How to Do Laundry Without Sorting

Sorting laundry takes a lot of time and space, but most people agree that it's necessary. There are ways to make sorting easier or eliminate it altogether. Modern detergents and fabrics may lessen the need for sorting, and a little preparation and creativity beforehand can lessen the workload on laundry day.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Purchase hampers with two or three compartments inside. As you put clothes in the hamper, throw whites in one side and darks in the other. If you wash lights separately, make sure the hamper has three compartments. When it's time to do laundry, the clothes are already sorted. Just wash items from each compartment in separate loads.

2. Wash all items, regardless of color, together in cold water. Just be sure to remove any brightly colored items, especially new pieces, that may bleed onto lighter colored clothing. Wash those separately.

3. Buy clothing, towels and linens in the same color range. Without bright colors that may bleed or whites that need to be bleached, all the items can be washed together in cold or warm water.

4. Put away your socks and underwear without sorting them. Figure out how many pairs of socks and underwear will fit into a load of laundry. Buy that number of socks and underwear, in similar colors and styles. When you remove the items from the dryer, simply dump them into a drawer. Since most of them match, there's no need to sort them or group pairs together.

5. Get someone else to do the sorting. Sorting and matching colors can actually be an educational task for small children who are learning their colors.

Tips & Warnings

• Keep an eye on your clothes. If you notice dinginess, color bleeding or other damage, re-evaluate your laundry strategy.