We have all had experiences where we have had to do away with a treasured piece of coloured clothing just because it had begun to look dull and faded. Worse still is when we have had to deal with colours bleeding into other clothes, leaving us with an entire pile of garments that need to be discarded. At times, we have also struggled with the issue of how to remove stains from coloured clothes. From home remedies like baking soda to scrubbing excessively with powder detergents, we have tried them all. But unfortunately, they have resulted in colour fading in those stained areas, making our clothes look patchy. Our washed clothes have also often had white streaks of detergent residue on them which were not only an eyesore but also irritated our skin. So, we decided to do some research and find a few simple hacks that played a significant role in prolonging the life of our coloured clothes and made them look as good as new!
1. Spot Treat Between Washes
Unless your clothes are soiled or you wear them daily, we have seen that you can afford to go 4 to 5 times without washing them completely. Instead, resort to spot treatment of mild stains and spills between the washes. The answer to how to remove stains from coloured clothes is to make a switch from powder detergent to liquid detergent. We used Surf Excel Matic Liquid for this purpose and found it particularly convenient with its easy-to-pour nozzle that prevents spillage and enables easy application. After washing away the detergent, we simply air-dried the clothes.
2. Always Sort Your Clothes Before Washing
We have all seen the effects of a red sock tossed in with a pile of white clothes. Dye in dark coloured clothes can seep into light coloured clothing during the wash and change their colour to a different shade altogether. To prevent such accidents from happening, it's best to wash your white and dark-coloured clothes separately.
3. Use the Right Detergent
We have seen that some detergents can prove to be extremely harsh on clothes leading to fading and subsequent wear and tear. We also hate the white residue that some of them leave behind on our clothes. But, after some amount of experimentation, we have finally zeroed in on Surf Excel Matic Liquid as our chosen detergent. This is because even after multiple washes with this product, our coloured clothes looked shiny and new. Being a liquid detergent, it dissolved quickly and removed even the toughest of stains. We loved the fact that since it is a liquid detergent, it didn’t leave behind white streaks on our clothes and they had a nice fragrance emanating from them for a long period of time.
4. Turn Your Clothes Inside Out
This one simple tip has saved so many of our clothes from fading. It protects the exterior part of the clothes from rubbing against other clothing and breaking down the fibers. Even laundry issues like lint formation and pilling will happen only on the inside of the clothes, keeping the outside looking new and fresh!
5. Avoid Stuffing the Washing Machine
Overloading the machine can be tempting, but we have seen that it has several drawbacks. It leads to improper distribution of detergent and water, making the machine work harder and being harsher on the clothes. All this can eventually lead to the clothes not being cleaned properly and also appear faded.
6. Wash in Cold Water
Our experience has taught us that cold water is ideal to wash coloured clothes. This is because hot water opens up fibers in clothes and releases the dye, whereas cold water traps the dye inside and prevents the bleeding of colours. Detergents like Surf Excel Matic Liquid work equally well in both warm water and cold water.
Try out these tips and protect your coloured clothes from fading.
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