How To Prevent Clothes From Fading

Everyone has a favorite t-shirt, pair of jeans, or some other “go to” article of clothing in their wardrobe. But what happens when your favorite garment begins to fade? Its natural brilliance and luster will slowly seep away, leaving it with a dull, bland tone that takes away from its aesthetic value.

Unfortunately, this is an all-too-common problem that nearly everyone will experience at some point in time. Whether it’s cotton, wool, polyester, etc., all fabrics are prone to fading. So, how can your protect the color of your clothes from fading?

Wash Dark and Lights Separate

Clothes receive their color through dye; therefore, washing dark and light-colored clothes in the same load may result in some of the dark dye bleeding onto the light clothes. Separate your clothes into two different stacks when you’re preparing to do laundry: dark and white/light clothes. Taking a few minutes to separate your clothes can make a world of different in preserving their original colors.

Read The Care Label

Before washing your clothes, read the attached care label for recommendations and advice on cleaning. It may advise you to wash in cold water only, tumble dry, or dry clean only. Being that these instructions come straight from the company which produced the garment, it’s usually a good idea to follow them.

Flip Your Clothes Inside Out

A third tip that’s helpful for preserving the original color of your clothes is to flip them inside out before washing them. By washing your clothes inside out, they are less likely to fade and bleed. In addition, this will also protect them against damage incurred from your washing machine and dryer.

If your clothes are stained or otherwise exceptionally dirty, spot treat them with detergent and warm water before turning them inside out and placing them in your washing machine. Place a small amount of detergent directly on the stain, let is sit for 2-3 minutes, and scrub it out using warm water.

Wash Using The Color Water Setting

Washing your clothes in hot water as opposed to cold water will increase the risk of bleeding colors. Hot water may help clean your clothes just slightly better, but it can also bleed/fade the colors. As long as your clothes aren’t heavily soiled, try washing them in cold water instead. In addition to preserving their colors, cold water will also conserve energy and protect against shrinkage.