How to remove color bleeding from clothes

Color bleeding is fun when you are trying it out on an art print or using it for computer 3D graphics, but thats actually the best part of it. I’m sure you don’t want to experience the stress that accompanies is color bleeding on clothes.

Color bleeding may appear on clothing fabric in the washing machine, and when this happens, it can cause stain and discoloration. Removing color bleeding from clothing is stressful.

How to remove color bleeding from clothes

This article is intended to serve as a color bleed removal guide to whoever cares to know the step-by-step approach of how to get color bleeding out of clothes immediately and how to remove color bleeding from clothes naturally.

What is color bleeding in clothes

Color bleeding is best described as a situation whereby a cloth fabric has color blotches. This may be as a result of dye fading off a particular fabric.

This causes discoloration in the water, and because the discolored water is used for other clothes, the fading dye/color can easily transfer to other fabrics in the machine load. When color/dye fades off, it causes cloth to the lost vibrancy and its intensity.

Do color bleed stains come out of clothes

Yes, they do! However, you have to respond immediately to save yourself from the rigorous stress that may accompany color bleed stain. If left untreated for a long time, the color bleed stain will dry up, and this will make your job more difficult. We will show you how to remove color bleed stains from clothes with just 3 simple steps.

What will remove color bleeding from clothes

Fortunately, there are lots of stain removers you can use to get rid of color bleeding stains. These cleaners range from abrasive to non-abrasive, chemical and nonchemical, and home-based cleaners you can find in your house. Some of these cleaners include; Baking soda, vinegar, bleaches, color run remover, rubbing alcohol, OxiClean, enzyme stain remover, etc.

Details on how to use some of these cleaners shall be provided in this article shortly, so read on for a step-by-step approach.

Also, it is quite important if you’re using an abrasive cleaner that you try the cleaner of your choice on a less intrusive part of the cloth to prevent the fabric from further color bleeding.

Does vinegar remove color bleed

Yes, vinegar can help you remove color bleed. However, vinegar is a home-based abrasive cleaner, so you have to be careful with the usage to prevent your fabric from further damage.

A section of this article is dedicated to providing a guide on how to use vinegar to remove color bleeding from colored clothes, so I won’t bother you with details here.

Does baking soda remove cloth bleed

Yes, baking soda is almost as effective as vinegar when it comes to removing color bleeding from clothes. Although, just like vinegar, baking is also an abrasive cleaner, so you have to be careful about its usage too.

Using Baking soda

You can get rid of color bleed on clothes with baking soda by following the guide below.

  1. Make a paste of baking soda and water. Make sure both are of equal quantity.
  2. Apply the paste on the affected area(s).
  3. Get a cloth/paper towel and use it to scrub the paste gently on the affected spot.
  4. Wipe off the paste using a dry cloth or paper towel.

Does Clorox 2 remove color bleed

Yes, it does gets rid of color bleed stains! In fact, I recommend the overall cleaners mentioned here for three reasons.

  1. Unlike vinegar and baking soda mentioned earlier, it is less abrasive, i.e., it is a mild cleaner, which makes it an effective stain remover, plus it has no damaging effect whatsoever on your fabric.
  2. You can pretreat your stained or soiled cloth with it.
  3. Clorox 2 is specifically designed for colored cloth.

How to pretreat clothes using Clorox 2

Apply Clorox 2 on the affected spot and rub it in using a cloth/towel and wait for 5 minutes and wash the escaping stains off.

Using Clorox 2 proper

Follow these steps for ways on how to get rid of color bleeds on clothes using Clorox 2.

  1. Get a bucket, fill it with water and add a small amount of Clorox 2.
  2. Dip the stained fabric into the bucket and leave it there to soak for hours.
  3. Withdraw fabric once the stain is completely removed and wash the normal way.

Warning!

When trying to get Clorox 2, it is important to state specifically that you want Clorox 2 so as not to end up buying Clorox 1, which is more aggressive and not designed for colored cloth. Using Clorox 1 on your colored fabric will cause it to bleed further.

