The short answer is yes. Sorting, including separating laundry by color, prolongs the life of clothing and other washables. And while skipping the sort doesn't necessarily mean your clothes will be ruined, taking a few minutes to separate your wash loads just makes good sense.

Do clothes need to be separated by color?

Of course, clothes are all sorts of different colors, so it is generally recommended to separate clothing by color, especially light and dark clothing. Dye in darker colored clothing can seep into lighter colored clothing during the washing process and light clothing can turn into off-shade colors and be ruined.

Is it OK to mix colors in the washer?

While it may seem OK to mix the different types of fabrics and different colored clothes to wash your laundry, doing so is actually not a good idea. ... While it may not prevent color bleeding as well, hot or warm water washes away dirt better than cold water, so your whites stay, well, white.