Nothing is more disappointing than seeing your favorite shirt fade or a once-bright towel lose its brightness. Regardless of how carefully you do your laundry, fading still seems inevitable, but it’s not always the case.
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Laundry Mistakes That Make Your Clothes Fade Faster
You’re Not Following Garment Care Instructions
Every garment must be washed according to certain guidelines, and if you don’t follow them, you run the risk of ruining it. “This is especially true for dark blues and dark reds. The best way to slow [fading] down is to follow the garment care instructions—especially with what it states about agitation and water temperature.”
The fabric will determine how the dye behaves, and different fabric types will require different washing techniques.
Aggressive cycles with high-speed agitation or extended wash times can break down fabric fibers and strip away color more quickly.” Adhering to the wash cycle suggested on the care tag is also crucial in terms of wear and tear.
You’re Using Harsh Detergents
Over time, strong chemicals have a tendency to degrade textile materials and affect dye fixation. Therefore, it may be wiser to use botanical-based, less harsh detergents.
Too Much Detergent Is Present
When it comes to detergent, you might have too much of a good thing. Because it produces a residue that dulls clothes and accelerates the fading process, excessive detergent use can also be problematic. Therefore, use the amount of laundry detergent recommended on the bottle, which is typically between half an ounce and one ounce for most loads.
You’re Making Use of Additives
Your clothes may fade more quickly if you use scent boosters and other additives, even though you may love making your laundry smell particularly clean. After washing and rinsing, some laundry additives, such as the fatty matter from fabric softeners and the optical brighteners from detergents, are intended to be applied to the laundry materials.
It’s Too Hot in Your Wash
The hot cycle should only be used in certain situations, such as when washing towels for a sick person or when dealing with extremely dirty clothing. However, your clothes will fade more quickly and perhaps last less time if you always run a load of laundry in hot water. The fabric’s fibers are opened up by hot water, which facilitates the dye’s removal and speeds up fading. By keeping fibers tight and preventing dye loss, cold water helps preserve color. A quick and easy method to keep your clothes from fading and prolong their life is to wash them in cold water, especially if they are dark or brightly colored.
Over-Washing
Did you put on a new pair of jeans for a brief errand alone? Do not yet put them in the laundry. Laundry fibers are subjected to excessive mechanical force and friction from frequent or extended washing, which hastens textile deformation and color leakage.
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