Why do my Clothes get faded after i wash and dry them???

Question

This shouldn't really be such a major problem, but it really is for me. Okay. Here is the problem.
I buy some really cute clothes at my favorite stores. and then i start thinking. wait. I know when I wash them they will fade and not look brand new anymore. They start looking faded about two months after I buy them, and it gets me soooo mad, because I know other people get new clothes and they look new for years!!!
And my white shirts get yellow spots under the armpit after I wash them. Can someone please
suggest the right washing and drying cycle that would not harm my clothes anymore? I would REALLY appreciate it!!!
and if you know a good detergent or any
laundry product, that would help!!

Answer 1

What temperature do you wash your clothes on? If the temperature is set too high then clothes do tend to fade. Also, use liquid detergent instead of powder based ones they are more gentle on the clothes.

Another reason for clothes fading could be the excessive use of bleach.

I would suggest you only soak your whites in bleach (make the solution a bit milder than what is suggested by the manufacturer) and wash them at the temperature suggested on the care instructions separately from your colored ones as whites are normally washed at a higher temperature.

Daily wear clothes do take a lot of wear and tear and are washed more frequently so what I normally do is I soak them for a few hours in warm water in a bucket and then wash them on a gentle cycle instead of a normal cycle. Yes it does involve a lot of work but my clothes do last longer that way. (i follow this method even for 10 year old boys clothes and the colors don't fade)

In case you are sun drying your clothes turn them inside out before you put them to dry as the sun too fades the clothes. If you are using a dryer leave them on a shorter cycles.

Answer 2

First rule of laundry, read the care labels in the clothes, and follow their instructions. Using the wrong cycle, temperature, detergent can really mess up your clothes. I use Tide detergent, Clorox 2 and Clorox bleach (when needed) and Downy fabric softener. I find the cheap stuff just doesn't work as well. I generally also wash my very dark clothes (blacks or navys) separately, and use the Woolite for dark laundry and cold water. Armpit stains are tougher, if it's 100% cotton you can bleach the shirt, I've also used the Spray N Wash stain stick to get out tough stains in the past as well. OxyClean might work as well, that stuff is great on organic stains (like sweat).

Answer 3

I love the book, Talking Dirty with the Queen of Clean because she addresses this very problem and since I used her methods, neither problem has reoccurred. First, garments manufactured in several Asian countries and Pakistan and India use a type of dye that is not color fast. As you wash the garments, the color literally washes out. To prevent this, set the color with a cup of white vinegar in the rinse water the first time you launder the garment.

The yellow stains are caused by perspiration and the chemicals in many anti-perspiration formulas. Once you have them, they are difficult to remove. Try soaking the underarm areas in sudsy ammonia before laundering. Working Biz Activated Non Chlorine bleach into the stained fabric will also work. However, if the garment comes out of the washer with even part of the stain remaining, do not put it in the dryer as you will heat set the stain. Then you will need Fels-Naptha Soap, work it up into a good lather directly on the stain and launder as usual. Wearing natural fibers, such as cottons and never wearing a garment more than once on hot days also alleviates the possibilities of such stains.

Answer 4

Oxyclean is the only thing that worked for me, when it comes to brightening your whites and removing those unsightly yellow stains, but the trick is to soak the shirts in hot water and sprinkle oxyclean on top of the stain and let it sit for an hour or two, just adding oxy into your washer will not solve the problem.
Always wash your jeans inside out and when you wash them for a first time ad some white vinegar to the load that will set the color and make it harder to fade, use tide cold water and wash all your colored clothes in cold water, wash your black stuff separately using detergent for black clothes

Answer 5

Vinegar can solve both your problems. For your white shirts/dresses pour full strength of apple cider vinegar right from the bottle directly on the perspiration stain. Let it stand for an hour or so. After the stains have been saturated for an hour or more then laundry according to the care label.

Vinegar will alos eleminate those ugly white deodorant stains. Simply pour a dab of vinegar on a washcloth and rub the deodorant spot. It will be removed quickly and easily without doing any damage to your clothing.

Washing your clothes with a cup of vinegar will not only help set the color it also helps with static in the dryer. Add a cup of Vinegar in every load to help keep your cloths new looking and stain free.

Answer 6

I always dry my "good" clothes on a drying rack at home. The heat from the dryer sets just about all stains, once the clothing piece has been dried; and sometimes you just don't see a stain until it's come out of the dryer & it's too late. The using "vinegar" answers are true also. However, I have clothes from the ll980's
(which of course have come back into style, at one point), and
everyone thinks they're brand new. This is because I have always taken the "good clothes" out of the washer & immediately put them on hangers on the foldaway clothes drying rack I have.
This also helps w/ not having to iron hardly anything because the wrinkles fall out while they're hanging to dry.

Answer 7

I usually use Gain or Tide with Gain or Downy liquid fabric softner. I use ERA for tough stains, and keep a Tide stick for spots.

You real problem, I think, might be your washing machine. I will not have one that doesn't have a delicate or hand wash cycle. It takes a terribly long time to wash on that cycle, but it is very gentle on my clothes.

I have a shower curtain rod extended between the walls in my laundry room. I hang all delicates and T-shirts on the rod to "line" dry.

Hope this helps!

Answer 8

I have always used Tide detergent and Downy fabric softener. My clothes usually don't fade at all, except for some blacks. For black clothes they make a special detergent for dark colors. Then, make sure you don't line-dry the clothes outside in the sun, because that will fade them too.

Answer 9

Try washing them by hand or set on 'delicate wash' on the washing machine. Soak the armpit areas in a little bleach & water for a few minutes.

Answer 10

If you want to really take care of your items check to see if you are washing them in cold water cold water will keep your color, also check the label inside the garment to see if it is ok to wash, if not do not wash them, also you can turn your clothes inside out to make sure the color stays, but to be sure of everything take them to a drycleaner to do the job for you,