I am here to help you feel better about YOUR SORTING...
White's( socks underwear)
Whites that can be Bleached( if it is a Bleach Week)
"Tended" Whites... Clothes( shirts, pants) that you wear out in Public that will need to be "hung up" as soon as they Dry.
"Tended" Dark Blues ( same as the "Tended" whites)
"Tended" Reds
"Tended Pastels" ( These are USUALLY SARABETH'S and still at age 9 I find I am still having to "Pretreat"

)
Colors... this is my load of any color that you WOULD NOT be caught dead in.(
also called my "Rat Around the House Clothes"Used for Yardwork, Painting, housework that involves bleach. I can leave them in a basket a day or two
Bath Towels/Kitchen Towels.
Cleaning Rags Towels..

NASTY Do not want them with my regular towels or even my "Rat around the house clothes". Sometimes they need to be Bleached.
Bed sheets
Only till the last year or two did I was Sarabeth's clothes with anyone elses.
So that could add 1 to 2 more loads.
and Finally....
Scott's Clothes I do not usually do his "Clothes" anymore. This is my way of him helping with the Laundry some.
Oh and BTW.. I went on Strike back in 1992.. I do not fold his socks anymore.
At that time he had 93..
YES 93 pairs of socks... and the patterns and colorshading drove me crazy. Sometimes I matched the wrong socks and he got frustrated because it was not good to cross your legs and have someone see that you have two different socks on.
So I wash them and put them in a basket.. and WAIT for him to sort them.
However.. sometimes he does not..( ACTUALLY .. That's MOST of the Time) .. and he has to "Find Matches" while he is getting dressed.
Feel Better Now ??
Thought you would.. glad to help.
Oh.. why do I seperate The "Tended" clothes from the others..?? I know that every thing HAS to be hung up this way. If I throw them all in together... then something Might get wrinkled while I am trying to find something I can just THROW IN THE BASKET. ( Trying to eliminate thinking here people)
Either its Throw and Go.. or Hang.