We've all been there – a rogue red sock turns a load of whites into an unfortunate shade of pink. Laundry accidents happen, but understanding why can help you prevent them. The main culprits are:
Why Do Colours Bleed? The Main Culprits
Reactive Dyes: Some dyes aren't stable when they come into contact with detergents containing bleach, causing them to bleed onto other items. Detergents with oxygen bleach can also lead to colours fading over time.
Bleeding from Direct Dyes: Certain dyes can bleed from one garment to another, even in cold or lukewarm water.
This is why knowing how to sort your laundry is crucial. Always wash your whites separately to prevent any colour transfer. Light grey clothes, for example, are generally safe to wash with other light colours, while your dark grey garments should join the dark pile.
Sorting Your Laundry Loads for Best Results
It might seem easier to just toss a mixed load into the washing machine, but if you want to avoid unexpected colour changes, follow our tips for separating laundry and washing colours together.
Sort by Colour
Divide your clothes into groups: whites, light colours, dark colours, and delicates (like wools and silks). If you only have a small amount of one group, resist the urge to mix it with another – save it for a full load.
Lights and Darks Separated
It's very important to wash your light and dark laundry separately, as darker dyes can easily ruin lighter fabrics. Group your greys, blacks, navies, reds, dark purples, and similar colours into one load. Your pinks, lavenders, light blues, light greens, and yellows should go into another.
Sort by Fabric Type
Once you've sorted by colour, consider fabric type. Avoid washing delicates (such as lingerie, hosiery, and washable silk), cottons, and denims together, as they often require different water temperatures and wash cycles.
Sort by Dirtiness Level
Another smart strategy for optimal results is to separate clothes based on how dirty they are. Heavily soiled items usually need pre-treatment and more agitation in the machine for a thorough clean. Before loading them into your washing machine, treat heavily soiled clothes with a stain remover to prevent stains from redepositing onto other garments.
Choosing the Right Detergent for Each Load
For Dazzling Whites:
For brilliant whites, use detergents containing bleach, such as Ariel Platinum Clean Powder.
Quick Tip: Turning your clothes inside out before washing can help protect them. This can prevent jeans from developing white marks at the seams.
For Vibrant colours:
For coloured garments, use a detergent without bleach, such as Ariel Platinum Gel or Ariel Pods.
Quick Tip: Stains on coloured clothes are no longer a problem. Try Ariel Platinum Gel, which is tough on stains but gentle on your coloured garments, helping to maintain their vibrancy.
Choosing the Right Laundry Basket
A partitioned laundry basket or multiple baskets can make sorting much easier. You can even label sections to simplify the process for everyone in the family. Even having separate baskets for lights and darks can significantly streamline your laundry routine.
What to Do If You Mix Up a Load?
If an item accidentally ends up in the wrong section, always check the care label for the manufacturer’s washing recommendations. If you're unsure about colourfastness, test an inconspicuous part of the garment (like the inside of a hem) by applying warm water and then pressing it between two pieces of cloth with a warm iron. If any colour bleeds, the item is not colourfast and should be washed separately.
Common Laundry Sorting Mistakes
Even with careful sorting, a few common mistakes can lead to colour transfer, fading or fabric damage. Avoid these laundry mix-ups:
Assuming every pale shade can join a white load. Even light-grey clothes may release dye, particularly when new.
Washing jeans with towels. Denim may release colour while towels can leave lint and rub against lighter garments.
Mixing heavily soiled clothes with lightly worn items.
Combining delicate abayas with heavier cotton garments.
Overloading the washing machine, which may prevent clothes from moving and cleaning properly.
Ignoring care-label instructions for temperature and wash cycle.
Forgetting to check pockets before loading the machine.
Water Temperature Guide
The right water temperature depends on the fabric, colour and care instructions. As a simple guide:
Water setting | Suitable loads | Useful guidance |
|---|---|---|
Cold, around 20–30°C | Dark or bright colours, light greys, synthetics and washable silks | Helps reduce fading, bleeding and shrinkage. Select a gentle cycle where required. |
Warm, around 30–40°C | Colourfast cottons, sheets, pyjamas and thobes or kanduras | Offers effective cleaning when the care label permits. |
Hot, 60°C or above | Colourfast white cottons, towels or bedding only when the label allows | High heat may shrink fabrics, set some stains or fade coloured details. |
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