Stop dark fabrics from bleeding-HOW?

[John W. Linder]

How do I launder a dark colored fabric without it bleeding all over. I
have used cold water, and it still bleeds terribly. Laundering it
"separately" is not an option, since it is planned to be used in
conjunction with another fabric (lighter print) for a chair seat-cushion.

I seem to recall something about using a vinegar and salt solution in the
wash water. Has anyone else heard or tried this? If so, and it works,
how much vinegar and salt is used? Hot water, warm, or cold?

Does anyone know of any OTHER technique that you have used that works?

Thanks,

John

[Cappy Phillips]

I can't help you with the vinegar/salt combo but if you could take the
fabric to a good fabric store, they may be able to find out the
manufacturer and type of dye used. This info would help a lot. There
are also products made (and sold) to lock the dye in which you wash the
fabric.

Good luck.

Cappy

In article <31CED3...@ihlpf.att.com>, lu...@ihlpf.att.com says...

[Merle Finch]

In article <31CED3...@ihlpf.att.com>, "John W. Linder" <lu...@ihlpf.att.com> writes:
:How do I launder a dark colored fabric without it bleeding all over. I

:have used cold water, and it still bleeds terribly. Laundering it
:"separately" is not an option, since it is planned to be used in
:conjunction with another fabric (lighter print) for a chair seat-cushion.
:
:I seem to recall something about using a vinegar and salt solution in the
:wash water. Has anyone else heard or tried this? If so, and it works,
:how much vinegar and salt is used? Hot water, warm, or cold?

I use the vinegar technique ALL the time. I used it last week for a piece
of fabric that I'm using to make a dress and for a silk shirt made somewhere
in the orient that kept bleeding every time I washed it. I run about two
gallons of tepid water in my laundry sink and dump in about a cup of white
vinegar. Soak the fabric in this solution and let it sit for about half an
hour (make sure the entire piece of fabric is submerged in the vinegar-water).
Take it out, drain the sink, swish clean water around the sink to get rid
of residual dye, run fresh cool water into the sink and rinse the fabric.
You'll get a little dye but rinse it well. Drain the sink. Run cool water
over the fabric and keep rinsing under running water until the water runs
clear. The vinegar 'sets' the dye. After that, you should be able to launder
the fabric with your regular laundry without problems. Good luck.
--
Merle Finch me...@sas.com SAS Institute Inc,
SAS Campus Dr, Cary NC USA 27513-2414.
Opinions expressed probably never reflect those of SAS Institute Inc.

[Helen N. Lovisek]

In a previous article, lu...@ihlpf.att.com ("John W. Linder") says:

>
>How do I launder a dark colored fabric without it bleeding all over. I
>have used cold water, and it still bleeds terribly. Laundering it
>"separately" is not an option, since it is planned to be used in
>conjunction with another fabric (lighter print) for a chair seat-cushion.
>
>I seem to recall something about using a vinegar and salt solution in the
>wash water. Has anyone else heard or tried this? If so, and it works,
>how much vinegar and salt is used? Hot water, warm, or cold?
>

>Does anyone know of any OTHER technique that you have used that works?
>
>Thanks,
>
>John
>

According to Mary Ellen's Helpful Hints II on colorfasting:

When setting the dye in clothing always do each article separately. Add
one-half cup of vinegar and one tablespoon of salt to one-half gallon of
water. Soak fabric for one hour. If rinse water still shows some color,
repeat.

--
Helen Lovisek wi...@freenet.victoria.bc.ca
bh...@torfree.net