Originally Posted by bearisgray
Originally Posted by Scissor Queen
The real question isn't whether a fabric bleeds or not, it's whether other fabrics pick that excess dye up. Not all fabrics will pick that dye up and even most of the ones that do it won't be permanent because it's still not set.
So - how do you tell ahead of time which fabrics might be problematical or not?
You make the situation sound a bit like a communicable disease - it's not the carrier that's the problem - it's who might be susceptible to the disease - not everyone gets sick that's exposed to the carrier.
To take this in a different direction -
Why/How do some people seem to stay well when just about everyone else around them seems to be getting sick?
You've never accidentally washed a pair of your hubby's white shorts with something red? After a few washes they're white again.
The only thing I've ever had pick up loose dye in the wash and stay that way permanently is some rayon embroidery on a pair of pillow cases. The pillow cases themselves didn't pick up the dye. I've been doing laundry for about 38 years now.