Help Red bled onto white
#1
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: AZ
Posts: 103

Just washed a jersey that is red and white the red bled onto the white. How can I get the red out of the white without taking all the red out of the red? Thanks ahead of time for your help.
#2
Super Member
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: The middle of an IL cornfield
Posts: 7,014

This happened to me once with a white quilt heavily embroidered with red floss. I had not dried it when I realized it so I tossed it back in the washer with a color catcher (first time I ever used them) and the majority of it came out.
#3
Power Poster
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Michigan
Posts: 11,276

Whatever you do, don't dry it. Once it's dried, it's almost impossible to get out.
Here's an old post with your same story. There are lots of suggestions and in the end, she got the red out
http://www.quiltingboard.com/main-f1...x-t144836.html
Here's an old post with your same story. There are lots of suggestions and in the end, she got the red out
http://www.quiltingboard.com/main-f1...x-t144836.html
#4
Power Poster
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Western Wisconsin
Posts: 12,930

Wash in Synthrapol in ***lots*** of hot water, and it should come out. Might take several washings, though. You really need a top-loading washer or the kind of front-loader that laundromats have. Synthrapol will usually work even if the fabric has been dried, as I believe most modern commercial dyes are not heat-set at normal wash/dry temperatures.
By any chance did you wash it in a domestic front loader? There is a lot more risk of this happening in that kind of washing machine because of the small amount of water used in the load. Usually the dye is simply excess dye that was not properly rinsed out of the fabric. When washed in a lot of water, the excess dye is sufficiently dispersed that it does not create a bleed in other fabric. There is much more opportunity for bleeds and "crocking" of dye (dye that transfers via rubbing, especially when wet) when there is not enough water to disperse bleeds. I have found that *all* of my daughter's black leggings bleed a little every time they are washed in my front loader, so now I routinely keep colors separate as much as possible and also use color catchers in almost every load.
By any chance did you wash it in a domestic front loader? There is a lot more risk of this happening in that kind of washing machine because of the small amount of water used in the load. Usually the dye is simply excess dye that was not properly rinsed out of the fabric. When washed in a lot of water, the excess dye is sufficiently dispersed that it does not create a bleed in other fabric. There is much more opportunity for bleeds and "crocking" of dye (dye that transfers via rubbing, especially when wet) when there is not enough water to disperse bleeds. I have found that *all* of my daughter's black leggings bleed a little every time they are washed in my front loader, so now I routinely keep colors separate as much as possible and also use color catchers in almost every load.
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