You have probably heard that fading to colors in clothing is inevitable, especially if the item is made of natural fabric like cotton or wool. While fading to colors is a natural process, you can take preventive measures to keep your garment looking its best. Below, you will learn about some tips to prevent fading to fabrics. Use these tips when washing your garments and be sure to turn them inside out before you put them in the dryer.
Cold water
Warm water may clean clothes better, but it can fade colors and cause fabric to shrink. Cold water prevents fading and keeps colors from bleeding. Cold water can also help conserve energy by preventing color transfer from one fabric to another. It’s best to wash clothes in cold water if they are not heavily stained or have large amounts of dirt or grease. Use cold water to wash your clothes if you don’t need to dry clean them immediately.
White vinegar
You might have wondered how white vinegar helps prevent fading to fabrics. While you can find distilled white vinegar at your local grocery store, you can also order it online or from a store that offers laundry detergent. The white vinegar used in washing prevents fading to fabrics naturally because it reacts with the native dye in the fabric. While this may not be effective on certain types of fabrics, it is a great natural way to disinfect and clean clothes.
Turning clothes inside out
Turning clothes inside out reduces fading to fabrics by preserving the colour of the garment. The washing process can wear out prints and colours, so it is advisable to turn them inside out and wash them separately. This also protects the decoration on clothes. Turning your clothes inside out will help you to keep their quality and colour intact. In addition to reducing fading, turning your clothes inside out will ensure that the inside is thoroughly cleaned.
Avoiding unnatural stains
Generally speaking, it is best to avoid staining your clothing by washing it with soap, bleach, or any other unnatural substance. Although fading is a natural process, it can be accelerated or slowed down by unnatural stains. Acidic and alkaline items such as sweat, fruit juice, soap, or toothpaste can damage the colour of fabrics. This is not the case with all clothing, but there are several common stains that can cause colour fading.
Washing darks and lights separately
It is crucial to separate colors when washing your clothes. Usually, you should wash darks separately from light colors, and vice versa. Darks should always be washed in cold water. This will remove the dirt stains from your clothes, and keep them looking brand new. Pre-treating stains with a damp cloth and detergent is helpful as well. When possible, wash clothes in cold water to save energy and avoid fading.
Checking for colorfastness before washing
To test for colorfastness, first place your new fabric in a small tub of water. Check whether it changes color. If it does, this means the dye is fading away. Repeat the test using color bleach or detergent to see if the color remains. You may need to switch items and test different colorfastness tests as necessary. You should also test your fabrics if you plan on using stain remover.
Avoiding exposure to UV rays
Avoiding exposure to UV rays is one of the easiest ways to prevent fading to fabrics and furnishings. Avoid sunlight as much as possible, especially during peak UV light hours between 10 am and 4 pm. If you must be outside during these hours, install window film on wardrobe glass doors and cover them with drapes or shades. If you can’t avoid sunlight altogether, you should also avoid fluorescent bulbs and other lights with ultra violet rays.
