How to Protect Dyed Clothes from Fading

Do you remember the last time you threw your clothes in a garbage bin? What was the reason for it? Perhaps they weren't very old but their colours seemed dim and faded, didn't they? Well, most probably they did. Faded colours are not always a sign of a badly-dyed fabric (although sometimes it is solely the manufacturer's fault). They often mean that we don't care for our clothes properly. So, let's take a look at these four tips to protect the things we wear from fading.

Reading the Tag

That is the beginning. Before putting your new garment in a washing machine, make sure you've carefully read and understood all the instructions written on the tag. If it says "Wash at or below 40'C", it means that the garment requires gentle handling (or even hand washing), otherwise the fabric is going to be badly damaged, resulting in colour loss.

Avoiding Sunscreen

If you are about to go out in the sun and you want to apply some suntan lotion, do this before putting on your clothes so that it will have enough time to absorb and dry on your skin. It will help to minimize the negative effect that lotion's oils might have on the colours of your clothes. Also wash your hands after applying lotion as they are likely to touch your garments.

Drying Out

You had a wonderful and pleasant swim with your friends in a big intex easy set pool in the garden and now it is time to enjoy some cocktails in the shade and dry out your swimming suites. Do not try to wring out every drop of water from the clothes, you are sure to damage the fibre this way. The best way to dry them is by laying them on a big towel, rolling it up and slightly squeezing. When it is done, leave the clothes in an open air but away from sunshine.

Separating Different Colours

The darker the piece of clothing is, the more colour it is likely to bleed when it is washed, especially at higher temperatures. Put a red blouse in a hot tub together with a white one and the first blouse will turn pale pink while the second will be irregularly stained here and there. So, not only should we follow the rules for each garment separately, we also should take in account its colour and wash it with things with a similar hue.