Color bleeding
 

I just finshed a quilt. I washed it using a color catcher, and it stilled bleed leaving black all over my qu8ilt. how can I get it out?

I prewash all fabric before use and I keep washing until no more bleeding. You should be able to wash again (maybe couple more times) until no more bleed as long as you don't put it into the dryer or let it dry before washing again. I found coupon for color catchers and sent DH to store to get couple packages. In wheelchair temporarily or would go myself. I prewash and have multiple rinses on my washer and I use them.

I have never had a black fabric bleed. I use only Kona black for use in my quilts. Usually I have mostly problems with reds. I also am very careful with what I use when washing a quilt. I NEVER use the same detergent I use to wash my clothes. I use a product more geared towards washing antique linens.

I second rewashing with the color catchers. If the bleeding is in spots, you can try using Grandma's Spot Remover. I haven't tried it myself but I understand it helps.

Janet

This is strange, because I put a whole bolt (18 yards!) of Kona black in the washer just yesterday (using hot water) and the water turned a dark grey. I then emptied the water and set it for another wash in hot water with Retayne, and that time the rinse water was absolutely clear. Kona black can definitely bleed, like crazy.

Carol, in your case I would wash the quilt again in lots of cold water with color catchers and/or Synthrapol and hopefully the black will come out of the spots where it doesn't belong. It might take more than one wash.

Color catchers don't stop a fabric from bleeding. They just help to keep the bleeding from settling on other fabrics. And one wash isn't always enough to get all the excess dye out of fabric. I've learned that the hard way too. You really have to look at the rinse water to see if the excess dye is all out.

I am in the process of prewashing a bunch of batiks with Retayne for this very reason! I don't have a top load machine, so I am doing them in the sink with hot hot water by hand. Then washing again.

Use a machine that uses lots of water, a top loader not a front loader. If you have a front loader, take it to the Laundromat, and whatever you do, don't dry it. It will be almost impossible to get the bleeding out if it's been dried with heat. Perfect example of why I prewash everything!

I would get some Synthrapol, go to a local laundromat, and choose a front-loading machine that uses *lots* of water. You want lots of water to dilute the dye in the water. Use hot water (Synthrapol requires hot water to work). Examine the quilt when it comes out of the washing machine. If there is still dye in the places where it shouldn't be, run the machine again with Synthrapol and hot water.

I wash all my quilts for the first time this way. Synthrapol suspends unset dye particles in the water so they can be rinsed away instead of settling into fabric. When done with the first wash, I have never had loose dye stain fabrics. Once the loose dye has settled into the fabrics, though, it can take more than one washing to get all the loose stuff out again.

Synthrapol is widely available online and from quilt shops that cater to dyers. Here is a link to it on Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Synthrapol-Con...dp/B001PUXELG/