11 Brilliant Personality Traits Of People Who Refuse To Separate Their Laundry By Color
People who take this risk are more intelligent than they think.
Rocketclips, Inc. | Shutterstock Laundry experts often preach the importance of separating clothing by color during the wash cycle, as some clothing is more prone to bleeding dye, potentially staining other items. Separating clothing in this way also helps maintain vibrancy. While there's no law stating that you must keep your laundry items separated by color, there's always a chance you may stain or ruin your clothing by not doing so.
However, the brilliant personality traits of people who refuse to separate their laundry by color are something we can all learn to adapt into our daily lives. Because the ones who take the risk and throw all of their clothes into one washing load are actually some of the most intelligent people of all.
Here are 11 brilliant personality traits of people who refuse to separate their laundry by color
1. They're highly efficient
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People who do their laundry without separating any of the items by color want to get it done as quickly as possible. Why waste time taking every white sock out of the basket and running it in a separate load over the possibility that they may come out with slight tints of a different color?
Because they are highly efficient, they want to get things done with zero unnecessary steps. And being efficient with your laundry won't just help you get that specific chore done faster; rather, efficiency carries onto every aspect of your life, whether it be getting tasks checked off quicker at work or fitting in all of your daily responsibilities in your personal life.
2. They're rebelliously independent
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A strong sense of independence is one of the brilliant personality traits of people who refuse to separate their laundry by color. To them, rules are just suggestions and social norms are optional. They live life fiercely by their own playbook, not following old-school laundry rules and instead have found methods that work just fine for them.
Asserting independence has profound effects on one's well-being. Research from Florence Nightingale Journal of Nursing suggests a strong link between independence and life satisfaction, with additional studies indicating that independence is associated with greater happiness.
When you live your life without restricting yourself to the expectations of others, you'll unlock all of the secrets they've been looking for, like how to get laundry done in unique and efficient ways.
3. They're laid-back
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People who don't stress about mixing their laundry items often have a more laid-back approach to life. If a red shirt turns all of their white shorts pink, they can mix and match and are completely fine with that. They don't sweat the small stuff, and turn every inconvenience into something useful.
According to well-being and resilience life coach Helen Dos Santos, being laid-back and calm has several psychological benefits, including reduced stress, improved mood and increased self-awareness. For laid-back individuals, when they do laundry, they know that if their colors happen to mix together in the washing machine, the world will keep on turning. They can handle it.
4. They're creative risk-takers
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For people who refuse to separate their laundry by color, laundry day is a new opportunity for bold experiments. Perhaps they'll produce a bland shirt into a medley of different colors they didn't even know existed, and they are absolutely fine with that.
Experimenting with creativity and taking risks helps a person navigate through unexpected challenges. For instance, if someone were to actually soil a piece of clothing by refusing to separate it from colored laundry, they would find an innovative solution instead of perceiving it as a problem that cannot be fixed. Perhaps they will mix and match it with some of their other clothing choices, constructing a trendy new outfit.
Had they not taken creative risks, they may have been stuck with the same old ordinary clothes instead of a new favorite and fashionable fit.
5. They look at the big picture
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People who refuse to separate their laundry by color are aware of the ultimate goal that comes with doing laundry: having clean clothes. And if a color or two happens to bleed into another piece of apparel, it doesn't make it any less clean. Because being able to see the big picture is what will get them far in life.
"We stop our hyper-focus on the things that are bothering us, and we expand to see the entire vista of our lives," life coach Allison Carmen shared, stressing the importance of being able to recognize the big picture. "We stop looking just for the faults and also look for what is wonderful and glorious... In fact, often there is so much to be thankful for and we see that so much is going our way."
6. They're minimalists at heart
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For some people, sorting through clutter, including dirty piles of laundry, is much more trouble than it's worth. But one of the brilliant personality traits of people who refuse to separate their laundry by color is a minimalist attitude. By choosing not to separate their laundry, these people often take minimalist approaches like throwing in all of their clothes in one wash cycle. They live by the phrase "less is more" and find it to be true.
Researchers at the University of North Texas examined nearly two dozen studies on the link between minimalism and happiness. They found that more than 80% of study participants credited their mental well-being to their decision to prioritize values over possessions and live a minimalist life.
People who opt to throw their laundry all in one load rather than by separating it by color know that clothes are clothes, and nothing more than that. They will still be able to wear their white shirts, even if there is a tint of orange on them.
7. They're confident decision-makers
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Once they throw that pile of laundry into the machine without separating it, certain people never look back, as they are confident in their decisions. They have faith in their choices and embrace the outcome, whatever it may be.
They do not let the unsolicited advice from others sway their opinions, drowning out the shouts of, "You need to separate those!" as they confidently hit start on the washing machine. In turn, their confidence may give those around them the courage to trust their own decisions. Who knows, they may even persuade others to waste less time separating their colors in their laundry and just combine them.
8. They're emotionally secure
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People who don't separate their darks and lights in their laundry tend to have a strong handle on their emotions. If their favorite white shirt happens to come out of the wash pink, they don't spiral; rather, they embrace their new look without hesitation.
This emotional security allows them to navigate any other challenges they may run into in life with greater ease and adaptability. If they can keep their cool over a laundry mishap, they're able to handle life's bigger messes with that same grace and perspective.
9. They're optimists
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For optimists, there are worse things that can happen to them than a few shirts fading or bleeding in the wash. They believe in the goodness of modern detergent and the strength of color-fast fabrics. And they understand that remaining optimistic only leads to a more fulfilling life.
"Research consistently shows that an optimistic mindset is associated with a wide range of positive life outcomes," revealed associate faculty member and psychology expert Jessica Koehler, PhD. "People who maintain a positive outlook enjoy better physical health, greater success in their careers, stronger social connections, and even longer lives."
Optimism in something as ordinary as laundry may seem minor, but it speaks volumes about the mindset you carry into every part of life.
10. They have a high tolerance for uncertainty
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For people who refuse to separate their laundry by color, every wash cycle is a mystery. They aren't sure if their clothing will come out the same color, faded, or partially colored thanks to mixing lights and darks. But really, they couldn't care less what happens due to their embrace of uncertainty.
Maggie Jackson, author of the book "Uncertain: The Wisdom and Wonder of Being Unsure," explained to Greater Good Science Center why embracing uncertainty should be viewed as a strength instead of a flaw.
"We have a very negative view of uncertainty. We largely see it as paralyzing. But actually uncertainty is, first of all, a kind of 'good stress,'" she said. "When we meet something new, ambiguous, or unexpected, we have a stress response, both physiological and neural, that allows the brain to be more receptive to new data. Our attention broadens and our working memory improves."
People like this understand that uncertainty is a natural part of life and is nothing to cower away from. They allow themselves to be unsure of what's happening and what will happen in the future.
11. They're energy-conserving icons
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Being able to conserve energy is one of the most brilliant personality traits of people who refuse to separate their laundry by color. According to Energy Star, a typical washing machine uses between 2.8 and 3.8 kWh (kilowatt-hour) per load. Much of the energy goes toward heating the water used to wash the clothing.
But people who don't separate their laundry are likely aware of the amount of energy it takes to wash just a singular load, but are more concerned about wasting it than potentially staining some of their clothes.
Their energy conservation goes far beyond just saving power on the washing machine. In fact, every minute saved by not sorting laundry is a minute gained for partaking in a beloved task or interest, like shopping, snacking, or just getting a few more moments of rest.
Megan Quinn is a staff writer with a bachelor's degree in English and a minor in Creative Writing. She covers news and lifestyle topics that focus on justice in the workplace, personal relationships, parenting debates, and the human experience.
