One of the basic rules of laundry is to separate your white clothes from your coloured ones. We've been told for ages that failing to sort your laundry can lead to the colours bleeding through your clothes and staining your whites. But sometimes, you just don't feel like sorting your laundry. Or maybe you don't own that much white clothing and find it a waste of water to put them in a separate wash. So, it makes you wonder if it really is necessary to sort your laundry.
Yes, colours can bleed in the wash.
When you wash your coloured clothes with your white clothes, the coloured clothes transfer colour pigments to the white clothes. The pigments that are transferred from the coloured clothes to the white clothes are red, orange, yellow, green, and blue.
One of the main colour pigments that can be transferred from the coloured clothes to the white clothes is yellow. Yellow contains sulphur, which can cause yellow stains on the whites.
The intensity of the colour bleeding can depend on the conditions of the wash.
There are some factors that can affect the intensity of colour bleeding in the wash.
The detergent that you use can affect the intensity of colour bleeding in the wash.
Laundry detergents contain enzymes. Enzymes are used to clean clothes by breaking down the dirt and stains on them. Enzymes are also used to transfer colour pigments from the coloured clothes to the white clothes.
It's best to use a laundry detergent that contains enzymes to help prevent colour bleeding. The best laundry detergent for colour bleeding is Tide Cold Water.
But be careful with your laundry detergent. Using too much detergent can also cause the colours to bleed.
The washing temperature can also affect the intensity of colour bleeding in the wash.
The washing temperature can intensify colour bleeding because the detergent is more easily activated in warm water.
It's best to use cold water to wash your coloured clothes so that the intensity of colour bleeding is reduced.
But you should use warm water if you mix your coloured clothes with your white clothes. Warm water is necessary to activate the laundry detergent to prevent the intensity of colour bleeding.
The washing time can affect the intensity of colour bleeding in the wash.
The longer you leave the coloured clothes in the wash, the more intense the colour bleeding will be.
To minimise colour bleeding, it's best to put the coloured clothes in the wash and quickly run the wash.
If you don't have too many white clothes, use cold water and a laundry detergent that contains enzymes to prevent colour bleeding.
If you have many white clothes and your detergent doesn't contain enzymes, use warm water and separate your coloured clothes and white clothes in the wash to prevent colour bleeding.
Just remember that when you wash your coloured clothes with your white clothes, the colours can transfer pigments to the white clothes. There are some ways to help prevent this from happening. Use cold water and a laundry detergent that contains enzymes to help prevent colour bleeding. If you don't have enough white clothing to use in cold water, use warm water and separate your coloured clothing and white clothes in the wash.
Keep your clothes clean with the help of dobiQueen. We are a self-service laundry in Malaysia that provides an easy and fast way to have your weekly laundry cleaned and dried with the best laundry machines at affordable prices. Sign up for free now!