Fabrics with unstable dyeing may lose their original color after unsuccessful washing. It is possible to revive faded linen, but it is better to find out in advance whether the fabric is prone to shedding or not. You also need to adhere to the manufacturer’s recommendations given on the product label.
But if the item does fade during washing, how can you return it to its original appearance? To do this, you need to figure out what the product is made of - natural material or synthetics. Both folk recipes and household chemicals will help you wash a faded item.
How to find out whether something can fade or not
In order not to wonder what to do with a thing if it has faded after washing, it is better to immediately find out whether it will fade. This is indicated by indirect signs - low washing temperature on the label and a recommendation to wash separately.
Usually the first time the product is washed by hand and the color of the water in the basin is looked at. If the water is colored, the product will definitely fade. Things painted red are especially prone to shedding.
How to prevent shedding?
There are several simple rules that, if followed, will help avoid the appearance of faded clothes in your wardrobe:
- After purchasing an item, you can fix the paint in the following way: first wash it, then soak it for 2 hours in cold water with a dissolved spoon of salt and vinegar. This method helps preserve color for a long time.
- Before washing, you need to read the label, which indicates the recommended temperature.
- Light colored items are washed separately from colored items.
- Nowadays there are specialized napkins on sale; they are placed in the drum with laundry. When washed, they prevent the appearance of faded areas.
- It is advisable to wash all new items separately.
- Synthetic products shed most often; it is advisable to wash them not only by color but also by type of fabric, i.e. wool, synthetics, cotton, jeans - all in a separate order.
It should be noted that you do not need to immediately get rid of faded clothes. Nowadays it is decorated with prints, rhinestones, appliqués, embroideries, and with the help of fashionable designs or coloring it is possible to give things a more stylish look than before.
How to wash faded clothes
When an item has acquired an unusual shade, many people throw it in the trash. But it is quite possible to return the product to its original appearance at home. There are different ways to deal with faded stains.
If something made from natural fabrics has faded, the chances of its restoration are higher. Synthetics, and even colored ones, are more difficult to clean up. Still, it’s worth trying to wash a faded item at home, but you need to do this as soon as possible.
The longer the product sits, the more difficult it is to deal with stains. Usually the item is washed by hand, so as not to completely spoil it and, if necessary, adjust the washing process during the washing process. So, let's find out what to do when an item fades during washing.
White
White linen is easier to work with than colored items. Although stains are more visible on white, they are easier to deal with. Household chemicals - oxygen bleaches and stain removers - will come to the rescue.
If a white item made of cotton or linen has faded, you can even use chlorine-containing products. The following products can replace professional whitening compounds:
- a solution of hydrogen peroxide and water - for 2 liters of hot water you will need 2 tbsp. l. peroxide. The product is soaked in this solution for 15 minutes. To enhance the effect, add a pinch of soda. In this way you can both wash away stains and bleach faded white items made from thin fabrics;
- soda and laundry soap - take 15 g of soda for 40 g of soap shavings, dissolve in 5 liters of water, boil, lower the product. This method will refresh white cotton items at home, and also return the whiteness to linen tablecloths and towels;
- potassium permanganate – such an unusual product as potassium permanganate can bleach faded laundry. It is added to the washing water to turn it pink. Pour in the powder and soak the product. A shirt or blouse is left for 2 - 3 hours, bed linen - for 5 hours. Then rinse with the addition of ammonia - 25 ml of ammonia per 10 liters of water.
How else can you wash a faded white item? A solution of 3 liters of water, a pinch of soap shavings, 125 g of baking soda, 20 g of lemon, 30 g of starch will help out. If you soak the item for 10 hours, the stains will go away, the item will acquire a crystal white color and become fresher. You can also soak a white collar, including a lace one, or cuffs in it, and then wash the entire item. This method will help both get rid of fresh stains and remove old faded stains from white clothes.
How to wash the collar of a white shirt or knitted T-shirt? You can use bleaches with active oxygen such as Vanish, Dr. Beckmann, Synergetic. For children's things, “Eared Nanny” or Baby Speci are suitable.
Universal methods for restoring faded fabrics
To prevent a faded stain from becoming embedded in the fibers of the fabric, it is necessary to react quickly. Often there is no special product on hand for a particular fabric. Therefore, use universal methods for quick removal:
- Antilin is an effective miracle product that can remove any stains on any product. Its peculiarity: it removes only foreign dye, while leaving the original dye of the fabric. Buy Antilin so that you can always have it on hand at home.
