Yesterday I was given a large sack of fabrics to use for a charity. The first two loads through the washer came out fine, but the third load :roll: :x ...
A beautiful woven stripe, mostly red with white patterned stripes and single threads of black had turned the water redder than raspberry jello within seconds! After the second rinse, I pulled it out and re-rinsed the other fabrics in the load. Only two seem to have been stained. (They were probably touching the bleeder when it first got wet.)
What's the best treatment to make this fabric usable? Even the clothespins are stained!

Throw it away!
Sorry seems more hassle than it's worth.
K

Retayne will set the dye

Will the Retyane take out the stains that have already bled?

No, but wash it again and use a color catcher in the load and it will pick up the loose dye particles.

Don't know that I would ever trust it.

i'd let that fabric go it would be terrible for the person receiving the gift to have it ruined in the first washing.

Thanks, auntmag for the suggestion of using a color catcher -- I forgot about them!

I would also soak it and wash it in HOT water on the heaviest cycle the washer has. By itself, of course. Dry in a HOT dryer. Then wash again with a color catcher. You will know by looking at the color catcher if it is still bleeding.

As we know from our regular laundry, heat sets stains. I find it also helps to set some of this dye.

It can't hurt it.

LOL, I thought you cut yourself!!!!!!!!!!!!! Glad its just the fabric!

My goodness I was thinking the same. Glad it was the fabric!

For the already stained fabric, use Synthrapol. It may take several washings with Synthrapol in hot water to get out all of the displaced dye.

Retayne permanently sets dye in fabric, so that is why you use it on the fabric that is doing the bleeding. It usually works the first time around, but you still have to test the fabric. Some fabrics will need the Retayne treatment twice to become colorfast.

Once you have an unwanted bleed in the fabric, it's Synthrapol you want to use. Synthrapol is also what I use when washing a quilt for the first time, as it will suspend any unset dye particles in the water to be rinsed away instead of settling into other fabric.

There are two different reasons why a fabric can bleed. One is simply excess dye in the fabric. Fibers can absorb only so much dye; if the factory has not rinsed the fabric sufficiently, the extra dye will come out in the wash water. The more serious reason for fabric bleeding is when the factory has not properly set the dye with chemicals. When the bleeding continues past the first washing, it is because the dyes were not set properly; that's why you need to use Retayne.

You *never* want to use Retayne on a finished quilt; if you happen to have a bleeder in the quilt, Retayne will permanently set bleeds into the other fabrics.

If you have a bleeding fabric in which the dye was never set properly, then merely washing several times with color catchers probably won't stop the bleeding. The fabric will simply continue to bleed and fade in color with each wash.

Color catchers attract dye particles that are loose in the water so the dye particles don't have a chance to settle in fabric. They are fine as extra insurance when I wash a quilt for the first time in Synthrapol, but I don't rely on them exclusively.

I have used those color catchers and was not impressed with the results.

I've had good luck removing the bleed by soaking in Oxyclean if the item hasn't been in the dryer. If the bleeding continues, I wouldn't use the fabric.

I use color catchers when I wash fabric no matter what colors.

i would use it for a wallhanging or something that will not need to be laundered later...a craft item- a tote, purse...i NEVER toss out fabric but some are just not dyed well and the bleeding will not stop until the dye is gone...so best to save these for projects that will not be (wet) later

I'm learning a lot from this post!!! Hope some of these suggestions solve this problem!

I would cut my losses and toss the bleeder and the tinted fabrics.

Congrats on receiving them, but it seems to me you'll spend more money than it's worth to bring the fabric(s) back to life and you'll never really know what will happen with them next.

It's almost St. Paddy's day, and there's another 0'pot-o-gold waiting for you to find it!

O'Linda

Glad no one was hurt.
Fabric is another story.

Retayne sets color! Synthropol lifts colors out. color catchers are good and Oxy clean too. no dryer.

Retaine

:thumbup:

lol, I thought this too. I almost didn't read it cause I didn't want to read about how bad someone cut themselves. Glad it wasn't that bad.

I love color catchers. Use them with all fabrics and also in regular wash with colors.

if it bleeds that much, the fabric might be a blend or all synthetic and the dye won't set no matter what you do..best to toss it out!

Retayne won't work if you have already dried this fabric!

I agree that Synthrapol is the way to go for the stained fabrics. I handwash all my
fabrics in hot water with Retayne when I get them. If they keep bleeding in the cold rinse, then I try Synthrapol soak in hot water followed by another soak in
cold water. If the cold water has no dye then I am all set...

Like Irish Rose I have had good luck with Oxyclean. I use a clean toothbrush
to rub it into the stained areas

Judy

Thanks for the good info Prism, i need to print this and keep it. I personaly would throw the offending fabric out.

Soak the fabrics damaged by the "bleeder" in Chlorox II. I put the damaged fabrics in the machine, add Chlorox II and let them soak. Wash as usual.

I agree with others. with all the work that quilts take. it is not worth any fabric that runs..

pitch it. my heart broke when I saw a quilt I had done where the color had run or it was washed with clothing that did.

so sad!

Your local quilt shop probably sells Synthropol. You can use it to remove the extra color. I have to tell you that I made a queen sized quilt from a Star Designs kit which used hand dyed fabrics. I thought to wash the completed quilt before giving it to my daughter. I used Retayne and the dark red fabric bled onto the two tone gold border making it pink. I washed the quilt 3 more times, 2 times with Synthropol (using a tiny amout per bottle directions)and once more with Retayne and added a dye catcher to the last wash. The color was still there. I was sick so I called Star Designs and they had me send them the quilt. They washed several more times using 1/2 cup Synthropol each time and managed to remove the extra color but not effect the overall color of the quilt. I will try to post a photo of the quilt after this treatment.

See my previous story of bleeding....

As you can see, the border is two tone gold and the colors have remained bright.

Don't use it. However, if you must, alum in the water should do the trick.

I guess you have to ask yourself if it is worth all the time and expense to be able to use just one piece of fabric. IMOO I would toss it. I would use a different piece. But that's just me. Good luck.

i had this happen to me, and since then, i am fanatical about sorting fabric before i rinse it....i do not usually wash fabric first, but all red gets washed, rinsed and washed and rinsed again.....gina

I almost did not read this cuzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz thought u had a different kind of bleeder.........glad you are okay.......

I love using the color catchers too!

Red is a bad color for bleeding. I resently used red for and inside boarder and as I was pressing, with spray starch I saw that it was going to bleed big time. I ripped it out and put it back in a pile of fabric that I have that is pretty but not useble in quilts. And I labeled it so it won't ever be used in quilts. I think if I was to wash it (too much hassel), it would loose its great bright color.

I would be upset if I bought a quilt to help support a charity only to have it bleed and be ruined. Since you haven't used it already I would throw it out. Besides, everyone will know you made it and be afraid to buy anything else when word gets around and you know how we love to talk.

spacepegs, that is a *gorgeous* quilt! So glad you were able to save it!