Even though many of us have a washing machine in our homes, not all of us feel completely competent when it comes to washing our clothes the right way to keep them from fading, pilling, shrinking or discoloring.  One of the best things you can ever do when it comes to your laundry routine is understanding the importance of separating clothes according to whether or not they’re colored.

How to Wash Your Colored Clothes the Right Way

Let’s talk about how to wash your colored clothes, to keep them vibrant while getting them perfectly clean.  However, before doing so, make sure your washing machine is clean, as this should be done every once in a while to ensure it doesn’t make your clothes dirtier.

1. Separation is key. Put your whites and delicates in entirely different piles, since those are not gonna be washed in the same load as our colored clothes.  Now, make two piles: one for light colored clothes, and one for dark colored clothes.  Within each pile, start separating according to the material, using the care label for reference if you need help knowing what each type of material requires during a wash cycle.  For example, you don’t want to wash your denim with your lingerie, since denim is rough and can wear down delicate lingerie fabrics like lace and extra-thin cotton.
2. If any of your colored clothing requires hand-washing or dry-cleaning, put those into their own piles, since they’ll be washed separately instead of going into the washing machine.
3. Next, you’re going to do two cycles – one for your dark colors, and one for your light colors.

• Dark colors require cold water, since hot water will cause the dye to bleed out of the material and onto your other garments, while the garment itself fades. Also, keep in mind that cotton should be washed in cold water, because cotton is prone to shrinking in hot water.
• Light colors can handle warm or hot water, since they’re far less likely to bleed.

4. Be conscious of the size of your load. If you’re filling up about a third of the washing machine drum, then that’s a small load.  Two thirds of a washing machine is a medium load, and three quarters of the drum is a large load.  You will need this information because most washing machines require that you select the load size.
5. For most colored clothing items, you should select the “permanent press” option, unless the care label on a specific garment says otherwise. There is also the “delicates” option for washing colored delicates, as your delicates should be done in a separate load, unless you have a mesh wash bag that can hold your delicates so that they can be thrown into the same cycle as your non-delicates.
6. Now, you will need to add your detergent, either into the dispenser, or directly into the drum before adding the clothes if your washing machine does not have a dispenser. Make sure that you don’t use a detergent that contains any bleaching agents.  This is why you should use then, Grab Green’s 3 in 1 Laundry Detergent Pod, 3 in 1 Laundry Detergent Powder, Delicate Laundry Detergent Pods, Bleach Alternative Pods, or Stoneworks Laundry Detergent Pods.
7. Wash your load of laundry and place it in the dryer when you’re done, as you normally would. Again, the care labels on your clothing will tell you if certain clothing items need to be air-dried.

Keep Your Colored Clothing Items Vibrant and Clean

In general, most colored clothing items require less care than delicates and whites, which are far more prone to damage.  Again, just make sure that you always read the care label instructions, since certain items in your wardrobe may have special needs to prevent getting ruined in the wash.