Red socks or children's bright tights that accidentally get into the washing machine can instantly transform a “boring” plain item with multi-colored stains. The first thought that arises in the head of the housewife in this situation is: how to return things to their original color and is there a way to save your favorite clothes?
In most cases, laundry fades during washing if the wrong mode is selected with too high a water temperature or low-quality household chemicals are used. In addition, clothes can fade even when it rains, especially jeans and dyed synthetic items.
Removing the stain is not so easy, but it is still possible. Specialized dry cleaners can help in this matter, but their services often cost more than the damaged item. However, there are cheaper ways to correct the situation.
Products that will help remove faded paint from white items
- A high-quality powder can remove grayness from laundry in a few washes if darkening of the clothes was discovered immediately after simultaneously washing white and multi-colored items.
- Hydrogen peroxide and soda (1 teaspoon: 1 tablespoon) are diluted in two liters of water, the item is placed in the resulting product and the solution is heated to 70 degrees. You need to “cook” the laundry for 10 minutes, stirring constantly. At the end of the procedure, the product should be rinsed well.
- Bleach, stain remover, and washing powder in tandem can save a bra, T-shirt, shirt and other white items that have faded a long time ago. All ingredients must be diluted in warm water and the faded product should be soaked there for a day. Afterwards, you need to wash the clothes as usual with repeated rinsing.
- Boric acid will help restore the white color of socks stained by shoes, as well as remove stains from T-shirts and other light-colored items. To do this, dissolve a large spoonful of boric acid in a liter of water and place faded items in this solution for several hours (for large-sized clothes, the amount of water and acid increases proportionally). Then wash with soap and rinse the product well.
Previously, housewives boiled laundry in order to return it to its snow-white color. Now experts recommend refraining from this method, since faded clothes may not only not return their white color, but also acquire a yellowish tint. In addition, many items have rubber cuffs or lace inserts; they can be damaged during boiling.
How to wash faded fabric
We are talking about stains of a different color, stains, and not just faded fabrics. There are several universal products to save faded clothes that our mothers and grandmothers used even before the advent of washing machines. The first folk “helper” is tobacco. For half a liter of water you will need 20 g of raw tobacco, i.e. crushed dry leaves. Then wipe the stain or area of the colored stripes with cotton wool soaked in the solution.
Stains usually go away quickly, but then problems arise when ironing - the iron remains on the dirt. You will have to clean it several times to avoid getting dirty next time. This method is suitable for all types of fabrics, but when in doubt, it is better to choose a folk remedy for a specific case.
We remove stains and restore color to colored items
Sometimes it happens that plain T-shirts become covered with colored stains after washing. You can remove faded stains by using a stain remover for this purpose. You should only buy a product with the inscription “Color” on the packaging, since not all household chemicals produced are suitable for washing colored items.
Faded clothes can be soaked for a while in water with stain remover, or you can add the product to the washing machine when washing, selecting a mode with a temperature of 60 degrees. It is important to remember that knitwear may shrink from such a procedure, and your favorite T-shirt or shirt may fade. Therefore, before starting the washing machine, you need to check the permissible temperature conditions on the clothing label.
Product Preparation and Precautions
If after the second wash the stains remain in place, you will have to remove them using more serious methods. To do this, the thing needs to be properly prepared. First, read the directions on the label. If you've washed these clothes before, you've probably read the recommendations, but it doesn't hurt to double-check. The tag will indicate:
- At what temperature can the product be washed? This is true for faded items that shed on their own. Perhaps the temperature conditions were not maintained, so the item began to shed. Bright clothes in red, blue, green and black are prone to this. Do not wash more than 40 degrees.
- Are dry cleaning methods suitable for the item? This is a tough removal method, but in advanced cases it may be necessary. In addition to permitting or prohibiting dry cleaning, the label also indicates the substances with which it can be produced.
- What does the product consist of? This will determine how carefully you clean the stains. Delicate fabrics like silk, chiffon, velor and others do not tolerate strong chemicals, so you need to be careful with them.
Once you have gathered the necessary information about your clothing, you will need to prepare it for cleaning. To do this, turn it inside out and place unnecessary material under the stain (or stains). A thick piece of paper, folded 3-4 times, or a towel will do. It will come in handy when you locally remove stains with stain removers. If you do without a substrate, the faded paint may transfer to the opposite side of the item.
