It's pretty simple if you know but I can see how it would be bewildering if you don't!
1. Good laundry room etiquette: when you put your laundry in the washer, set a timer for the length of the wash cycle. It's good manners to move your laundry from washer to dryer within 15 minutes of the wash cycle ending. Don't be anxious though. It's not truly rude until you delay more than 30-60 minutes. This depends on how many machines there are -- the fewer machines, the better it is to remove the laundry sooner.
1a. Rather than sort by color, sort by type -- undies and soft shirts in one pot, trousers and heavy shirts in another. Most clothes are colorfast these days so washing the type rather then the color is more important.
2. When putting your laundry in the dryer, check the lint trap. This is a space between the inner area and outer area of the dryer at the bottom of it. Sometimes it's a tray you have to pull out and sometimes it's just a gap that looks like it's covered in felt. If it looks "felt-y", scrape it out with your fingertips and toss the felt. If you're feeling confused, Google "dryer lint trap" and look at photos, this will help.
3. If the lint trap is empty, awesome! When you take your clothes out after they're dry, check the lower front of the dryer and remove any felt or wool you see.
4. Some hot tips: if you can avoid it, don't machine-dry "delicates" (bras, some tank tops, flimsy shirts) or t-shirts that are 100% cotton. It's not that vital, don't get nuts about it, just be aware. Hang dry that stuff on hangers if you can. Don't use fabric softener, it's expensive nonsense. Also don't do the "deep clean" shit you see on tiktok, that's also nonsense.
99% of all laundry can be machine washed and dried these days. Don't freak out if you put something in the drier that shouldn't be. One cycle won't ruin things, most of the time.
And if you still feel uncertain, ask an authority figure or do a goog! Just don't listen to AI. It is the devil. The laundry devil.
