Preventing Clothing from Bleeding onto Itself?

Pghgirl40
Bronze Feedback Medal for All Time! 196 Feedbacks

November 19, 20180 found this helpful

I have had limited success washing the items on cold (not tap cold, but regular cold) and adding 1 cup of regular old table salt to the water. Wash it by itself the first time on the shortest cycle your machine has. Don't use soap the first time. Sometimes this sets the color then it is OK. It depends, however, on the fabric content. This usually works with cotton, but not so much with any other material.

Maybe someone else has found a better solution.

Since it already bled, you may want to soak it in some cold water with a cup of vinegar to try to get the red out of the white section.

It actually got to the point where I stopped buying things like this...just too frustrating...that and just about everything in my wardrobe is either all black or all white...slimming colors :)

Judy
Gold Post Medal for All Time! 677 Posts

November 19, 20180 found this helpful

Always wash in cold water. The first time soak in cold water to which some salt has been added.

cybergrannie
Gold Feedback Medal for All Time! 949 Feedbacks

November 25, 20180 found this helpful

These are probably the two hardest colors to try and keep within their boundaries but even so, there are still lots of red, white and blue favorites.

• You do not say if you have removed the color bleed so I will start with that. Keeping these colors separate may be a little expensive but the commercial products do generally work. The biggest problem may be what type of material your dress is made of.
• Other methods (such as Pghgirl suggested) may work so I would try those first but here is a product that does usually work. This one is on Amazon but it is sold other places. Just be sure to read the description and that it states color remover and not color grabber.
• www.amazon.com/.../ref=pd_sim_201_1?tag=thrif06-20 (Affiliate Link)
• Sometimes soaking a garment in cold water with added salt seems to help keep colors from running, but again, success may depend on the type of material.
• I believe this method may work better with cotton and maybe if it is done before the garment is washed the first time. I do not rely on using salt water with synthetics.
Advertisement


• If you have a garment that has no color runs you can wash it by itself with a product called Color Grabber (sold under several brand names) and it may keep your colors separate. It is sometimes expensive to maintain a garment like this. This product can usually be found in big box stores - Walmart, Target, etc.
• www.amazon.com/.../ref=pd_sim_201_5?tag=thrif06-20 (Affiliate Link)