Does OxiClean remove color bleeding

Yes, OxiClean can help remove color bleed stains from clothes. Details about the process will be provided below. Using OxiClean

Before proceeding with the procedure, ensure that the fabric causing color bleed stain is ejected from the wash load.

  1. Make a solution of water and OxiClean stain remover.
  2. Check the package for information about the quantity to be used per gallon of water and implement.
  3. Dip in the stained fabric and leave it to soak for a minimum of 8 hours.
  4. Withdraw cloth after the stain is completely removed and wash the normal way.

How do i remove color bleeding stains from clothes

How to remove color bleeding from cloth using vinegar

Vinegar is a home-based cleaner, and it is super easy to use. Note; vinegar is an abrasive cleaner, so you must be careful with its use.

Using Vinegar

  1. Pour a cup of vinegar into a bathtub full of water.
  2. Dip in the stained cloth and leave it to soak for about 30 minutes.
  3. Wash with cold water afterward.

How to remove color bleeding from clothes naturally

Oftentimes, people use natural cleaners interchangeably with organic cleaners. However, both are different as natural cleaners do not have any artificial hormones or flavors present in organic cleaners.

A step-by-step approach is provided below on how to use natural cleaners to remove color bleed stains from clothes.

  1. Put the stained cloth inside the machine and reset the washing machine and allow the cloth to stir for about 15 minutes. This will help remove some excess dye on the fabric.
  2. Make a solution of Green tea and hot water in a bucket. Soak in the teabag in the ratio of 1 teabag to 8 ounces of hot water.
  3. Withdraw the stained cloth from the washing machine and soak it into the hot water mixture. Leave it soaked in the bucket for about 15 minutes.
  4. Withdraw the stained cloth from the solution and leave it spread out on any flat surface.
  5. Sprinkle a generous amount of table salt on the fabrics and allow them to sit for close to 15 minutes.
  6. Put the cloth back into the washing machine and reset it back to the default setting.
  7. Withdraw the cloth after wash and verify if the stain is completely gone.

How to prevent color bleeding in clothes

The following are tips on how to prevent color bleeding in clothes.

  1. The first step is to be careful with your fabric selection. By doing this, you will save yourself from ever having to take any preventive measures at all. Watch out for cloth with instructions like; “turn inside out before wash,””color rubs off,” etc.
  2. Do not wash your white cloth simultaneously with other colored cloth in the washing machine because they are most prone to color bleed stain. White garments are to be washed separately.
  3. Make synthetic or Nylon fabrics your top priority while shopping for clothes. Synthetic or Nylon fabrics tend to lock in color compared to other materials like cotton and wool.
  4. If you have the mindset that the best way to get out stains from fabric is by using hot water, it’s high time you bury such an idea. Coldwater helps to lock in colors better than hot water.
  5. Make use of the color catcher. Color catcher is a dye magnet and is made specifically to absorb fading dyes in the machine before they stain other clothes.

Color bleed stains FAQs

What colors bleed in the wash?

Colors that are likely to bleed in the wash are red and orange. These colors are more fickle and are most likely to cause a color bleed.

Do colors bleed in the washer or dryer?

Both washer and dryer cause color bleed.

Does color bleed in the dryer?

Yes, color bleeds in the dryer. Basically, colors transfer to other cloth because they are wet. So if, for instance, you put wet orange or red fabric together with white fabric in a dryer, the white fabric will definitely stain.

Does cotton bleed color?

Yes, cotton fabrics bleed color.

Does color bleed in cold water?

No, cold water does not bleed cloth. Unlike hot water that strips color away from the fabric, cold water helps to keep the fiber tight.

Can color stains be removed from dryers?

Yes, you can remove color stains from the dryer. The dryer drum may collect some colors from clothes while drying, and this could cause it to stain. You can combine both vinegar and baking soda to remove such a stain.

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