It’s happened to everyone who has done their own laundry: you pull your clothes out of the washing machine, only to find that one of your brightly coloured items has bled its colour all over everything else.
Perhaps you’ve experienced the frustration of trying to remove a stubborn stain from your clothing, only to find that the Stain Remover has bleached your clothes instead. Or maybe you’ve accidentally turned your white shirt pink in the wash.
If so, then you’re familiar with the phenomenon known as “colour run.” But what exactly causes colour run? In most cases, it occurs when loose dye from stained clothing rubs off onto other garments in the wash cycle.
This can happen even if the stained garment is washed separately from other items. In some cases, colour run can also be caused by using a detergent that is not compatible with the fabric of the clothing.
Fortunately, there are steps you can take to prevent colour run from happening in the first place. For example, always pretreat stains before washing, and be sure to use a detergent that is designed for use with the fabric of your clothing. By taking these simple precautions, you can help keep your clothes looking their best.
Precautions
Anyone who has ever done the laundry knows the terror of seeing their clothes turn from one colour to another.
Whether it’s a favourite shirt that’s now ruined or a load of whites that are now stained, colour run can be a real pain.
But there are some simple precautions you can take to prevent it from happening in the first place.
First, always sort your laundry according to colour. This seems like a no-brainer, but it’s important to remember that even dark colours can bleed, so sorting is key.
Second, use cold water for all your laundry. Hot water can set stains, making them harder to remove.
Third, invest in a good quality detergent that is designed for colour-safe laundry. Colour-safe detergents are formulated to help prevent colour bleeding, so they’re worth the investment.
Fourth, avoid overloading your washing machine. When clothes are packed too tightly into the machine, they rub against each other and this can cause colours to bleed. So make sure to give your clothes some breathing room in the wash.
By following these simple tips, you can help keep your clothes looking their best – and avoid any accidental colour run disasters.
What about after it happens?
As we’ve said it’s probably one of the most frustrating things that can happen when doing laundry – finding that your clothes have been ruined by colour run.
Luckily, there are a few simple ways to get rid of this problem.
Thankfully, there is a simple and inexpensive solution to this problem that you can try out first which is to soak the affected clothes in a mixture of white vinegar and water. Just mix equal parts white vinegar and water, and then soak the affected clothing in the mixture for 30 minutes.
The vinegar will help to set the colour, preventing it from running in the future. So the next time you find yourself dealing with a colour run disaster, reach for the vinegar bottle. It’s a cheap and effective way to keep your laundry looking its best.
Speaking of home ingredients that naturally whiten clothes, try mixing together equal parts lemon juice, Borax and baking soda, and apply the mixture to the affected areas. Let it sit for a few minutes, then rinse with cold water.
You should see a dramatic difference in the appearance of your clothes. So the next time you accidentally get other colours on your favourite white shirt in the wash, don’t reach for the bleach. Just grab some lemons, Borax and baking soda instead!
Another option is to treat the stains with a commercial colour remover designed for laundry use.
If neither of these solutions works, you may need to resort to bleaching the clothing. However, it’s important to be careful when using bleach.
While Americans have a long love affair with bleach due to it being inexpensive, easy to find, and it gets the job done when it comes to cleaning clothes. Bleach can also be damaging to clothing, causing discoloration, weakening fabric fibres, and even eating away at certain types of fabric.
For these reasons, it’s important to exercise caution when using bleach on clothing. When possible, opt for a gentler laundry detergent or whitening agent. Oh, and when you are using bleach, always follow the manufacturer’s instructions carefully to avoid damaging your clothes.
Closing Words
With a little patience and trial and error, you should be able to get rid of colour run stains for good and stop Googling how to remove colour run from clothes or how to fix colour run in the future because our articles have covered extensively the topic of how to get rid of colour run on clothes.
