Did your item get discolored while washing? There's a solution!
A colorful blouse "accidentally" ended up in the wash with white laundry, and a black sock left its mark on a light-colored T-shirt. What should you do if one of your items faded during the wash and left stains on other items? It turns out there are many ways to fix the situation if an item changes color during the wash.
What colors are most likely to fade?
Not all fabrics fade. Usually, brightly colored cotton fabrics, and sometimes wool, give off “extra” dye. New denim can bleed a lot, especially when washed in hot water. Red, dark green, orange, blue-brown—any rich shade can cause problems and stain a different color during washing.
If there is colored or contrasting trim, frills, or a bow on a skirt or blouse, you should first study the inscriptions and symbols on the label before washing such an item.
A "disaster" has occurred! What to do?
Your favorite item looks awful after washing, covered in streaks or oddly colored stains. You can't wear it like this, and it's a shame to throw it away. The first thing you need to do is rewash the item with bleach or detergent.
The second thing to consider is dry cleaning. With the right equipment and chemicals, this problem can be eliminated.
If you're too lazy to find a dry cleaner or the item isn't worth the extra expense, a list of tried-and-true home remedies will do the trick. Simple, household items can help remedy this problem.
The following components can be added to this list:
- salt;
- hydrogen peroxide;
- stain removers for colored and white fabrics;
- ammonia;
- bleaches and powders;
- citric acid;
- laundry soap;
- bleach;
- potassium permanganate.
Method using hydrogen peroxide
Immediately after discovering unauthorized dyeing, place the still-damp damaged items in a basin or saucepan. Fill with water, place on the stove, and add hydrogen peroxide. Use 20 grams of hydrogen peroxide solution per 4-5 liters of water. Heat and boil for about half an hour. The dye from the stains will transfer into the water, and the item will be restored. This method can be used on both white and colored items. If the dye discoloration is uneven during washing, hydrogen peroxide will also correct this issue.
Ammonia works similarly in a smaller quantity (1 full tablespoon). Heat the laundry to a boil, rinse in warm water, and dry.
How to restore white items with starch?
White or light colored items stained with a faded item are sometimes sufficient to be re-washed in hotter water or boiled with detergent.If this measure only lightened the stains and streaks, you should proceed as follows:
- take 1 tablespoon each of grated laundry soap, citric acid, starch, and coarse salt;
- add a little water;
- mix everything in a small container until it becomes a paste;
- apply to the reverse side of the product in the place where the stain appeared during washing;
- stand for about half a day;
- rinse thoroughly and dry.
It is important to act before the paint has time to set into the fabric fibers.
Experimental methods
- If an item has completely lost its appearance after contact with a foreign dye and there's nothing left to lose, you can try a "grandmother's recipe" using potassium permanganate. Dissolve a couple of crystals in water, add laundry detergent, and place the damaged item in the solution. After a while, rinse and dry.
- Another controversial method is to mix detergents, bleaches, and stain removers from different manufacturers and soak your favorite item in this "miracle potion." No one is responsible for the results. If the item dissolves in this hellish mixture, you won't have to throw anything away.
How to get an original piece of clothing from a damaged item?
Any stain from a faded item can be decorated. There are countless ways to create a unique garment from something seemingly ruined in the wash.
- Got a few stains on your blouse? Let's add more! Take fabric paints or regular watercolors and apply them randomly to the surface of your favorite item with a sponge. To prevent the paint from transferring to the other surface, place a layer of thick plastic or cardboard inside the blouse. Remove this layer before ironing. Let it dry for a few hours, then iron thoroughly through the additional fabric to set it. This masterpiece can then be washed in warm water (up to 40 degrees Celsius) as usual.
- Once again, paints, a sponge, and any stencil. The resulting fabric painting will have a specific floral or other pattern and design, not just a random one.
- Any design can be made on fabric using simple felt-tip pens. The fixing method is the same – ironing.
- Don't feel like painting? No problem! You can use regular sewing thread or embroider a few random multicolored lines over the stains.
