Fabrics with unstable dyeing may lose their original color after unsuccessful washing. It is possible to revive faded linen, but it is better to find out in advance whether the fabric is prone to shedding or not. You also need to adhere to the manufacturer’s recommendations given on the product label.
But if the item does fade during washing, how can you return it to its original appearance? To do this, you need to figure out what the product is made of - natural material or synthetics. Both folk recipes and household chemicals will help you wash a faded item.
How to restore white things?
Simple folk and chemical remedies available to every housewife, for example, chlorine-containing, oxygen and powder bleaches, will help quickly restore the color of white things. It is important to consider the type of fabric, as it can be damaged by exposure.
On a note! Oxygen stain removers are considered more gentle means that do not disturb the structure of fabric fibers.
Chemicals:
- White. Dilute the liquid at the rate of 2 tbsp. 10 liters of water and put a white thing in it. After 15-20 minutes, take it out and rinse it in plenty of water.
- Vanish. Dilute the product to a pasty consistency and apply to the faded stain. At the same time, carefully rub it into the fabric. Leave for 10-15 minutes to act, then rinse with warm water.
- Antilin. Bleaching powder works more effectively if you first soak the item in water for 30 minutes, adding a small amount of the product.
You can also use other preparations: Sarma Active 5 in 1, Bos Plus, Antipyatin, Amway PreWash Spray, Faberlic (Edelstar), intended for cleaning white clothes.
Folk remedies for removing faded stains on white clothes:
- Take citric acid, salt, washing powder (it can be replaced with laundry soap shavings), starch - mix everything in equal proportions. You should get a homogeneous paste, which must be applied to the problem area. Leave for 10-12 hours, then wash the item thoroughly.
- You can remove a faded stain by boiling the product for half an hour. For 1 liter of water add 2 tbsp. spoons of soda and the same amount of bleach.
- Soda. Dilute a small amount of the substance to obtain a liquid paste. Apply to the stain, rub in thoroughly and leave for 10-15 minutes. Rinse the item in warm water.
Proper washing of faded items
What should be done to prevent items from fading, and how to wash colored items correctly?
To prevent things from fading, learn a few tips:
- How to wash faded items? Always sort items and evaluate their shedding ability. Red, green and blue clothes are often affected by this unpleasant phenomenon. It is better to wash them by hand.
- How to wash faded items? To prevent fabric from losing color and your favorite sweater from staining, separate clothes clearly by shade. It is better to process white linen separately. Separate clothes by fabric type.
- To avoid wondering how to restore color to faded colored items, check the fabric before washing. Soak the sweater or blouse separately. If the item is stained by water, it is better to wash it separately.
- How to wash things so they don't fade? Always maintain temperature conditions. It is written on labels that are attached to the inner seam.
When white items are not washed with bleaching agents, and faded paint is not returned, then nothing more can be done to restore its original appearance. The item is not wearable.
If you don’t know how to wash things that fade, then it’s better to have them dry cleaned. Specialists will not only wash away traces, but will also tell you whether it is possible to make a combination between certain washable items.
Removing stains from colored fabric
It is not possible to remove faded stains from colored fabric using the means described above. But in order to preserve your favorite item, special chemical stain removers (for example, “Vanish”) or powders intended for colored fabrics are used.
If all methods turn out to be ineffective, then the last resort remains - repainting.
What stain removers to use for colored fabrics:
- ACE OXI MAGIC powder – does not contain chlorine, used for any fabric except silk and wool.
- Udalix Oxi Ultra Stain Remover is an excellent product that copes with the most difficult stains. Feature: effective at water temperatures from +60 degrees.
- Astonish OXY PLUS is a luxury stain remover. Copes with any stain on various fabrics. Can be used to clean upholstered furniture.
Traditional methods:
- Dilute 100 g of medical alcohol in 2 liters of water. Soak the clothes for 2 hours, then rinse them well;
- Mix 100 g of washing powder with two tablespoons of hydrogen peroxide per 2 liters of water. Dip things into the solution and leave for 2-2.5 hours. Rinse in warm water.
