We have all seen colours fade away from our favourite clothes and bed sheets, right in front of our eyes. And then we wonder- ‘Oh, how good it seemed when it was new!’ or ‘Is this what I paid for? A faded blue bed sheet cotton that looks like it’s been dipped in bleach?’
And if that is you right now, you are not alone. Be it Bed sheets, t-shirts, or even jeans, all fabrics can fade away. They bleed till there are not any colours left and then all you are left with is a husk that once could light a room up, all by itself.
Why Do Fabrics Fade in the First Place?
There are a lot of reasons for fabrics of all kinds to end up fading-
The cloth of the white sheets may have been over-dyed to look more attractive and eye-catching. But as soon as the fabric hits the washing machine, the colours of the fabric wash out. This leaves the decor bedsheets all crumpled and wrinkly without any colour or original spark on them.
Sometimes, the manufacturers do not use the right dye for the designer bed sheets to lock the colours in properly. This may cause the colours to bleed out.
Chemicals in detergents and bleach can react with the colours or the fabrics which causes the colours to flow out.
When the fabric of the designer bed sheets is washed, rubbing and friction may cause the colour to transfer to another fabric- which, over time can make the king size bedsheet lose its original colour and shine.
ØAnd more often than not, we fail to check instructions printed on the bedsheets online (and other clothes) and wash the fabric in a way that harms the structure of the cloth and the colour as well.
How Can You Stop the Colours from Bleeding Out?
One of the most important things that can change the intensity of the colour is if the cloth releases dyes- another cloth absorbs it- dis-colouring the fabric. One way to stop the colour of the fabric from getting distorted is by washing all your colours with like colours.
You can turn the fabric around to ensure that the colour of the designer bed sheets does not fade from the top.
Ensure that you only use cold water to wash the clothes. This is important as hot water opens the fabric up and causes the colours to leak out.
Washing with cold water saves the cost of using water heaters and prevents the fabric from fading out as well.
Use the Gentle setting or mode of your washing machine. It will decrease the amount of friction and protect the printed bed sheets.
Add salt or vinegar to the washing machine to lock the colours in to make sure that everything stays as good as new!
Do not put your clothes out in the sun to air dry- the light and UV rays can damage the structure of the bedsheet. This can, over time, cause the fabric to fade quicker than it would otherwise have.
You can also use dye fixatives to ensure that the colour of the bedspread does not run out. But be sure to read the label and follow them precisely to ensure that the fixative works well.
Using these many different methods, you can protect your bedsheet cotton from fading. And, if doing all of this feels like too much work-
then you can just head on to WoodenStreet and choose from the plethora of choices. Buy bed sheets online at affordable prices and make
your room (and designer bed sheets) look brand new!