Up until my husband and I got married, he washed all his clothes and linens together. He didn't think twice about washing a maroon shirt with a white shirt. If you don't sort your dirty laundry into separate loads, you are risking ruining some of your clothing. When he washed his reds with his whites, the white items turned pink, and he never wore them. Sort your clothing and linens and wash them separately so you get more use out of each item.
At the very least, sort your laundry into 2 types: lights (whites) and darks (blue, black, green, etc).
