Realizing that the colors of one garment have shifted to another during the laundry may throw you into a panic, but you can remove them in a few simple steps. Just be careful not to put the clothes in the dryer, otherwise the dye becomes permanent. You should also read all clothing labels before deciding what is the best method of color removal.
Steps
Part 1 of 4: Proceeding Safely
Step 1. Do not put your laundry in the dryer
It is important to avoid this operation, otherwise the color adheres indelibly; drying fixes the color that has been transferred to the fibers, definitively ruining the dress.
Step 2. Divide the clothes
When you notice that the color of a garment has moved to a white one, separate the colored one, to prevent the whites from staining even more.
Step 3. Read the labels
Before attempting to remove the color that has transferred, you must take note of the instructions that are printed on the garments; in this way you know if you can safely use products such as bleach and at what temperatures to wash the fabrics without damaging them.
Part 2 of 4: White Heads
Step 1. Dip the white dress in bleach or vinegar
Place the white fabrics in the bathtub or large basin. Pour in 240 ml of white vinegar or, if the laundry label says it is possible, 60 ml of bleach. add 4 liters of water and leave to soak for half an hour.
Step 2. Rinse and wash your clothes
After this 30-minute treatment, rinse the fabrics with cold water and put them in the washing machine. Add the detergent and set a wash cycle in cold water; when finished, hang the laundry in the air to dry.
Step 3. Try using a color remover
If with the procedure described above you have not obtained good results, you can give it a try with a specific additive, such as Remedia from Gray; mix the product in water following the instructions on the package, leave the garment to soak, rinse it and wash it as usual.
You should only use these additives on all white garments as they are quite aggressive and may cause colored ones to fade
Part 3 of 4: Colored Garments
Step 1. Try rewashing your clothes with detergent
If the dyes have moved from one colored garment to another, you may be able to remove them simply with an additional wash; put the garment "to be saved" in the washing machine and add detergent respecting the instructions on the label.
Step 2. Soak the items in bleach safe for delicate fabrics
If the second wash was useless, you can try this product. First test the bleach on a hidden corner of the garment to check the resistance of the colors and then dilute it in water following the instructions on the package; soak the garments for at least eight hours, rinse them, wash them and hang them out to air dry.
Step 3. Try a stain remover
It is a specially treated leaflet that captures the colors that are dispersed inside the washing machine. Put the leaflet in the appliance drum together with the laundry and wash according to the instructions described on the package.
You can buy these slips at any supermarket
Part 4 of 4: Avoiding Color Transfer
Step 1. Read clothing labels
One of the simplest ways to avoid this kind of "accident" is to read the washing instructions carefully. The labels of many fabrics, such as dark denim, carry a warning that the garment may fade and an indication to wash it separately.
Step 2. Sort the laundry
You can prevent the colors from transferring from one garment to another by dividing the laundry to be washed; for example, you should create a group of "whites", "darks" or "blacks" and a group of "colors". You should then wash each batch alone to prevent the dyes from staining the rest of the laundry.
Step 3. Wash problem clothes yourself
There are some rather "difficult" garments that can cause color transfers; in this case, you should proceed with the individual washing according to the instructions on the label. For example, it's a good idea to wash a new pair of dark jeans or a new red cotton shirt separately.
Step 4. Do not leave wet laundry in the washing machine drum
If you forget to remove it from the appliance, favor the transfer of dyes; to prevent this from happening, remove the laundry at the end of the wash cycle and do not leave it in the drum for a long time while it is still wet.