Thread: Why bleeding?

As I read and experience bleeding fabrics I'm really wondering why? This fabric we buy is not inexpensive, sometimes I think overpriced, but that's another story....how come the clothes that we buy don't bleed when washed?..exception being red, denims, very dark....whatever...but generally most are " safe". I know most clothing is a combo of cotton/poly, but those things that are 100% cotton, in colors, is there bleeding? Since I'm out of the work force now, my shopping is limited, but when I was, I was a clothes horse and none of my washable clothes ever bled! But thinking now,when I washed the "darks"' it was and still is, in cold water...

Are the mfgrs of cotton yard goods somehow gypping on their dyes causing them to be not so colorfast- how about that for a dated word! Or is it because we(quilters) are "washing in HOT water" everything.......just wondering

Depends on the way the dye interacts with the fabric. MFG might have to overdye to get the desired color. Newer dye types might have different reactions to fabric content.

In the case of DMC embroidery floss years ago - black was always a bit thinner than the rest. Red, you had to wash in cold water with white vinegar and salt to set.

It shouldn't be hot water only - kid in UK had a washing machine that only used hot water. I'd asked her why she didn't use cold and she said it had no setting. She replaced the machine. If these machines that only use hot are available, then I should think the MFG would put a notice on fabric care on the end of the bolt or another warning.

I bought some inexpensive red sheets. I haven't had dye problems, but even after 3 years of washing, I still get a lint trap full of red fluff! You'd think the fluff would be gone by now.

I find price is no determination in bleeding, and I get annoyed every time I find one in my stash. I get it with batiks , having seen first hand the production process and the very labor /primitive methods used to get the effects on the fabric. BUT......... I have often asked myself , we can put men on the moon ... but can't stop fabric dyes from bleeding.!!???

I think any fabric can bleed - you can have one lot that quality control has missed. One lot in a huge run.

New regulations for dye - for both workers and users safety. How many times have you seen a warning for a safety correction and the correction is worse than the problem? Things might be fine for months, even a couple of years and a new laundry detergent causes all kindsof problems.

I don't think it's either deliberate or laziness. It could be that if a fabric Co. says fabric will run, it's whole method of dyeing, including proprietary processes might be revealed and leaked.

The worst I've ever seen was a very expensive dry clean only dress with plenty of instruction on how to dry clean, but neglected to tell anyone to cut off the buttons. The buttons were not dry cleanable. One very big mess.

I think it is the all cotton content in quilt fabric that accounts for the bleeding. I have never had a poly/cotton fabric bleed no matter how saturated the colour is. Most garments are a combination of fibers.

The dyes used for natural fibers are different from those used for synthetics, which may account for the difference in potential bleeding.

I remember a polyester doubleknit dress that I had made back in the '70s that was a beautiful red bottom with a white bodice. I loved it until I washed it. It became a pink and red dress. That wouldn't have been so bad except the interfacing around the neckline absorbed more dye and showed though. So even polyester fabrics can run.

I agree poly can run... I had a dark maroon colored bath robe made of a poly fleece , and my husband ( now ex) did the laundry and tossed it in with my white uniforms..... what a mess.