For all new colored clothes, there is always a little warning message in our mind telling us to be careful! Indeed, all bright colors, dark colors like black and jeans tend to bleed. And fortunately, you can always recover an item of clothing that has rubbed off very easily. However, it is better to play prevention even before the first wash in the washing machine to prevent the fabric in question from fading. This will help keep the shine of shirts, t-shirts and other clothing rich in pigments and dyes. How to fix the colors of new clothes? Here are all of Grandma’s tips for avoiding discoloration on clothing that bleeds.
1) How do you know if a piece of clothing will discolor?
In general, we recommend first look at the label which can provide valuable information. So, be wary of labels stating “Wash cold”, “Wash inside out” or “wash with like colors”. The manufacturer offers you here a valuable clue on the unstable colors of its textiles! If you don’t read anything like that there, but you have a doubt, take a test. For example, you can:
- Soak the garment in a sink or basin of soapy water and check the color of the water after 30 minutes
- Rub the hem of the fabric with a cotton swab or cloth dampened with warm water to see if there is any color transfer
- Apply a pattemouille (damp cloth) to the reverse side and iron everything to see if it will bleed
2) Precautions to prevent laundry from fading
First of all, don’t neglect sortingbecause mixing colors is the best way to end in disaster. So wash light colors, white clothes and dark colors separately. And if possible, don’t wash them not at too high a temperature. Above 30°, you consume more electricity, you damage the laundry more and above all, you cause more bleeding! Indeed, high temperatures promote friction of tissues and the creation of microcracks through which the color will discolor. This also happens when you wash heavy clothes such as jeans with lighter clothes. So be careful at this point too! Finally, wash the clothes inside out to limit friction on the visible parts of the garment and use the “easy iron” cycle of your washing machine for more gentleness with the laundry.
An update on the products to use:
Choose a suitable detergent to wash colors. It is better to opt for liquid detergent rather than powder detergent and without bleaching agents. Additionally, consider adding a dose of baking soda to soften and preserve the vibrancy of colors. This will help prevent them from bleeding during washing.
3) Salt water to prevent clothing from fading
Salt is a basic product, but it can have many more than surprising uses. In particular, it allowsprevent colored clothes from fading in the drum of the machine during a wash cycle or when worn. Your underwear and white shirts will no longer have anything to fear! In addition, it will also soften the fibers of the clothing. First, weigh the garment and divide its weight by two to obtain the necessary quantity of coarse salt. To fix the color, you will then need to prepare a salty bath to the garment in question with this coarse salt and cold water. Allow half a day of soaking, mixing from time to time with a spatula. Rinse and repeat rinsing with water and salt if necessary.
4) Vinegar water to prevent clothing from bleeding
White vinegar helps fix the colors of new clothes. It will also allow drain excess color to no longer worry about dye-related transfers. To do this, add a cup of vinegar and another of salt to a basin of cold water. Then leave to soak for one or two hours before rinsing with cold water. Then, soak the garment in a basin of water and treat it again for an hour with the vinegar/salt mixture if you notice any disgorgement. You can continue like this as long as the clear water continues to color. Once this is no longer the case, put your garment in the machine.
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