Remove stains with ammonia and hydrogen peroxide
To remove faded stains from clothes, you need to take 10 liters of water into a metal bowl or enamel bucket and add 20 ml of ammonia. Place the product in the resulting solution and place the container on the fire, bringing it almost to a boil. It is necessary that the water along with the item cools down a little. Afterwards, do normal washing. If the paint is not completely removed, the procedure is repeated.
You can also soak the “affected” clothing for two hours in water with a mixture of powder and peroxide, and then wash it as usual.
How to prevent things from fading
How to avoid fading of things
Clothes are made from different types of materials, which have their own texture and structure. How to wash a dyed colored item depends on the characteristics of the fabric. The product can deteriorate not only during washing, but also if it is not dried properly, when the item of clothing hangs in contact with other clothes. If the natural color has completely faded or the shade has become paler, it will be impossible to help. Once the product has been painted, the situation can still be saved.
To avoid the question of how to wash faded colored items, follow the recommendations below:
- Fix the color if you suspect that the product will lose it. Prepare a solution: dilute salt in 1 liter of water and mix. Let the laundry sit for 20 minutes and then wash.
- You should always monitor the water temperature. Multi-colored, as well as black and white, are washed at no more than 30 degrees. It is advisable to set the machine to the “delicate” mode.
- Read the label carefully. Each item has a tag that contains information about ironing, washing, and care.
- Choose the right powder or gel. For colored products, a cleanser marked “Color” is suitable, for white products – “White”.
- Before putting laundry into the drum, sort it by color. You cannot wash whites together with brights and darks. Even a small flower on a blouse, T-shirt or skirt can cause other things to shed.
- Check only purchased items. Manufacturers often attach a piece of fabric to the reverse side. It is recommended to do the first wash by hand. This is especially true for synthetics and denim.
- You can purchase special wipes that absorb paint, preventing it from transferring from one product to another.
If a colored item has faded and you don’t know how to wash it, use our tips below. It is better to start saving immediately, before the paint is absorbed too deeply.
Home remedies for faded stains on clothes
- Edible vinegar will come in handy if a silk or wool item has faded due to frequent washing. To at least partially restore the color, rinse the product after each wash in cold water with vinegar (one tablespoon of vinegar per three liters of water).
- Baking soda will help remove stains from jeans or other items made of thick fabric. To do this, apply soda paste to the problem area of clothing for about ten minutes, and then wash it well.
- A mixture of soap, citric acid, starch and salt will easily restore faded T-shirts that have stained themselves.
Well, if all the above methods do not help return the clothes to their original appearance, then you need to be smart and figure out how to “mask” stains and paint stains. Products made from denim can be redyed using a special dye or blue. In addition, ordinary jeans can be quite easily turned into stylish “varenki”. To do this, the trouser legs are tightly twisted and fixed in several places with elastic bands, and then boiled in white water for 15 minutes. At the end of the procedure, the pants must be straightened and dried in a horizontal position.
To save yourself from the problem of faded clothes, you need to carefully sort your clothes before washing. You should also not set high-temperature modes for products that can only be washed at 30-40 degrees.
Chemicals for washing
To prevent items from shedding or reduce damage, it is possible to use specialized products with each wash. In addition to preventing shedding, this chemical more effectively removes dirt from fabrics. When white clothes have faded or there are hard-to-remove stains on light-colored items, it is permissible to use virtually all types of bleaching agents, including chlorine-containing ones. But, preparations with chlorine have a negative effect on fabric fibers - the item becomes unusable faster. Therefore, when choosing a product for white, they focus on the fabric.
Colored underwear requires the use of certain, highly targeted products. Chlorine-containing chemicals are not used - the active ingredient eats away the color and makes the item dull. As an addition to washing powder for colored clothes, it is possible to use Sarma Active 5 in 1, Udalix Oxi Ultra, Vanish Color, Parus for colored fabrics and similar products.
Using bleach
Bleach should not be used on silk, wool, leather or colored items. This product is ideal for bleaching faded white items made from natural materials. Synthetics are difficult to process in this way. In addition, when treating artificial fabrics with bleach, you may not get the desired result.
Choose bleaches that contain oxygen in liquid gel form. They act gently, carefully and effectively. When washing with bleach, be sure to read the label and follow the recommendations! Do not abuse this product!