Useful tips
To avoid disappointing washing results, you need to immediately study the care information. If the item has faded, you should not delay re-washing, otherwise you will not be able to return the item to its original shade. Before bleaching, you should test the chosen product on an inconspicuous area or on a piece of fabric that is usually sewn to clothing.
What you should not do is mix household chemicals with each other or dilute them with solutions prepared according to folk recipes. If you want to experiment with the selected means, then do this one by one.
Dear readers of the Tkan.Club website, if you still have questions on this topic, we will be happy to answer them. Leave your reviews, comments, share stories if you washed faded items! Your life experience may be useful to other readers.
Universal methods for restoring faded fabrics
To prevent a faded stain from becoming embedded in the fibers of the fabric, it is necessary to react quickly. Often there is no special product on hand for a particular fabric. Therefore, use universal methods for quick removal:
- Antilin is an effective miracle product that can remove any stains on any product. Its peculiarity: it removes only foreign dye, while leaving the original dye of the fabric. Buy Antilin so that you can always have it on hand at home.
- Ammonia. Oddly enough, but this is a universal remedy that can cope with many stains. Dilute 100 ml of ammonia in two liters of water and soak the item for 20-25 minutes. Then rinse it thoroughly.
- Laundry soap will help you quickly get rid of stains. Spread it on the item and leave it for half an hour for it to react. After this, dilute the washing powder in water at the maximum temperature available for your damaged fabric, and soak the clothes in it. Leave for another half hour. Final step: machine wash on normal cycle.
A faded stain on things discovered in time is a guarantee that you will be able to quickly remove it.
What to do if the item has faded and cannot be washed
If the methods presented do not help, there are several options for further use of the item:
- Modernize. A blouse with long sleeves and stains on the cuffs can easily be transformed into a new one with short sleeves. And the dress is a skirt or blouse. If it is impossible to remove a faded stain, you can cut it off.
- Decorate. The stain can be easily covered with embroidery, a decorative patch, figured edging or iron-on adhesive. This is rarely suitable for business style clothing; you will have to be creative so as not to disturb the image.
- Repaint. Fabric paints cost pennies and are sold in hardware or craft stores. You'll have to use your imagination. Has your white T-shirt acquired a green stain? Tie knots on it in several places and cook it in green dye - a fashionable and unique print is guaranteed. Was the blouse washed with jeans and turned blue in places? Blue dye and half an hour of time - a new blue blouse. Has the item acquired a dirty pink tint from children's tights? A hanger and a couple of stages of soaking in a cool dye solution - a chic gradient that will hide all the unpleasant shades. If things of dark colors have faded, they are lightened with bleach or painted black.
How to wash clothes so they don't fade?
Compliance with washing rules is the key to avoiding such unpleasant moments as clothing shedding. What every housewife needs to know:
- Before washing, carefully study the labels on the product, which indicate general recommendations for washing a particular fabric, for example, the permissible water temperature, whether it is allowed to do a drum spin, etc.
- Be sure to sort things, even if you are sure they are no longer shedding. Some fabrics may react with the new powder or freshener and stain other items. Wash black, colored and white items separately. Separate them by fabric, for example, you cannot wash cotton and wool at the same time.
- Before the first wash, pre-soak colored clothing in lightly salted water. This will make it possible to remove excess paint from the manufacturer, fix the color or make sure that the item does not fade.
Causes of shedding
Often, after washing, things become covered with stains of various colors.
This problem occurs for the following reasons:
- too much detergent. If the powder has not completely dissolved due to insufficiently heated water, then streaks will certainly appear;
- incorrectly selected washing mode. The clothes do not have time to wash completely, a dark coating or green spots appear;
- presence of rust. Rusty and brown stains form on clothes;
- processing white items with colored items;
- washing colored items with a pattern in hot water;
- presence of hand embroidery.
If the owner suddenly didn’t pay attention and the item faded after washing, you shouldn’t worry too much. There are ways that will help you quickly return to your previous appearance.
