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Sarah D CC-BY via Flickr What to Look for When Shopping Use powdered oxygen bleach to soak garments affected by laundry color bleed. Washing with like colors is the only way to prevent color transfer. But be aware that they are not a complete fail-safe. Try Color Catcher Sheets: I use Shout Color Catcher Sheets in my wash, as they are designed to absorb and trap loose dyes.Go Gentle: For clothes that fade quickly (like jeans), use a short wash or a gentle cycle to help reduce friction.This is particularly effective with jeans. Also, fasten zippers and hooks and turn items inside out. You can minimize this friction by washing heavy items like jeans in a load together. This is one of the reasons why you see fading in fabrics over time. Minimize Friction: The friction that occurs during a wash cycle can cause micro-breakages in the fibers and lead to the release of dye.Make sure you are using a detergent that is designed to perform in cold water. If you live in a very cold area, the water may get too cold during the winter so set the washer to “warm” 30✬ (86✯). Hot water tends to open up the fibers of the fabric which encourages the dye to escape and run. Use Cool Water: Wash with cool or cold water.If it’s only dirty in a small area, then spot clean it. Before washing an item, ask yourself: “Is it really dirty, and does it really need to be washed?” If it only has an odor, try airing it or using an odor-eliminating product like Febreze. Wash Delicates Sparingly: Many of us over-wash our clothes for fear of being seen as dirty or smelly, but with delicate clothes, you should try to wash as little as necessary.The chemical fixers or mordants used to hold the dye to the fiber can wear off after repeated washing, so always wash similar colors together to prevent color run, regardless of the age of the garment and how many times you may have washed it before. Wash Colors Together: Do loads of laundry that are the same color and be aware that it’s not just new clothes that run.However, be aware that they are not very effective on polyester and acrylic materials. They are particularly popular with quilters in order to reduce bleeding between the patches of fabric. These dye fixatives can "fix" these loose dyes and prevent further color bleeding in your fabrics. I use Retayne or Rit Dye Fixative as they reduce color bleeding in fabrics where the dye has not been properly fixed or washed out.
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Wear and tear: Friction between fabrics can cause micro-breakages in the fibers and lead to the release of dye.The mordant has washed out of the fabric due to prolonged hot washing and so is no longer holding the dye to the fibers.The manufacturer has not used fixer or ‘mordant’ to bind the dye to the fabric.An excess of dye left in the product because the item was not properly rinsed out during the dyeing process.Incorrect dye used for the type of fabric (not all dyes work on all kinds of fabrics).There are a number of reasons for the dye to crock, bleed, and fade. This commonly occurs in the washing machine and can result in color transfer between items in the load.Ĭolor fading is when the fabric has lost much of its dye and therefore lacks vibrancy and depth. Color bleed occurs when the fabric gets wet, and dye leaches out of the fibers.