Recipe to Keep Colors from Running
 

Not sure where exactly to post this:

After soaking deep reds and even washing them with a Color Catcher, my fabric kept bleeding. (It was from the Kansas Troubles line, not a cheapo). I called and asked my LQS owner what to do.

She gave me this tried and true Amish "recipe" (minus the Color Catcher--which she adds because it makes her feel better). She uses it and it has never failed her. I tried it and no more bleeding fabric!

To keep colors from running:

2 Tablespoons salt
1/2 cup white vinegar
2 Tablespoons detergent (brand doesn't matter)
1 Color Catcher *by Shout

Is this recipe used in the washing machine or just for soaking the fabric?

Looks good. How many gallons of water?

I guess I need more details too. I'm sorry, but I am just full of questions. Hope you know the answer for me. Also, I am going to Google your solution. Maybe someone has already given us the info.

Does this mixture go into just a few gallons of water, as in a bathtub soak, or does it go into a washer as a part of a normal wash? Or should you mix this up with water and soak the quilt, then wash it in the same solution? And, do you have any idea if it will work in the new front load washers.

I have one of the new type front load washers and probably won't have another one unless that is all that is available. I don't think they get my clothes as clean as the old tub type ones did. I, also, don't like the way you can't fill it up with water and soak something that got really dirty, and we have those things at my house.

Happy New Year to All!

Thank you for this recipe. I have 7 yards of a red fabric that I did not use because I could not get it to stop running. Now I may be able to use it.

Curious as well....washer or bathtub soak????????

Thanks!

I saw this recipe a while back. I mixed everything into a large measuring cup (sans the color catcher)the after some water in the machine I added the mixture. I had some fabric that I spilled water on and luckily it was on paper and bled. I had already pre-washed once. Did another washing with this mixture and no more bleed.

I have been using lots of reds lately and will have to give this a try. Thanks

Thanks for this. I got a couple of metres of a red fabric in my Christmas present and I need to find a way to stop it from running.

Thanks for posting..

Wow thanks.

Thanks for posting. I am currently finishing our Christmas quilt (yes, a little overdue :)) and the backing is a dark red fabric, so I am going to try this, especially since there is white fabric on the front.

I have questions also. How do you do this? fill the washer and then pour it in? soak or agitate it then? Thanks for the help!

The recipe sounds great. I am also waiting to hear if the fabric needs to soak or just wash as usual.

Thanks for sharing the recipe!

I also would like to know if you soak or agitate. Thanks for the recipe. Can't wait to try it.

I tried adding this to a wash and it made no difference to my fabric - red ran just the same the next time I soaked it. It went in the bin. I will be watching to see what others do with this.

In the bin?

Can't wait for some answers.

Thank you for sharing!!!....and it is so easy!!!

I'm thinking she means in the trash bin or waste can. Different areas have different terms for many things.

We still need the answers from zozee as to how she uses the recipe. Does she throw it in with the color catcher in the washer filled with water and then agitate?

Also interested. In theanssers

Also interested in answers to the questions posted. I have some reds that need to be prewashed for my redwork quilts I am working on. Happy New Year to everyone.

I just used this recipe with tessagin's tip on when to add it and it worked beautifully. I had some blocks with white fabric and 10 yards of red fabric for backing plus some red in the front. There appears to be no bleeding and no red in the color catchers either.

Somehow, I missed tessagin's tip. what was it? I still don't know exactly how to use this method and it would really be helpful to know if it works. to whomever has tried it and knows how to go about it, please post the steps here for all of us! Thanks so much.

Here is tssagin's tip from the first page of this thread: I saw this recipe a while back. I mixed everything into a large measuring cup (sans the color catcher)the after some water in the machine I added the mixture. I had some fabric that I spilled water on and luckily it was on paper and bled. I had already pre-washed once. Did another washing with this mixture and no more bleed.

I did the same - mixing it in a measuring cup and then adding it to the water in the washer tub. Since my machine has a load sensor, I started it with the quilt in the washer, but after it filled with water, I paused the cycle and added the mixture into the water (moving the quilt to one side, so the mixture wasn't poured directly on the quilt) and then added the color catchers. I had a wool batting, so I used the wool setting on my machine and it worked wonderfully.

I can't wait to see how it works on batiks.

Reading carefully all this info. I did a "Walking in a Winter Wonderland" in blues. Used transferease so after done embroidering had to soak each 'square' to get that off. Well the blue did bleed. tried many different things. put it away for many months. then I soaked it (I had already sewed it together) in oxy clean a couple of times. It did a pretty good job of cleaning up the mess! Some of the blue embroidery thread was old which perhaps made a difference but when using it in dishtowels it was fine.
I will try this recipe in reds and blacks especially.

I am SO sorry that I didn't check back to answer questions. I have no idea why I didn't come back to see that I failed to post details. You are supposed to be able to read my mind, don'tcha know? LOL

I have a front loader washing machine .

I WASH REDS, DEEP PURPLES, BLACKS separate from lighter colors. Supposedly you can do darks and lights together if you use Color Catchers (made by Shout, located in the laundry products aisle of the grocery store).

I do a load with all the really dark dyes together after I have soaked each one individually in the sink to see how much they run. Some will only bleed a little, but if I have one that won't stop after about 3 soaks in the sink, I won't use it at all. It often means the dye is inferior, but that seldom happens with quality quilting cotton.

1. Set the water level to high and the temperature to COLD for DARKS or WARM for all others.
2. Place 2-3 Color Catcher into a zippered mesh lingerie bag and toss it into the back of the (front loading) washer.
3. Let the machine start to fill while you stir the mixture into a glass measuring cup.
4. Pour the mixture into the machine and then add the fabric.
5. Depending on how dark your darks are, you might want to set the machine for a double rinse.

The color comes out on the Color Catcher sheets. Discard the sheets before putting your load into the dryer. (It won't hurt them but it's not necessary.)

From what I hear, it's the vinegar that stops the bleeding of colors. I believe it, because when I added just 1/2 cup vinegar to a half gallon of water (more or less) in my bathroom sink, the presoaking was a cinch. Each dark color seemed arrested.

Hope this info helps. By now you've probably all Googled it and thought I jumped ship after sharing my recipe. Sorry again. Happy Color CAtching!