Why are my good shirts fading after only a few washes?

Question

Hi there. A few months ago, I bought a couple of nice Polo button down shirts (about $75 apiece). Only after about four washes, both shirts started fading around the neck.

Both shirts are blue and faded to a pinkish-purplish color around the crease of the neck.

I think I'm doing everything right:
I'm washing in cold water;
I'm not using a lot of detergent (tide liquid cold water);
I'm washing on the gentle cycle;
I'm using the extra rinse;
I'm washing each shirt alone;
I'm filling the basket up with water first, putting the detergent in, then putting the clothes in;
I'm air drying the shirts after each wash (maybe 10 minutes in the dryer on delicate);

What else can I do??? Could I possibly get my money back from Dillards?

I was extremely careful with both shirts because I've had this happen to other shirts. I'm using a pretty new (and pretty expensive) Whirlpool top-loading washer.

Any ideas? Please help me. I'm tired of wasting my hard-earned dollars!

Answer 1

Add vinegar to the wash. It keeps clothes bright---

Answer 2

You may need to put Woolite in your machine when you wash. If you know that particular shirt fades, Wash it on a shorter cycle. It may not be where you got it from or the cost, there are some expensive thingsthat tear up or break. Also check you detergent, it may be too strong for what you are washing. Some detergents I have found will strip the color from clothes if the detergent has just an ounce of bleach in it. Read the fine print. Good luck!!

Answer 3

It is possible you are using hot water which will wear out the fibers in cotton much faster than warm or cool water, plus you could be drying in a too hot dryer, drying should be set on delicate or warm in order to preserve the look and wearability of the shirt You are perhaps using too much detergent or too strong of a brand of detergent, try using a gentler detergent such as a cold water wash detergent Good Luck !

Answer 4

Try using some ordinary cider vinegar in the rinse. the vinegar can possibly refresh some of the color, as well as removing all traces of detergent. We learned this many moons ago when we were washing woolen items by hand. Good luck.

Answer 5

I would wash them in Woolite, or dreft which is a softer detergent that tide,Maybe tide if too strong for the material. But I would definitely write a letter to the manufacturers about it, who knows you might get new shirts from them. In your letter don't come on too strong, or nasty or it will end up in the garbage.But get your point across.

Answer 6

You should try Woolite for dark colors. My husband has to wear black socks to work and I had been using Tide and I don't know how many socks I had to throw away because they had turned light gray. The woolite should do the trick. See if you can take them back to the store, if not see if the MFG. will give your money back. They should have lasted more than 4 washes

Answer 7

There is one thing most of the stores wont tell you and that is with the first washing of your colors, be it sheets or shirts, you need to use a vinegar solution to lock in colors.

Adding in a cup of vinegar as a fabric softener and locks in the color. Also turning the shirts inside out help against the wear and tear of washing them.

Answer 8

If it is only around the neck and has happened to other shirts have you thought of the possibility of something on your skin causing it? Do you put any moisturizer or shaving cream or after shave around your neck are? Do you sweat a lot, if so it could be a chemical reaction. If you put a product containing salicylic acid on your skin and it is still wet or you sweat it out after it is dried and it touches your clothes it could fade the coloring.

Answer 9

cheer has a color fast detergent it is suppose to keep the colors in and use it as directed

Answer 10

check the tide coldwater, i bet it contains hypochlorite (also known as BLEACH) this is probably your culprit.try hand washing in woolite .