- Appliques made from fade-resistant ribbons, sewn-on rhinestones and flowers, sequins and beads will not only save a dyed item but also turn it into an unusual wardrobe item.
- You can dramatically change the color of a cotton item by boiling it in aniline dye. A wool item may shrink significantly, while an acrylic item will stretch.
- It's important to remember that not all knitwear is suitable for artistic painting techniques. Embroidery or appliqué are excellent options. The best solution is to wash light, dark, and colored items separately.
Interesting:
76 reader comments
Add a comment
Headings
Washing machine repair
For buyers
For users
Dishwasher
Thanks, you helped me out. You brought my new sweater back to life! I was looking for your website.
Thank you! I saved my yellow T-shirt that was stained by orange pants using hydrogen peroxide! The stains are gone, and it looks like new!
I tried boiling it with hydrogen peroxide. It seemed to work, and the pan came out clean... The sweater is 95% cotton. I can't see the stains while it's wet, and they were bluish on the pink sweater. Although everything has a blue tint to it.
Thank you so much! The laundry soap worked perfectly, the blouse was saved.
Hello, could you please tell me? I washed my overalls in hot water. The insert got discolored. What should I do? Is there anything I can do to fix this? (The insert isn't removable.) It was white, but now it's pink.
The black, red, and white jumpsuit has faded. How can I fix it?
The hydrogen peroxide method helped restore the original appearance of a shirt that had become discolored during washing.
I stained my white shirts badly with a red sock. I set it to a 95t baby cotton cycle with a prewash (the label said 40 degrees, but I had nothing to lose) and poured 20 ml of hydrogen peroxide directly into the drum. A miracle happened! The dreaded red stains were gone!
It didn't work for me; my pink cotton suit turned blue in places. I poured 200 ml of hydrogen peroxide into the drum and set it to 95 degrees, but it was no use.
I restored my hat's snow-white appearance with hydrogen peroxide. I didn't boil it or throw it in the washing machine, though. I simply poured boiling water over it and added about 50 ml of hydrogen peroxide. An hour later, I took the hat out spot-free. I thought it was all a lie! But no, it really works! Thank you!
Throw away any items that get dyed in the wash immediately, and don't worry! At least they're less likely to get lost in real life than anything else—tested!
The peroxide is super!!!!!!!! Thank you, the dress is restored)
Can I add hydrogen peroxide if I want to restore the color of my black sweater? I got some stains from a burgundy towel.
This peroxide didn't help at all ((((((
What should I do if the item is gray and has blue stains on it, and it can't be boiled or bleached?
I washed white clothes with blue leggings and everything turned blue. What should I do?
I washed a pistachio-colored jacket, forgetting there were dark socks in the washing machine. Now it's stained. What should I do? I regret buying the jacket a week ago.
Thank you! The hydrogen peroxide worked. It's a great product! I washed light-colored items with a bright green towel and didn't notice! My laundry had taken on a greenish tint, so I boiled it in hydrogen peroxide. Miracle, everything returned to its original color!
Likewise, Alena! 🙂 Huge thanks to the advisers!
On the woolen coat there were brown cuffs that were sewn on new ones, maybe weasel could be treated with peroxide???
My light gray sneakers have developed a bluish tint after being soaked. Will hydrogen peroxide help? Please advise.
The dress is blue with white stripes. When I washed it, the white stripes turned a light blue (it looks really dirty).
What to do in this case?
Veronica, you've got your answer. How can I restore the blue and white item? Please tell me.
A white children's blouse with a blue collar. I lost the collar, and now it's covered in blue stains. What should I do?
Hydrogen peroxide helped save a yellow T-shirt after it developed red stains in the wash. I boiled it for an hour.
Thanks for the valuable advice. The clothes came out just fine. It was a shame—my daughter's and husband's shirts were stained. Hydrogen peroxide and an hour of boiling! You were a lifesaver! I'm so grateful!
Ammonia helped, the stains disappeared.
Can you tell me in what proportions to mix water and hydrogen peroxide?
