Faded clothes: how to recover them easily

The dye running from one garment and spoiling another is a very irritating, commonplace experience. Far from blindly accepting that your clothes have been spoilt, you can recover faded clothes if you act quickly, apply the right methods and use a good product for faded clothes. Let's see how!

How to act immediately if your clothes have faded

When you see that a garment has lost its colour or the dye has run, act quickly: the sooner you intervene, the better your chances will be of recovering the faded clothes. Here are the most recommended actions to take:

1. As soon as you realise what has happened, remove the affected garments immediately. Do not wait: take everything out of the washing machine that has faded or that has been in contact with other garments whose dye has run to isolate the problem.
2. Rinse in plenty of cold water. Hot water makes dyes set faster in fibres. That is why it is best to use cold or tepid water when starting to deal with the problem. 
3. Identify the type of fabric and read the washing label. Not all fabrics can be treated in the same way (temperature, long soaking times, products). If you are dealing with delicate garments, you will probably have to choose less aggressive methods.
4. Applying a product for faded clothes. If you have some specific stain remover for dye, now is the time to use it. Dissolve the contents of one sachet in 5 or 6 litres of water at the maximum temperature on the garment label. Place the garments in the mixture and gently stir (aggressive scrubbing can damage the fibres and the result could be irregular colouring), and when you see that the colour has returned to normal, rinse with plenty of water. 
5. Washing in mild detergent. After treatment, wash the garment by hand with detergent to get rid of any remains of the product and then allow it to dry.

Tips to recover the original colour of faded clothes

If you prefer more natural solutions rather than chemical products, there are several household remedies to recover the original colour of faded clothes that could work. Let’s take a look at them!

• Water with salt and ice: place the faded garments in a saucepan and cover them completely with salt and ice. Allow it to work for a few minutes.
• Cold milk: stains will disappear slowly with this method. We recommend keeping an eye on the garments and changing the milk every three hours.
• Unpeeled potatoes: for non-synthetic garments, take a saucepan full of water and place the clothes in it. Wash, but do not peel, some potatoes and put them in the saucepan and bring it to the boil. When it has been boiling for a while, you will see that the fading disappears.
• Bay leaf and baking powder: boil some water with a few spoonfuls of baking powder and bay leaves. When the water cools, remove the bay leaves and place the garments in the water. The stains will gradually disappear.
• Eggshells: Have you ever heard of this tip? All you have to do is get a receptacle ready with boiling water and eggshells. When it has been boiling for a while, turn off the heat and place the garments in the water. The stains will disappear almost immediately.

How to avoid faded clothes

If you want to avoid your clothes fading, or at least reduce the possibility of it happening, and affecting others, bear the following two tips in mind:

• We recommend washing garments made from natural fabrics such as cotton, wool or silk in plenty of water and salt the first time. Change the water as many times as necessary until it comes out clean. Wring them out and hang them up to dry.
• With synthetic fabrics, follow the same procedure, but let them soak for less time, as they could spoil.

Products to help recover the colour

A good product for faded clothes makes this process considerably easier. The good news is that there is more than one that could be of help. Take note!

• Faded Clothes Stain Remover. This is specific for white clothes and it can be used in the washing machine and when washing by hand. 
• Frescor Liquid Detergent. This is a liquid detergent for washing machines with a concentrated formula that can be used as the final step in a household remedy for faded clothes, with or without stain remover. Suitable for coloured clothes. 
• Gold Pink Stain Remover. It is a well-known oxygenated stain remover that is versatile and works on many different stains. It is also useful to avoid fading.

Recovering faded clothes is not always easy, but if you act quickly, are patient and use the right products, you can restore the colour and lengthen the life of your clothes.