How To Get Color Bleed Out Of Clothes?

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Last Updated on December 15, 2022

When a color transfers from one cloth to another, this is called color bleed. Streaks or blotches may result from this. Your beloved clothes items won’t be destroyed if they experience color bleeding.

We can get rid of them naturally with things like baking soda or vinegar. For tough stains, try hydrogen peroxide, bleach, or rubbing alcohol.

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Causes Of Color Bleeding

When new or no colorfast clothing is washed with whites or light-colored materials color bleeding frequently occurs. The finished garment may bleed if the dye applied to the fabric during manufacture does not stick properly.

When other garments are soaked with water and the dye transfers to them, color bleeding can occur.

When washing dark-colored clothing for the first few times, it is also common. A possibility remains that the dye will bleed onto light-colored clothes. Checking the fabric care label might give you an idea as to whether or not a piece of clothing is likely to have a color bleed. An indication that cloth is likely to bleed color is a caution like “wash before wearing.”

Ways To Remove Color Bleed From Clothes

Here are some ways to get color bleed out of clothes:

With Laundry Detergent

The most important thing to keep in mind if you mistakenly color some clothing is not to dry it. Heat can set the color, in which case you must need professional help. However, if you catch it in the wash, getting rid of it should be rather easy. If you only have a little area of bleeding, laundry detergent works wonders.

One gallon of water should be put in a container or sink.
If possible, directly apply two teaspoons of detergent to the colored area.
Use an old toothbrush to make adjustments.
30 minutes of soaking is advised.
Check the item after a second wash.

With Vinegar

White vinegar is another common home item you may use to get rid of color stains. White vinegar may be used to naturally remove colors by wetting a small ball of cotton with vinegar and rubbing it over the back of the clothing you want to soak. You may put vinegar in the clothes if there isn’t any color transfer on the small ball of cotton.

To do this, mix one gallon of water with white vinegar with the measurement of one cup.
30 minutes should be spent soaking the soiled item in the water mixture.
Rinse well and allow to air dry if the color has faded.

If there is still residue, repeat the procedure.

With Oxygen-Based Bleach

To avoid dye transfer discoloration, stained items can be safely washed in oxygenated bleach. You may use oxygen-based bleach on colorful and white clothing. It’s time to go to plan C if the laundry detergent approach didn’t work. This contains oxygenated bleach that is color-safe. This may be used on both white and colorful garments because it is color-safe.

Rewash the laundry that’s been impacted.
Use the right amount of oxygen-based bleach during washing.
After the normal cycle, check the laundry.
Before drying, make sure all color transfer has been removed.
To be safe, you may even line-dry the garment.

With Hydrogen Peroxide

With hydrogen peroxide, color bleeding stains can also be removed. It works well to cover up dye transfer stains on colored clothes. In contrast to bleach, which can harm clothing, hydrogen peroxide will break down the color molecules more quickly and does not react negatively with the most of materials.

Combine water and hydrogen peroxide in an equal amount.
To make the color stains go, soak the stained item in water for around 30 minutes.
Wash and rinse the item.
Dry it out.

With Baking Soda

Before using baking soda, watch our guide on can you use baking soda in the laundry?

Many cleaning tasks may be done with baking soda. It functions best when made into a thick textured paste and allowed to absorb any remaining stain. It is the ideal option for pre-solution to treat the dried stains of color bleed as a result.

Baking soda and lukewarm water should be combined to create a smooth paste.
Place the hardboard inside the item of clothing, next to the stain.
Apply the paste to the stain.
Give the mixture a night to dry.
Scrape into your sink the mixture of baking soda.
Examine the color bleed on your clothing.

With Rubbing Alcohol

An effective stain remover is rubbing alcohol, also known as isopropyl alcohol. It is used on different stains for generations. This technique is more effective for treating specific areas rather than entire clothes. Check the fabric composition of your clothes before using rubbing alcohol.

Lay your item out on a flat, smooth surface, such as a table.
Until the cotton ball is completely saturated, apply to rubbing alcohol. To treat the mark on the clothing, dab it with a ball of cotton.
A remaining dye may be on the inside of the clothes if you can see it. Invert it, and then use a cotton ball to clean the interior.
Apply your regular laundry detergent to the item to be washed. Ensure that the cold setting is on in your clothes washing machine.

Tips To Avoid Color Bleeding In Clothes

Keep the clothes separated into groups based on their hues, primarily white or colorful. By doing this, the chances of color bleeding will be reduced.
For optimal results, soak soiled clothing in cold water. For washing, cold water is best since it prevents color bleed and fading.
New clothing should always be hand washed to check for color bleeding because the dye isn’t always set and bleeding is more frequent.
For washing instructions, pay special attention to the care instructions on your garment.
Use cold water unless otherwise instructed in the washing instructions. Cold water helps colors remain longer and reduces color bleeding.

Can You Remove Color Bleed After Drying?

Yes, however, it won’t be as simple as before it has dried. The earliest possible cleanup is recommended for color stains or accidental color runs. Stains will be made more permanent by allowing them dry or by drying stained clothing in the dryer. It makes their removal difficult and less likely to be successful.

You might only have one choice available once a color bleed stain has dried. A professional stain remover may be your only option. You could have a better chance of repairing the harm if you use a chemical color remover.

Conclusion

Finding color bleed spots in the wash is the most annoying thing ever. The good news is that you can get rid of these stains by pre-treating with liquid detergent, using bleach on white clothing, and hydrogen peroxide or white vinegar on colored clothing.