Do You Really Need to Separate Lights and Darks? We Asked Laundry Pros and They All Had the Same Answer

We've all been there. You want to wear your favorite white T-shirt and best-fitting jeans, but both are in the laundry hamper. So, you decide that it won't hurt—just this once—to toss them in the washer together. Are you happy with the results, or did your T-shirt end up looking a bit dingy, or worse, like blue tie-dye?

Jessica Zinna , Ph.D., is P&G's senior scientist for Tide.

Mary Gagliardi, aka "Dr. Laundry," is Clorox's in-house scientist and cleaning expert.

Prolong the Life of Your Clothes

P&G's senior scientist for Tide, Jessica Zinna, Ph.D., sums up the issue nicely: "Separating your laundry by color, fabric type, and soil level prolongs the life of your laundry. While skipping sorting doesn't mean your clothes will be ruined, if you have the time and resources to wash your l