Can You Dry Different Colors Together? Experts Take

Published by Hala Zaqqout on March 5, 2022 | Last updated on May 15, 2023

Have you ever stood over a pile of laundry, scratching your head as you try to separate your clothes?

You’re fine until you open up the dryer and have a misshapen article of clothing that is barely wearable. And then: disaster strikes. That dress you wanted to wear tonight is stained with dyes, and worst of all, you’re out of clean pants.

And that raises the question “can you dry different colors together?”. Luckily, you’ve come to the right place.

In this Cleaners Advisor article, you’ll find everything you need to know about this issue, especially the colors you can mix together and the ones you can’t. You’ll also find out how to sort and prepare your loads of laundry for drying to avoid color bleeding.

Finally, you will find 8 tips and tricks related to your question “can you dry different colors together?” to say goodbye to laundry accidents.

Table of Contnet

Can You Wash Whites and Colors?

If you want your whites to stay white, don’t wash them with colored clothes. Cold water washing does not cause clothes to bleed color like hot water does.

Even when only cold water is used, color transfer can occur, so keep colors and whites separate.

Because the clothes are wet, color bleeding may still occur, and some clothes, such as sweaters, may be damaged if they come into contact with items with zippers during the washing process.

Can You Dry Whites and Colors Together?

You may think that since drying does not need the use of water or detergent, it is safe to dry whites and colors together.

So if you’re confused about whether to dry whites with other colors and want to know more information about it, then read this Cleaners Advisor article and get the exact answer for the common question “can you dry whites and colors together?”

As you will get the answer to your question “can you dry different colors together?” in this article.

Can You Dry Different Colors Together?

HOW TO WASH CLOTHES The art of washing different fabric 370x320 1

When we dry different colors of fabrics, we are questioning whether we can dry them together or not. You may believe that because drying doesn’t need the use of water or detergent, it is safe to dry different colors together.

It may also seem so that drying everything together is acceptable, but it is not, primarily due to colorfastness or color bleeding. It’s not recommended to dry different colors together because of all the tumbling and turning in the dryer.

Even slightly damp dark or colored clothes can transfer dye to white or pale-colored items in the dryer, just as they can in a washing machine – even if they’ve already been washed several times.

Color bleeding may still occur because the clothes are still wet, and some clothes, such as sweaters, may be damaged if they come into contact with items with zippers during the tumbling process.

Finally, following the manufacturer’s instructions and doing what works best for you and your laundry is the best course of action.

How to Separate Clothes for the Dryer?

You got the answers for “can you dry different colors together”. Now it’s time to learn how to separate the laundry.

When it comes to drying clothes after washing, you should separate them by colors and shades. You might be unsure of which clothes you need to keep separate from which. So, let’s take a look at how you can separate your clothes for the dryer.

1. Color

Firstly, you must separate the clothes according to their colors. You must keep the darks and lights separate. If you dry white and violet together, for example, the violet may cause color bleeding to the white.

As a result, you must separate different colors and shades of clothing.

2. Material

You can also separate different materials of clothing. Otherwise, both garments may be harmed. For example, if finer materials are dried alongside coarser materials, the coarser materials will damage the finer ones.

As a result, you must separate different types of clothing before washing and drying.

3. Texture

When different textures of clothing are dried together, they can become damaged.

As a result, you must separate the clothes that produce lint from those that attract lint. Otherwise, the clothing’s quality will suffer.

4. New and Old

Before washing and drying your clothes, you must separate them into new and old.

Because when new and old clothes are washed and dried together, the new clothes release chemicals that can spread to the old ones. As a result, you must separate them.

This is how you should sort and separate laundry.

What Happens if You Don’t Separate Laundry?

Because clothes come in a variety of colors, it is generally recommended to separate clothing by color, especially whites and colored clothing.

Colored clothing dye can seep into white clothing during drying, and light clothing can fade to off-shade colors and become ruined.

So separating clothes keeps your pearly whites from becoming dingy. It also prevents some brightly colored garments from transferring color to other colored garments.

What colors can you dry together?

You should separate different colored clothes before washing and drying them. However, it is impossible to wash and dry every single cloth. As a result, you can batch dry and dry some colors at the same time. So, let’s see what colors you can dry with each other.

1. Light Clothes Together

You can also dry some light colors together. Colors such as pink, light green, olive, yellow, khaki, orange, light brown, light blue, and so on can be dried together. They may spread a few colors, but this will have no effect on other clothes.

2. Dark Clothes Together

Dark colors can be dried together. Dry black, grey, purple, navy blue, brown, and other dark colors together, for example. If these colors cause color bleeding, the actual color of the clothes will not be damaged.

3. White Clothes Together

Broadly speaking, white clothes are most likely to receive color from all other items.

Well, it’s not recommended to dry whites and colors together because of all the tumbling and turning in the dryer. That is, you have to separate whites from other colors.

What Colors Can Be Mixed Together?

Black and Grey
Black and Brown
Black and Navy Blue
Black and Dark Green
Black and Other Dark Colors
Purple and Violet

What Colors Can’t Be Mixed Together?

Black and Light Colors
Black and Yellow
Black and White
White and Light Colors
White and Dark Colors

Top Tips for Drying Clothes in the Dryer

Say goodbye to laundry accidents and follow these tips to keep your clothes in a good condition:

1. When you take your clothes out of the washer, shake them out.

2. Wash and dry full loads of laundry.

3. Don’t overload the dryer.

4. Use a dryer sheet.

5. Identify the suitable setting for your clothes.

6. Never put wet clothes in a partially dry load.

7. Keep the door closed.

8. Take dry clothes out of the dryer as soon as possible.

Here’re some instructions to follow when drying clothes on the dryer.

Can You Dry Different Colors Together FAQ

At what temperature and how to dry white clothes?

White clothes should be dried separately and with care. You should dry white clothes at high temperatures. Otherwise, white colors can be shrunk at low temperatures.
So, you have to keep the temperature around 135 degrees Fahrenheit. It will be best if you dry white colors in the sunlight.

Can I dry my white and dark clothes together?

It might seem alright to dry everything together, but it’s not, primarily because of colorfastness or color bleeding.
Even slightly damp dark or colored clothes can transfer dye to white or pale-colored articles in the dryer, just as they might in a washing machine — even if they’ve been washed a few times already.

What is the symbol for do not tumble dry?

A circle in the square symbolizes a clothes dryer. One dot requires drying at reduced temperature and two dots for normal temperature. The crossed symbol means that the clothing does not tolerate machine drying. In the U.S. and Japan, there are other icons for natural drying.

How do you dry black clothes?

Drying Tips Tumbling in the dryer with other clothes roughs up the surface of the fibers, creating a halo of fuzz that catches light and makes black clothes appear faded. Instead, keep the garments turned inside out and hang them to dry in your laundry room, or lay sweaters flat to dry.

To Wrap Up

Can you dry different colors together? It might seem alright to dry everything together, but it’s not due to color bleeding and staining.

You might believe that washing clothes will cause color bleeding. However, because the clothes are wet, the drying process can cause the color to spread.

We hope you have found the eight tips above for drying clothes in the dryer helpful. If you need to know anything about the common question “can you dry different colors together?” or want to know more hints, then leave us a comment below!