How to stop colours leaching in the wash

Primrose

I recently bought a blue & white striped sweater and on its first test wash (by hand) noticed that the blue colour was leaching quite badly. I'm worried that the white parts will eventually end up coloured with a blue tinge. What's the best way of washing to prevent this happening?

Hellyboo

Wash it in cold water - it's warm water that causes the dyes to run. You could also try "setting" the dye by soaking it in cold salty water.

There are things called colour catchers on the market, that look like tumble dryer sheets but you put in the machine and they somehow catch all the run dye and stop it going on the rest of the clothes, but they're expensive and unnecessary IMHO

HTH

Primrose

Helloboo - thanks, I'll try that as I'm certainly not keen to waste money on colour catchers. I normally think of practical issues like washability versus dry clean when I buy clothes, but heart ruled head on this occasion. I certainly won't buy any more red T shirts though!

jackieglasgow

Poundstretchers do colour catchers at a good price, can't remember exactly, I usually cut them in half too. Recently discovered after buying and ruining DS2 some cheap t shirts with different coloured binding round the necks that you shouldn't wash them in biological powder, it said so on the label, but I never bother looking. The colour catchers never saved them though

caris

I always tip salt into my washing machine draw if in any doubt about garments colour running in the wash, so far never had any problems.