An Ounce of Prevention

Here is another case of using an ounce of prevention to forestall hours of toil. Dye transfer is caused when unstable colors bleed from one fabric to another. This can be prevented by sorting wash loads by color; it helps too if you quickly remove clothes from the washer as soon as the rinse cycle is complete.

Some fabric stabilizers, also known as “interfacing”, will absorb dyes and act as “color magnets” in your wash load. You can find stabilizers, which resemble thin sheets of foam (which they’re not) at fabric stores.

There are two other products you can add to your wash that will block dyes that may leach out of fabric by clumping them into particles that remain suspended in the wash water instead of depositing themselves on the other fabrics mixed in with that load. (Keep in mind that, even though it’s a good idea to wash whites in a separate load, that doesn’t solve the problem of mixed colors; dye in one section of a garment can leach into an adjacent white area of that same article.) One of these products is called Syntrapol. The other is Color Catcher, made by Shout.

Don’t Let it Set!

Many decades ago, a gentleman named Don Aslett wrote “The Stain-Buster’s Bible,” a classic how-to book that has been reprinted and revised many times over the years. Its key piece of advice throughout every printing and revision has been to attack the stain before it sets. In the case of color dyes transferring to white clothing in the washing machine, this means getting to those stains while the clothing is still wet. Whatever you do, don’t run those articles through the clothes dryer or iron them and then expect to get that color out.

Be forewarned: even if you catch a dye stain before it sets, it still may not be easy to get it out. Some fabrics that accept color will never become white again. With natural fabrics like cotton, you’ve got a fighting chance of fixing the problem, but others, such as nylon, may hold the color indefinitely. And the darker the dye, the more difficult it’s going to be to lift it out.

Removing Dye Transfer Stains

For small areas or small garments:

Mix equal parts water, ammonia, and dish detergent in a spray bottle. Spray it on the stain and clean the area using rapid strokes with a soft tooth brush. As long as the garment is white, you can let the solvent soak in before scrubbing. If the stain is on a colored garment, letting the solvent sit too long may bleach out the color along with the stain. But getting stains out of colored fabric is a totally different ball of wax. You may have to rinse and repeat several times before you get it all. Wash as usual when you have gotten all the color out, but don’t put the article in the dryer until you are certain the stain is gone completely.

For spots, mix white vinegar and warm water half-and-half in a spray bottle and spray the stains liberally. To handle larger areas, make a bowl of the mixture and let the garment soak in the solution for a few minutes. Then wash as usual.

For whole garments or entire loads

Try immediately soaking the discolored area in a diluted bleach solution. Start with a weak solution - one part bleach to eight or more parts water. Rinse and repeat until the stain is gone before drying the item. If this solution is insufficient to lift the stain, gradually increase the ratio of chlorine bleach to water until it works. For more firepower, try adding an oxy plus soaker.

Some suggest bringing the water almost to a boil before adding bleach, and soaking the entire garment for a few minutes before washing as usual.

Non-Bleach Methods

• Soak the fabric in hot water infused with green tea. Remove the garment, spread salt on the stain, let stand a while, and then launder normally.
• Rewash the item, adding about 1/4 cup of borax to the wash water.
• Rit (and perhaps other companies) produces a color remover you may use on stained white clothes. Follow the directions on the box. Be certain that you don’t use the solution around your washer or dryer, as the solution is strong enough to mar the finish. That being the case, you may also want to invest in a sturdy pair of rubber gloves and wear old clothes while you’re treating your garments.

Beware the Bleach

Keep in mind that repeated bleaching weakens fabric, and the life of the garment will be reduced. Another problem in using bleach is that clothing manufacturers now often apply a finish to white clothes to make them appear whiter. Bleach will often react with the finish, turning it yellow.

Bluing May Make It White Again

Mrs. Stewart’s Bluing is said to lift out dye stains. You can find it in the soap aisle of your local grocery store.

If all else fails, try dyeing the garments a darker color.