If washing by hand, soak the item in bleach for six hours and then wash. If using white, soak for 20-25 minutes. After the procedure, rinse the material thoroughly in clean, cool water. For a washing machine, use this product carefully, and only if the instructions allow it.
To bleach in a machine, choose bleach in the form of a chlorine-free gel and slightly dilute the composition with water, then pour it into the drum before laying clothes or into a special compartment for conditioner. Wash at low temperature and rinse several times.
To remove colored stains from thick fabrics such as linen, calico or denim, apply pure undiluted bleach to the affected area and leave for a minute. Then soak the product in a solution with bleach diluted according to the instructions. Wait 20-30 minutes and wash.
If your jacket or down jacket has faded
If washed or dried incorrectly, colored and unsightly stains may remain on the jacket or down jacket. It is almost impossible to remove such stains. In this situation, only repainting will save you. It is better to go to a dry cleaner, but you can do the procedure yourself.
For painting, buy special textile paint. Clean the down jacket thoroughly and unfasten the fittings. To prepare the coloring solution, dilute the powder in ten liters of water, add 150 grams of table salt and stir thoroughly. When preparing the solution, follow the instructions in the instructions!
Dip the down jacket completely into the resulting mixture and straighten the material so that there are no creases left. Leave the clothes in the dye for the time indicated in the instructions. Then pull out and hang without squeezing or twisting. Leave at room temperature and wait until completely dry.
To prevent a down jacket or jacket from staining, it is important to wash and dry the product correctly. How to properly care for such clothes, see the link https://vsepodomu. ru/garderob/kak-vzbit-puhovik-posle-stirki/.
We looked at what to do if the item faded during washing. But if none of the methods help, try coloring the material entirely, either by painting, drawing or appliqué. Suitable options would be acrylic paint, special fabric paints or embroidery.
How to restore the color of fabric using markers
You need to take the item damaged by bleach with you and go to the nearest supermarket or craft store. There it is worth choosing the most suitable permanent marker in shade, preferably alcohol-based. On a dry fabric, you need to carefully paint over the resulting stain with a marker of your choice and let it dry completely, saturating the fibers. In some cases, repeat again if the shade is not so saturated. If, on the contrary, the stain has become very bright and saturated, you can make it paler using a cotton pad and alcohol or cologne.
Useful tips
It is not difficult to wash a faded item at home. But in order not to damage your clothes even more, you need to take precautions:
- As soon as you take the item out of the washing machine and realize that it has faded during washing, the first thing you need to do is to immediately begin “reanimating” the clothing. Don’t waste time on drying and ironing, because the faster, the greater the chance of saving your husband’s lucky shirt or your own favorite dress.
- How to wash various stains at home, including faded items, using household chemicals - read the label of the product. Instructions for use, as well as the expiration date, are very important information that you need to study before starting washing.
- On the inside of the garment, as a rule, a small piece of fabric from which the item is made is sewn. It is not needed at all for a patch, as some people think, but in order to test the whitening or stain remover that you are going to use. Take advantage of the manufacturer's precautions and check whether the substance used will cause further harm to the clothing. If there is no such flap, then select the least noticeable area on the item for testing.
- Before bleaching faded laundry with aggressive substances (for example, “white”), protect your hands with thick rubber gloves and also ensure the room is ventilated.
If, after trying all the above methods and tips, you have not found the answer to the question of how to wash a faded item, try painting it. To do this, take blue or special dyes for clothes of a suitable shade. You can also think about an original applique or an original drawing. Do not use the same method on things repeatedly (more than three times), otherwise you will damage the structure of the fabric so much that it will be impossible to restore it even by repainting or appliqué.
If you couldn’t wash a faded item, try dyeing it using a dye to match the fabric.
If you are not confident in your abilities or do not want to waste time restoring items damaged after washing, do not hesitate to ask a dry cleaner for help. Specialists will determine the structure of the fabric and the complexity of the contamination, and in their arsenal they will definitely find a suitable remedy for eliminating various types of stains.
Now you know what to do if things fade after washing. Don’t rush to throw your favorite blouse or dress into the trash bin, you will always have time to do this. There are a lot of ways to wash faded clothes; choose one or more and don’t forget about precautions.