How to Keep Black Clothes From Fading? Wash It Properly
Black clothes that fade during washing are a “blow to the heart” for total black lovers, an experience so frustrating, but not necessarily inevitable. By simply making some basic suggestions during the wash, you can prevent your favorite black clothes from losing their color. If you think these suggestions on how to keep black clothes from fading are not enough after trying, there are other tricks you can try.
How to keep black clothes from fading?
It doesn’t matter if you treat your black clothes very carefully, or how many precautions you take when you wash them. Each wash cycle deteriorates the color. Finally, your clothes will start to fade. To prevent this from happening and to preserve color, black clothes should be washed only when necessary. If you can skip a wash from time to time, do it to preserve the color as a whole.
Dark or black trousers and sweaters (sweaters) that are put on other garments can be worn four to five times before they have to be washed, particularly if used only indoors. Similarly, if you wear a piece of clothing for only a few hours a day, you can probably put it aside and reuse it without having to wash it.
Deodorant stains
Between one wash and another, it is possible to clean the stains with a stain remover and remove the whitish residues of the deodorant with a dry sponge.
Wash them all together
Separate clothes according to colors. If possible, wash your black clothes along with others of the same color or with dark clothes. The dyeing of clothes tends to flow during the washing cycle. If there are no light-colored clothes that absorb dark colors, they will be reabsorbed into the dark clothes from which they come.
Wash the clothes upside down
The surface of the fabric in which the garments are worn (the back) is that which is directly exposed to the abrasion of the washing cycle. As a result, the outer surface of the clothes (the right one) that is always exposed during washing will be the first that will start to fade. Maintain the color of the outer surface of dark garments by turning them over before washing them. The black color fades due to the friction that occurs when clothes rub against each other inside the washing machine.
Use cold water
Hot water tends to release the color of the fibers and cause them to work. For this reason, brightly colored clothes tend to fade when washed in warm water. On the contrary, if you wash these clothes in cold water, they can hold the color longer. Hot water damages the fibers, which is why the color deteriorates more quickly in hot water wash cycles.
Just as you should wash dark clothes as little as possible, you should do the shortest wash cycles possible. The less time you spend in the washing machine, the lower the chance that the color will flow and fade.
Use a special detergent
Currently, there are detergents specifically developed for use with dark fabrics. These cleaners help maintain the color during the wash cycle, so it is less likely that the dye will flow and the clothes will fade.
Liquid detergents work better than powder detergents in cold water. Powder detergents do not completely dissolve in cold water, particularly when using a short cycle.
Do not use the dryer. If you’re trying to preserve the color of your black clothes, heat is an enemy. To dry dark clothes, it is necessary to hang it or extend it. Avoid using the dryer unless necessary.
If it is necessary to use the dryer, use the lowest possible temperature, based on the material with which the clothes are made.
Add a little vinegar
During the rinse cycle, add 1 cup (250 ml) of distilled white vinegar. Add the vinegar directly to the drum of the washing machine where the dark clothes are located; Do not add it to the detergent compartment, if present separately.
The addition of vinegar to the rinse cycle has many advantages, including those related to the conservation of dark clothes. It is a miraculous home solution that can fix colors and remove detergent debris from the fabric. Otherwise, those remains could form a sort of layer on the clothes, making it look faded.
Vinegar usually evaporates during the wash cycle, which is why it should not leave any odor. However, if the smell remains, you can get rid of it by letting your clothes dry in the open air.
Try the salt
Add ½ cup (125 ml) of cooking salt along with the dark clothes in the wash cycle. It is necessary to add the salt directly into the main drum of the washing machine and not into another compartment.
Salt helps prevent corrosion of the color of the dye, including black. Not only is it particularly useful when washing new clothes but also when removing detergent residues, it is useful for recovering the color of old clothes.
Mix the baking soda with the wash water
Sprinkle ½ cup (125 ml) of baking soda into the drum of the washing machine after placing the dark clothes in which you wish to preserve the color. You have to add the baking soda in the same compartment along with the clothes. From that moment on, you can wash a load of clothes as usual.
Baking soda is used as a chlorine-free bleach to improve white tones. However, being chlorine-free can also be used to improve other colors, including black.
Take advantage of the power of coffee or tea
Prepare 2 cups (500 ml) of coffee or black tea. Add this liquid directly to the rinse cycle after dark clothes have passed through the washing cycle. Both coffee and black tea are used as natural colorants. However, they dye light brown fabrics, making them black, reinforce the black tint and obscure the tone of the garment.