How to protect against shedding
The best way to protect yourself is prevention. If a person adheres to the basic rules, the clothes will not fade and will retain their original color.
Studying labels
Manufacturers of the product leave small instructions to customers on how to care for the item in the form of labels. Taking into account the recommendations will not only protect you from shedding, but will also extend the life of the product.
Sorting laundry
The clause means that white items are washed separately, and colored ones separately. Moreover, it is forbidden to wash things of dark shades with light ones. Unfortunately, people do not take this into account, which becomes the first reason for shedding.
Fixing colors before washing
First of all, this applies to newly purchased clothes. The item is soaked in cold water with the addition of vinegar for 4-5 hours. Saline solution has the same effect.
General rules and precautions
You can remove stains from clothes and other textiles at home using different means. There are several general rules:
- Do not let dirt eat in, but quickly remove it immediately after it appears. Old stains are more difficult to remove.
- Before cleaning, remove any remaining source of contamination (pieces, crumbs, drops) from the surface.
- Apply the stain remover from the back side and start cleaning the front side last.
- Evaluate the result in daylight.
- If the fabric is colored, test the stain remover first on an inconspicuous area.
- Start removing stains with gentler products, leaving aggressive compounds as a last resort.
- Place a piece of white cloth or paper napkin under the stained area of fabric before cleaning.
- If the origin of the contamination is known, it is more effective to remove it with a product of a similar chemical composition.
- Remove the stain from the edges to the middle.
After applying the stain remover, washing and rinsing are carried out at a temperature of no more than 30°C. Ironing and drying at high temperatures are permissible only after removing contaminants, otherwise the structure of the substance and polymerization may change, which will complicate the task. Please refer to the product label for washing and care details.
Important! Work with aggressive substances in a well-ventilated area. To protect the skin and mucous membranes, wear a mask and gloves.
Special means
Store windows and shelves are full of various products that, according to manufacturers, can quickly remove unpleasant stains. If possible, you can use them.
The most popular drugs are:
- Antipyatin soap. It has more than once proven its effectiveness in the fight not only against faded stains, but also against many others (greasy, inky, berry).
- Laundry soap. It is better to use not the classic brown, but the new white color. There are more components that will help restore your clothes to their original appearance.
- Bleaches. There are a huge number of brands. This is a great method for removing colored stains on white. The main active ingredient in such preparations is bleach. You should be careful. This type of preparation is only suitable for cotton and linen clothing. It is important to follow the manufacturer’s recommendations regarding the dosage of the product. Too much whiteness can damage the fibers and render the item unusable. It is enough to dilute 2 caps of the drug in 1 liter of water. For delicate fabrics, preference should be given to preparations whose active ingredient is oxygen.
- Stain removers. These products are aimed specifically at eliminating various difficult to remove stains. They contain a large number of enzymes, which are not only capable of fighting dirt on their own, but also enhancing the power of regular washing powder.
Removing common stains
You need to get rid of stains taking into account their origin. Common options are:
| Type of pollution | Removal methods |
| Fat | Solvents (gasoline, turpentine), ammonia with salt (3:1), dishwashing liquid, paste of mustard powder and water |
| Red wine, berries | Fine salt, hot milk, hydrogen peroxide with ammonia (a few drops), yolk with glycerin |
| Coffee, chocolate | Heated glycerin, hydrogen peroxide with ammonia |
| Rust | Lemon juice or acid (10-15 g per glass of water) |
| Ink | Acetic acid (diluted with 2 parts hot water), an aqueous solution of soda (2 teaspoons per glass), ammonia, lemon juice |
| Blood | First, rinse with cold water, then laundry soap, dish soap. Dried blood is removed with ammonia and hydrogen peroxide |
| Sweat | Acetic or citric acid (10% solution), ammonia (1 tsp per glass of water) |
Difficulties arise with difficult-to-remove traces of iodine and markers. In both cases, you can use alcohol. The mark from the marker is then treated with soda and lemon juice. Iodine can also be removed from fabric with acetone and hydrogen peroxide.
