How to Keep Dark Clothes from Fading in 4 Simple Steps

Fabric fibers will inevitably be damaged every time you wash it, whether it’s by hand, machine washed, or dry cleaned. But while most clothes, especially light colored ones can take this and still be fine after multiple washings, clothes with darker colors need to be treated more gently since they tend to fade more easily. So if you’re not sure about how to handle or clean your darker shirts, blouses, or jeans, here are a few ways you can get started:

It doesn’t need washing

Some clothing items, such as jeans, are made of denim that won’t necessarily fade the way you want it to, and in some cases even rip, though it can still be wearable depending on your preference. However, if you want to preserve the color, keep in mind that it doesn’t always have to be washed. In fact, in the case of denim, it’s recommended that the best way to clean them is to cover them in a sealed plastic bag and place them in a freezer for a few hours to kill the bacteria.

Sort your clothes

There’s a reason why you need to separate the light colored clothes from the dark colored ones when you’re doing your laundry: even if you’re using a mild detergent, there’s a good chance that the color will bleed and be absorbed by the lighter fabrics. The difference with color bleeding is that it can be very difficult to remove, and the process of repeated bleaching to remove it can sometimes destroy the fabric itself.

Use color-safe detergent

Excessive amounts of detergent can leave their residue in fabrics and reduce their color, which can make them look dull over several washings, which is why color-safe detergent is a great alternative if you deal with dark-colored clothes regularly.

You can get even better results if you use liquid detergent rather than powder, since any undissolved particles from the latter can cling to your dark clothes or leave blotches and spots that can make the fabric appear dull. If you don’t have a color-safe detergent, try using the minimum amount needed to clean a regular size load, which is about one to two teaspoons. Be sure to add them to the washer drum before adding your laundry load.

Don’t dry them in direct sunlight

Dark clothes are ones that you should keep away from direct sunlight as much as possible since they can easily fade. While you can still air-dry them to save money, keeping them under the shade is crucial to maintaining their color. Alternatively, you can use the dryer on the laundromat or the dryer setting in your washing machine to keep them dry without bleaching out their color or dye.