Laundry question.......

[Miss Mary]

Has anyone noticed their clothes losing pigment or color in places, from repeated laundering?

I've been doing laundry since the mid 70s - yep, I'm that old! That said, I do know how to do laundry - really I do. LOL I use dye free liquid detergents, cold water and mix in the detergent first, agitate and then add clothes. And it still happens! A newer top or pair of capris will come out with dye missing. Very noticeable and annoying - ruined. My college aged daughter has this problem too and came home with at least 6 or 7 items this happened to over the past year. She's been doing her own laundry for about 6 years.

I'm just wondering if this is happening to others? I'm about to start hand washing clothes I like the most!

I should add, this missing pigment problem is only in the past year or so. I've wondering if fabric dyes are different now?

Thanks.

Mary

[coriolis]

I don't know, Mary. I use the same technique for loading to disperse the detergent. I thought I was strange or something.

There's probably some kind of gentle detergent out there. Do you use detergent with colorsafe bleach?

[GalvestonDuck]

All I know is Tommy Hilfiger clothes are the worst for trying to keep that fresh, bright new color. Someone asked me once about a shirt of mine and wanted to know if it was real or a knock-off. It came straight from the mall, so it had to be a true Tommy. It wasn't the only one. They all faded too fast.

My mom used to send almost everything to the dry cleaners so clothes would stay new looking. That was back in the 80's and 90's so I really can't vouch for my Polo and Dockers stuff being fade-proof.

Sheesh, that's sad. I just realized how preppy I really am.

As for jeans, how do you keep those from fading...and do you want to?

[O Town]

I dunno Mary. I have not had that problem at all. Did you switch from powder to the liquid in the past few years? I still use powder because I think it gets my clothes cleaner. Maybe the liquid is not fully disolving even though you agitate first, and it clumps up and sits on those spots during the first spin cycle. ????? I know thats lame, but all I can come up with seein I don't have that problem and the difference between you and I is I use powder instead of liquid. Just a thought.

[azsnowman]

No.....but then I buy all my clothes at Kohls in Flagstaff now, I will NOT waste my money on Wally World clothing anymore. Wally world clothes fade with the first washing.

[Miss Mary]

The problem isn't normal fading, that almost always happens. I have a few T shirts that have never faded but that's rare - one is an LL Bean simple yellow striped T. Bought at a consignment shop and it looks nearly new (8 years old!).

I've always used liquid detergents. Hardly ever powder. I make sure the detergent is mixed before adding clothes.

No the real problem isn't general fading - not at all. That happens. Not much you can do about that except I have read that you can somehow add white vinegar to the first wash, maybe in the rinse cycle? The vinegar is supposed to lock in the color.

The real problem is we'll noticed dye or pigment missing from brightly colored clothes - just parts of the original color - gone. As if I spilled bleach on them. Which I haven't!

I was just hoping someone else had this problem too! Then I wouldn't think I was going crazy.....LOL

Maybe I should switch to color safe powder detergents.

Mary

[angelwing]

! Some one has this same problem, I thought it was me! One thing though, depending on what I can afford, I use either Borax, Baking Soda or Oxyclean with whatever liquid detergent is on sale and it appears that this fading problem has stopped (I will NOT give up my Downy though, I'll eat peanut butter sandwiches so I can afford to get that )

[Lindaloo]

Mary, use Woolite or Woolite for dark clothes. No more fading, no more pigment problem. If it says to wash in warm water, wash in cold.

Walmart has so many cute clothes. I buy alot of shirts from there. I find that if after you wash them, hang them up to dry. The coloring last alot longer.

Also, do you all know not to use a dryer sheet with white clothes? This will cause your whites to turn a dingy color.

OxyClean is nothing but a way for someone to make money, It does not work at all.

[sunny]

Also, do you all know not to use a dryer sheet with white clothes? This will cause your whites to turn a dingy color.

Didn't know about the dryer sheet with white clothes! Thanks

I don't have a problem with my clothes fading. I've always used liquid Tide. I use Dryelle for my work suits, though. Saves a ton on dry cleaning. Plus, I like the way my suits smell with the Dryelle

[Janice]

Mary, I wash all my clothes in cold water and do not put colored clothes in my dryer. I hang up all Johns shirts and pants and my clothes too to dry on hangers in the laundry room. I think dryers are too hard on colored clothes and also take the strength out of the material eventually making pants, etc. limp.

But, I iron all our clothes too.

[GrimReaper]

Hey, haven't you guys heard that if you have clothes that lose the color or pigment to soad them in diluted vinegar whater before the first washing the pigment won't fade??? I was the store manager for one of the cheaper Ladies clothing stores... most of their stuff was rayon and came from India. The clothes weren't that bad.... but the color came out terribly!!! One of the other managers told me how to do the vinegar thing and I've been happy ever since. I wash all my colors in cold water and hang dry too!! Have any of you ever got a piece of colored wash in with your whites??? When I was first married many centuries ago, and didn't know how to do wash, I put a red shirt in with all my husband's white underwear, t-shirts and socks..hahahah they all turned bright pink...maybe that's why HE isn't still around...lol!!

[Miss Mary]

Again, it's not fading but missing dye or pigment - as if you dribbled liquid bleach on the clothes. Definite color missing, to the point where you can't wear that item anymore. The missing pigment is very noticeable. The garment isn't faded - that's not the problem! But thanks for all the suggestions.

We drip dry at least 75% of our clothes anyway, and soften them for 5 minutes in the dryer.

I didn't know about the dryer sheet on whites! Thanks Linda.

I'm going to switch detergents, wash in cold water only and see if this problem clears up. Nina's clothes came home from college with these missing dye areas. Another mom told me a teenager or college student's problem is from all the acne products they wash their faces with. It drips on T shirts and then of course it's not all rinsed off, when they dry with their towels (yes her towels came home with missing pigment/dye too).

Grim - I'm going to try that vinegar trick. Next time I buy new clothes.

Mary

PS - *Edit* I found an excellent link, on how to do laundry. Perhaps my problem is I should do smaller loads, with like colors, instead of all somewhat darks together. The article (further down) states that for some clothes, the dye continues to bleed, not just at the first washing. Oh great - more piles of dirty laundry sitting in the kitchen waiting for the washer (next door to the kitchen). I know my college aged daugther won't be washing very small loads!
http://www.simonsays.com/content/book.c ... 937&agid=2

[Pburgh]

I've had that happen but I've found that it's when I've been kinda messy with the Clorax. I love to use Clorax on my white towels. Sometimes it drips on the edge of the washer. When I've been lazy about keeping my washer spotless, I end up with some "missing dye spots" on my dark clothes. I've simply rubbed the darker clothes over the bleach as I place them in the washer!!!!

[Lindaloo]

I've had that happen but I've found that it's when I've been kinda messy with the Clorax. I love to use Clorax on my white towels. Sometimes it drips on the edge of the washer. When I've been lazy about keeping my washer spotless, I end up with some "missing dye spots" on my dark clothes. I've simply rubbed the darker clothes over the bleach as I place them in the washer!!!!

I BET that is what happened to my daughter's clothes this weekend. lol. Never thought of that.