-loads/655983/64 "2013-04-18T22:11:17Z")
When I was in between college semesters and lived with my parents I once left a single red sock in the machine and my mom didn’t notice it when she put my dad’s white work shirts in. Everything was pink. Thankfully, they let me live. ---
**Author:** ![vix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/a88e4f/32.png) [@vix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vix)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2013, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-separate-your-laundry-loads/655983/65 "2013-04-19T01:27:58Z")
We have an old, small washer/dryer with few settings. If I had more choices, I’d use them. 1. Lights (cold wash, regular dry) 2. Darks (cold wash, regular dry) 3. Socks, underwear, cloth napkins, dish towels (hot wash, regular dry) Sheets and towels get mixed in where they fit, and if I have a load of all sheets/towels, I wash it on warm. Some things are hung or laid flat to dry. Very few things (including bras) are hand washed. Very few things dry cleaned. ---
**Author:** ![california\_jobcase](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@california\_jobcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/california_jobcase)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2013, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-separate-your-laundry-loads/655983/66 "2013-04-19T04:24:01Z")
1. Stuff that won’t get bleached in warm water. 2. Stuff that will get bleached in hot water. ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2013, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-separate-your-laundry-loads/655983/67 "2013-04-19T05:09:38Z")
Everything in one. If it requires special treatment, I don’t really need to wear it. ---
**Author:** ![Queen\_Tonya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/4491bb/32.png) [@Queen\_Tonya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Queen_Tonya)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2013, 8:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-separate-your-laundry-loads/655983/68 "2013-04-19T08:48:51Z")
My work jeans and overshirts (factory) warm, with softener His work slacks and shirts (school) warm, with softener All t-shirts, sweaters, other tops, bras, pajamas; warm, with softener White towels, socks and undies; hot, bleach, no softener Colored towels and socks; hot, oxy clean, no softener Sheets, blankets; warm, with softener Bras hang dry, sweaters hang over the shower curtain rod, everything else goes in the dryer. ---
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2013, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-separate-your-laundry-loads/655983/69 "2013-04-20T02:19:15Z")
Whites, and most really light colored permapress. Dark clothing, colored clothing. Towels. ---
**Author:** ![shadowofneo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/54ee81/32.png) [@shadowofneo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shadowofneo)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2013, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-separate-your-laundry-loads/655983/70 "2013-04-20T03:06:56Z")
with dollar store tongs…i have a box of them ---
**Author:** ![Chilliwack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e79b87/32.png) [@Chilliwack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chilliwack)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2013, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-separate-your-laundry-loads/655983/71 "2013-04-20T03:08:17Z")
1. Pants. 2. Not pants. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-separate-your-laundry-loads/655983.md?page=3)