Keeping your colored clothing bright and vibrant has always been a struggle when doing the laundry. Truly bright colors will bleed if not washed properly. Here are a few tips for maintaining bright colors when doing your laundry.
- Several common household items will prevent the fading of colors in the wash:
- Using a small amount of vinegar in the wash will help keep colors bright.
- A combination of Epsom salt and water in the load will help keep colors from fading.
- Address any spot stains prior to washing the clothes with a color safe stain remover.
- The dryer is the place where most of the color fading happens for clothing. Use your dryer only if necessary, the high heat of the dryer can cause fabrics to fade over time. When using your dryer, make sure you set it to the lowest heat setting. The best alternative to using a dryer is line drying for color protection. If you use line drying, setup a line in the shade so that colors don’t fade in the sun.
- For black clothes, it’s helpful if you turn those garments inside out before washing to prevent fading
- Clean your washing machine often to prevent any lime scale or rust from building up. Also, clearing out your dryer lint trap prior to every cycle will protect your colors from becoming dull.
