Laundry question... when you buy new clothes

[plain jane]

What is it that you do with them to make sure that the colors won't run when in the wash with other clothes?

 

I can't believe that this has totally escaped my mind. :001_huh:

 

Dd has new shirts that are dark blue as well as new dark jeans and I want to make sure that they'll be safe to do with the rest of their laundry in the future. (I don't typically sort the kids' clothes by color- they all get washed together :o)

 

Not feeling very smart right now... :tongue_smilie:

[Parrothead]

Wash the shirts and jeans together a time or two.

[East Coast Sue]

I add salt to keep the colors from ruining other clothes. Come to think of it- I don't know where I learned to do this and I wonder if it really helps....

[Giraffe]

Wash the shirts and jeans together a time or two.

 

This is what I do. Usually in warm water just to be sure all the running gets over with. I'll try to sort for a few washings, just to be on the safe side.

[NanceXToo]

If it's something new and black that I'm afraid will run, I wash it with other black clothes only the first time or two that it is washed.

 

(Normally when things aren't new and I know they won't run, I can't be bothered separating my laundry into whites and colors, it all goes in together!)

 

If it's something that is new and RED, I will probably wash it alone as I wouldn't have enough other red things to do a whole wash of red only, and i certainly wouldn't want my whites turning pink :D

[ChristusG]

I never seperate colors. I've never had any colors run in the wash.

[Brenda in FL]

Vinegar is also supposed to help set the colors.

 

For some things - I'll set them in a sink of cold water to make sure that the colors have set before throwing it in with everything else.

[NanceXToo]

I never seperate colors. I've never had any colors run in the wash.

 

Yeah like I said I almost never separate colors either...

 

...except for if it's new and black or new and red...

 

...because I HAVE had colors run in the wash...

 

...but that might be because I tend to procrastinate on my laundry and leave it sitting in the machine a bit longer than I should. :blushing:

[2squared]

I don't sort anything, so if we have something that might run, I use a colorguard sheet. They really work!

[Sahamamama]

If it's dark, I might wash it with other dark items in cold water.

 

If it's black or red, I might actually wash it by hand, in cold water, just to see what runs out.

 

If it's white or a light color, I just throw it in with other like-colored items, and wash on hot or warm.

[Baseball mom]

I add salt to keep the colors from ruining other clothes. Come to think of it- I don't know where I learned to do this and I wonder if it really helps....

 

 

I do this too. I put the item in with salt and let it soak for a while. Then rinse out and wash normally

[Cera]

I wash it separately or with similar colored items once and toss in a white rag or wash cloth. I have only had stuff run a few times and it has been reds and denim.

[Tammyla]

Wash alone with vinegar to set the dye.

[TN Mama]

I wash with like colors, but I still throw in a color catcher sheet.

[Sherry in OH]

I wash it with other like colored items in cold water.

[AHASRADA]

Wow, I am surprised how many people don't sort colors :001_huh:. I have 3 baskets in my room, whites/mediums/darks, and everyone's laundry goes in those. When one is full, I wash it. This eliminate most color-running worries.

 

However, if I have something brand-new that looks run-prone (dark denim, red, etc.), I usually fill the sink with water, soak it, ring it out, soak it again, and keep repeating until it no longer runs. Either that, or I just make sure that everything in that particular dark load is really dark (and therefore wouldn't be affected by the running color anyway).

 

And while I usually wash reds with the rest of the darks, I do periodically do a "red" load, being mostly dd's stuff (red, purple and pink, including her bed sheets). :tongue_smilie:

[MaMa2005]

New clothes get washed separately with a large dose of vinegar and hot water. Sets the colors and then we are good to go. EXCEPT for reds - they always have a pile of their own.

[Osmosis Mom]

OK, I might be a big cheater here, but I just toss the item on its own in the washing machine. Of course, I now have a front loader that only uses very minimal water so I am fine on that front.

 

I also do not -ever- sort my clothes. I have cold wash and fine wash! I do pre-wash or pre-rinse for soiled washes or washes with underwears and then I do a regular wash in cold water with extra rinse. I use Tide Coldwater, btw, and do a few loads every day.