Household basics
Use this laundry color sorting chart and washing machine settings guide to separate clothes, choose a cycle, and dry each load. Print it or save it as a PDF for your laundry room.
Laundry cheat sheet
Care labels come first: the temperatures and spin speeds below are starting points for machine-washable items, not instructions for every fabric.
| Load or item | Sort with | Temperature | Cycle and spin | Drying |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Everyday dark clothes | Darks and denim, inside out | 30 °C | Mixed or synthetics, medium spin | Air dry or low heat to reduce fading. |
| Light cotton shirts | Lights and pale colors | 30-40 °C | Mixed or cotton, medium spin | Low heat or hang while slightly damp. |
| Towels and bedding | Wash separately by color | 40-60 °C | Cotton, high spin | Medium heat if the label allows it. |
| Wool, silk, lace, bras | Delicates only, mesh bag if needed | Cold to 30 °C | Delicate or hand wash, low spin | Air dry only; lay knitwear flat. |
| Sportswear and stretch fabrics | Synthetics, turned inside out | 30 °C | Sports or synthetics, medium spin | Air dry; skip fabric softener. |
| Unknown fabric or mixed load | Separate darks from lights first | 30 °C | Mixed, medium or low spin | Air dry first if shrinkage would matter. |
Step 1
Separate whites, pale colors, dark colors, and brights. Then split each group by fabric weight and care label; towels, jeans, and delicates may need separate loads.
White socks, underwear, T-shirts, towels, sheets, and white cotton basics.
Keep separate. Pale colors can make whites look grey over time.
Cream, beige, light grey, blush, pale yellow, pastel shirts, and light patterns.
Do not mix with bright red, dark denim, or brand-new colored items.
Black, navy, dark grey, dark jeans, hoodies, sweatshirts, and dark gym clothes.
Cool water slows fading and reduces dye transfer.
Red, orange, vivid blue, purple, green, colorful prints, and bright bedding.
Wash new bright items alone the first time.
Separate them when possible. Cold water helps limit fading, but it does not guarantee that dye will not transfer. Wash new or dye-bleeding items separately.
Put pale grey with lights and charcoal grey with darks. Keep both out of an all-white load, and match fabric type and wash instructions too.
Step 2
Cycle names and preset temperatures vary by washer. Check the manual, choose a cycle for the fabric, then adjust temperature and spin only as the care label allows.
For sturdy everyday cottons and linens. Choose the temperature separately; a normal cycle does not automatically mean a hot wash.
For wrinkle-prone shirts and synthetic blends. Usually uses a gentler spin than Normal to reduce creasing; check your machine’s cycle guide.
Longer, stronger wash for sturdy cotton clothes, towels, sheets, socks, and underwear.
40-60 °C · 1000-1400 rpm
Gentler option for polyester, nylon, acrylic, blended shirts, and easy-care clothes.
30-40 °C · 600-1000 rpm
Minimal agitation for silk, lace, lingerie, thin blouses, and fragile items.
20-30 °C · 400-600 rpm
Only for small, lightly worn loads. It is not enough for stains, towels, or heavy dirt.
30 °C · half load max
Step 3
| Fabric or item | Cycle | Temp | Drying | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cotton clothes | Cotton or mixed | 30-40 °C | Air or low heat | Use 60 °C only for sturdy whites, towels, or hygiene needs. |
| Wool and cashmere | Wool | 20-30 °C | Lay flat | Use wool detergent. Never wring or tumble dry. |
| Silk and lace | Delicate | Cold to 30 °C | Air only | Hand wash is safer. Use a mesh bag if machine washing. |
| Jeans and denim | Cotton or synthetics | 30 °C | Air preferred | Turn inside out. Wash less often to preserve color. |
| Sportswear | Sports or synthetics | 30 °C | Air only | Avoid fabric softener because it traps odor and hurts stretch. |
| Towels | Cotton | 40-60 °C | Medium heat | Wash separately. Skip fabric softener to keep absorbency. |
Step 4
Choose your language and temperature unit, then use the Print button at the top of the page or your browser’s Print menu. Select Save as PDF if available, or choose a printer. Preview the pages before saving.
Common fixes
Use the dose on the bottle for your load size and water hardness. More soap can mean more residue, not cleaner clothes.
Leave enough space to fit your hand at the top. Clothes need room to move and rinse.
Paper tissues, pens, coins, and keys can ruin a whole load or damage the machine.
Move laundry out within 1-2 hours. Rewash if it smells musty.
Skip it on towels and sportswear. It reduces absorbency and can trap odor.
Heat is the easiest way to shrink wool, weaken elastic, fade prints, or warp synthetic fibers.