Hydrogen peroxide works wonders, but it would probably be more effective to immediately take out the wet laundry and do the peroxide procedure, but mine dried for half a day in the active sun, and still there was a positive result.
Can anyone tell me? I washed my red and white tracksuit. The white part got dyed and now has a red tint. What can I do?
Can I add hydrogen peroxide to colored items? This item also fades… Won't the peroxide wash out?
The peroxide didn't help me at all, I feel so sorry for the sweater!
The hydrogen peroxide helped partially. It boiled away the lighter stains, but only barely noticeable traces remained where the brighter spots were. It also seems to me that the color itself has boiled off a bit.
To prevent things from getting dyed, you need to place the item in a basin, pour a bottle of vinegar over it and dilute it with water.
Guys, thank you so much! I dyed my husband's new white shirt: I soaked it and threw it in a basin overnight with a dark shirt. It didn't seem to fade, but then I took it out and the white shirt was covered in gray stains. I washed it with Faberlic stain remover and at home with Land soap, but it didn't have any noticeable effect. Hydrogen peroxide and boiling saved the day!
I tried to restore the color with hydrogen peroxide! The original color was removed, and the acquired color deepened.
Same thing. Ruined the thing completely.
Buy acrylic fabric paint in a spray can. It's easy to apply, dries quickly, and retains its color even after washing. Some items, such as cotton, can be completely dyed by boiling them in aniline dye.
There is a dark spot on my beige pants that has faded, please tell me.
I washed my new red pants and washed a raspberry-colored T-shirt with them. The red pants now have raspberry-colored stains. Could you please tell me what to do?
I washed a red dress with black flowers. Now they're pink. What should I do?
Thanks for the tips! My yellow t-shirts were stained red, in streaks. I washed them separately immediately after washing, on the intensive cycle at 95 degrees, and that helped.
Ladies, the hydrogen peroxide solution works 100%! I have a new black-and-white striped cotton shirt that was covered in terrible stains (after hand washing). I tried both salt solution and vinegar… I read the hydrogen peroxide solution and the shirt was saved! I added about 70 grams of hydrogen peroxide to 4 liters of water, and literally 10 minutes later, the result was already positive. A huge thank you to this website!!!
I have a brown pantsuit with vanilla stripes and a large ruffle, new. I decided to hand wash it before wearing it, hung it up, and half an hour later, while I was shopping for a melon, I noticed streaks and stains on the light-colored part. I immediately threw the whole thing in the washing machine for an hour. When I took it out, it was terrible! Even more stains and stains, the vanilla color had become a dirty beige. Basically, I restored my synthetic suit with an explosive mixture. It didn't bring back the vanilla color, but it did change to a soft, streak-free beige. I used about 1-2 tablespoons of ammonia, 3-5 tablespoons of hydrogen peroxide, 5 tablespoons of salt, a little washing powder, and poured in 5 liters of water (cold, since it's synthetic). I put the clothes in there for 2 hours, and everything was fine. I can wear it!
My white T-shirt turned pink after being washed in the washing machine. I washed it with a red sweater. I didn't notice how it ended up in the washing machine. Hydrogen peroxide didn't help.
I washed a light-colored drape coat in hot water with a dark one, and it got discolored. How do I get it out?
Oh, my dear, I have an expensive dress with a black bottom and a white top that can't be boiled. The top is stained gray (a black sock got caught in the car). Any advice on how to save it?
My original light gray Adidas tights have pink stains after washing. What should I do?
I decided to rinse my shirt and forgot there was a new green towel in there. It ruined everything. The pink one turned brown, and the blue one turned green. I don't know what to do?
My child's new pink suit has black spots on it. Please tell me what I can do?
I have a question: if I boil a pink and white blouse (there's a yellow stain on the collar) with hydrogen peroxide, and it's not a solid color, will it just turn pink? Couldn't it lighten or just turn white?
How can I save a black and white checkered shirt? My denim shirt, washed together, has faded, and the white checks have turned grey?
I soaked my underwear in warm water and detergent for hand washing. It didn't wash the same day, and the next day I noticed colored stains on my bra. What should I do? I don't have any hydrogen peroxide or ammonia, and it's delicate. Should I just throw it away?
