The common laundry mistake that could be damaging your clothes

Many people know the importance of separating laundry by colour, but a common mistake could be damaging clothes more than they realise.

While it’s essential to wash darks separately from lights to prevent dye transfer, mixing different fabric types in the same load can cause premature wear and tear.

Heavy garments such as jeans, sweaters, and jackets can be rough on delicate fabrics like blouses, dress shirts, and lingerie, leading to fraying, pilling, and damage to intricate details such as lace or embroidery.

The friction created when heavy and light fabrics rub together during the wash cycle can cause delicate materials to wear out much faster.

Another issue with failing to separate laundry by fabric type is lint transfer.

Certain materials, like fleece, towels, and wool sweaters, shed lint, while others, such as leggings, dress pants, and T-shirts, attract it.

Washing these fabrics together can result in unwanted fuzz buildup, making clothes look worn out and unkempt. Keeping lint-shedding and lint-attracting fabrics separate will help maintain the cleanliness and appearance of your clothes.

Sorting by fabric type also ensures more efficient drying.

Thicker materials like towels, hoodies, and bedding take significantly longer to dry compared to lightweight clothing.

When mixed together in the dryer, delicate items may over-dry, leading to shrinkage or weakened fibres, while heavier items might remain damp, requiring extra drying time.

This not only affects the longevity of your clothes but also wastes energy and increases utility costs.

To keep your wardrobe in top condition, laundry experts recommend sorting clothes into separate loads based on fabric weight and texture in addition to colour.

Ideally, delicate garments should be washed separately on a gentle cycle, while heavier items can withstand a more robust wash.

Towels, bedding, and other bulky fabrics should be washed independently to prevent excess wear on regular clothing.