- Ammonia. Oddly enough, but this is a universal remedy that can cope with many stains. Dilute 100 ml of ammonia in two liters of water and soak the item for 20-25 minutes. Then rinse it thoroughly.
- Laundry soap will help you quickly get rid of stains. Spread it on the item and leave it for half an hour for it to react. After this, dilute the washing powder in water at the maximum temperature available for your damaged fabric, and soak the clothes in it. Leave for another half hour. Final step: machine wash on normal cycle.
A faded stain on things discovered in time is a guarantee that you will be able to quickly remove it.
How to wash so things don't fade
There is no better recommendation when washing clothes than to comply with the requirements prescribed by the manufacturer. All information on washing and care is given on the product label. But if it is initially known that the item is prone to shedding, how to wash it correctly?
Bed linen should be washed separately from other items, even if it is colored. Not all items can be put into the washing machine, and some items cannot be soaked. But the manufacturer provides information about this on the label.
Washing signs on clothes. Decoding
You can wash black things with dark blue, gray or dark brown items. Items with prints are recommended to be washed by hand. Items in the red color range must be separated - they cause the most severe shedding and damage other clothes. Vinegar added to the water when rinsing will save the product from subsequent shedding and preserve the color. But the clothes must be rinsed well afterward to remove the characteristic vinegar smell.
When it is necessary to preserve color on woolen items, vinegar is replaced with dry mustard. Add 1 tsp. powder per 500 ml of water. This product is suitable even for mohair. Glycerin can preserve the color of thin, delicate fabrics. It is diluted at the rate of 2 tbsp. l. per liter of water.
How to remove faded stains from colored clothes
How to wash faded items and still maintain their original color? Special stain removers for colored linen and some folk recipes will help. Oxygen and optical products marked “Color” are designed for colored items. Chlorine-containing bleaches are not used on colored items because the result is an off-white stain on the colored item instead of the expected return to the original color.
Hydrogen peroxide
Dissolve the usual dose of washing powder in a container with warm water, then add 6% hydrogen peroxide. The soaked laundry is left overnight. Then another wash with powder and rinse.
Ammonia
For 10 liters of warm water, take 20 ml of ammonia. Faded clothes are immersed in the solution for an hour. After soaking, wash with powder. This will get rid of any remaining stains and odors. The method is suitable for color and white.
Baking soda
To remove stains, soda is diluted with a few drops of warm water to a thick paste and applied to the stain for 10–15 minutes. Afterwards, rinse thoroughly under running water. With the help of soda, faded stains and stains from juices and berries are washed from clothes.
Vinegar
Vinegar solutions are used to fix color. Immediately after washing, dilute 1 tbsp in cold water. l. vinegar (3 liters) and rinse the product well. If you wash faded colored items and fix the color, then next time they will not lose color.
We recommend reading: Rules for washing a down jacket
Salt
Salt is often used to remove excess dye and restore the whiteness of cotton fabrics. Dissolve 1 tbsp in 5 liters of water. l. salt, used for rinsing after washing.
Useful tips
To avoid disappointing washing results, you need to immediately study the care information. If the item has faded, you should not delay re-washing, otherwise you will not be able to return the item to its original shade. Before bleaching, you should test the chosen product on an inconspicuous area or on a piece of fabric that is usually sewn to clothing.
What you should not do is mix household chemicals with each other or dilute them with solutions prepared according to folk recipes. If you want to experiment with the selected means, then do this one by one.
Dear readers of the Tkan.Club website, if you still have questions on this topic, we will be happy to answer them. Leave your reviews, comments, share stories if you washed faded items! Your life experience may be useful to other readers.
Stain removers
There are 2 options for eliminating unwanted marks - improvised means or store-bought stain removers. They are not inferior to each other in terms of efficiency.
From improvised means
There are many products in the kitchen or in your medicine cabinet that can be used to successfully remove stains of various origins. This also applies to old pollution.
Dishwashing liquid removes traces of grease well. Apply it pointwise, gently foaming it with your finger or a cotton swab. After 15-30 minutes, wash off.
Ammonia is diluted in half with water, and 1 tsp is added for soaking. per 1 liter of soap solution. A mixture of half and half hydrogen peroxide or water and glycerin is effective.
Hydrogen peroxide is diluted with water 1:20. Peroxide and mixtures with it are applied pointwise.
Author:
Anastasia Kukushkina
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