Guys, please help! I have a two-tone windbreaker: pink and blue. One color has bled into the other. What should I do? I don't want to throw it away, and I don't want to ruin it either!
What should I do? My jacket is pink and yellow. After washing it in the washing machine, there are pink stains on the yellow. How should I wash it? It seemed to wash off at first, but when it dries, pink streaks appear where the two colors meet on the yellow. When it's completely dry, they're very bright.
What will help if a hand-washed black sweater has painted over a white pattern on itself?
For some reason, these tips didn't work for me. I decided to boil an orange children's dress in citric acid to remove blue stains. And it worked. Not a single stain! The dress looks like new 🙂
Hi everyone! Tell me something, girls!
We soaked a white T-shirt with a red collar in the white stuff. The collar is completely ruined, covered in stains. Is there anything we can do? It's new, what a shame!
My white cotton T-shirt got dyed, leaving two bright burgundy spots. I tried everything—bleach, lemon juice, and various mixtures—but nothing worked! Domestos saved the day! I took a cotton swab and applied it to the spots. Within 5 minutes, all the dye was gone! Maybe my method will help someone, but be careful with delicate fabrics; they probably won't survive it.
How can I whiten the zipper on my tracksuit? It's turned pink. It was white (plastic).
Hello, I washed my pants with Ariel detergent, and it turned out to be for whites. The fabric is stained and lighter. What should I do?
I decided to wash my new black and white tracksuit before wearing it. The white has turned grayish (it's synthetic). What should I do?
My gray coat is stained with black stains (and don't ask who forgot to take out the black sock). Is there a way to bring it back to life? Or how can I dye it completely black? 🙂
Thank you so much! The first method with hydrogen peroxide worked! My child's expensive, almost new, white blouse was partially stained blue by sweatpants. And after boiling it, it all vanished! The blue trim on the blouse didn't fade! Folk remedies are stronger than ready-made solutions! Thank you!
I washed my daughter's new jacket, pink with blue trim. There were blue stains on the pink part. I feel sorry to throw it away. How can I remove the blue stains? Thank you.
I washed my sweater and there was fur on the neck and sleeves. It got stained, apparently from the fur. What should I do?
There are some stains on my bright orange fall coat. I washed it with something dark. It was a long time ago, and the stains are old. Is there any way to get rid of them?
Tracksuit. The sweatshirt is white on top and black on the bottom. The white part turned gray after washing. What can I do?
Hello! I once quickly washed a light-colored medical suit with other items. The result was disastrous. I ended up with a beige suit with bluish stains, especially in the armpits and back. I was very, very upset. But I got it out. Vanish stain remover and washing at 1000 rpm and 60 degrees for 3 hours helped. What a life hack! I hope it helps someone.
Hello, my daughter washed black jeans with a red sweater. The jeans turned burgundy. Can you please tell me how to restore the original color?
I saved the shirt with laundry soap. I washed it by hand several times. When the water became clear, I decided to give it another wash in the washing machine.
I washed a pink swimsuit with dark clothes. It turned pink with a blue tint. I tried hydrogen peroxide. The pink dye came out, but the blue remained. 🙁
Hello, I washed a white sweatshirt, and the washing machine produced rusty water. What should I do? Please advise.
Help. My wool dress is gray. A yellow stain appeared. I sprinkled baking soda on it, then added hydrogen peroxide, and the stain disappeared. But this spot is different; it's pinker. What should I do?
The boiling and hydrogen peroxide method works 100%, but you have to use it immediately as soon as you notice stains. I washed a white polo shirt with blue trim this way, after soaking it for 24 hours in a dreadful bleaching mixture of bleach, detergent, and sunflower oil. The result was horrible blue-brown-purple stains on the white background and around the trim. Boiling with hydrogen peroxide removed the stains as if they had never been there.
Thank you so much. My work t-shirt was yellow, and a sock got stuck in the wash. I thought I couldn't save it. After using hydrogen peroxide, it was like nothing had happened.