These laundry mistakes are fading your dark clothes

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You probably know the basic rules about laundering black and dark-coloured clothing: Wash in cold water, don’t use high-heat dryer settings, avoid chlorine bleach at all costs. But there are loads of other laundry tips and tricks to prevent colour loss and fading, keeping your darks looking their best.

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“The key to preserving the appearance of black and dark clothing is minimizing factors that can contribute to fading, including hot water, friction and exposure to sunlight,” says Kim Romine, a fabric care scientist at Dreft. Romine and fabric care experts Kellsie Zapata, the owner of Zapata’s Cleaning Services, and Joanna Albert, a senior director of product development at Puracy, recommend the following tips for washing, drying, and storing dark and black clothing to prevent fading and other damage.

Read the care instructions. Before washing black or dark clothing, check the garment’s care label for guidance on proper laundering, including water temperature, best practices for drying and products to avoid. “Following the garment care instructions is one of the most effective ways to help maintain the appearance of dark garments over time,” Romine says.

Turn garments inside out. Turning garments inside out before laundering reduces the friction that leaves dark clothing looking washed out. “One of the largest misperceptions around the fading of dark clothing is that it’s entirely due to dye loss, when in reality, the fraying of microscopic fibres is a huge contributor to garments losing their perceived bright colours,” Albert says. “When garments rub against one another, the resulting micro-tears cause fabric pilling on your clothes, which results in a faded look.”

Launder darks separately from linty fabrics. Pilling isn’t the only cause of colour dullness. Lint transfer can also lend a faded appearance. To prevent this, Romine says, avoid washing dark garments with lint-producing items such as towels or fleece garments, especially light-colored ones.

Treat stains when they happen. Even if they’re barely visible, treat stains on dark clothing as soon as possible. “The longer a stain sets in your clothes, the harder it’s going to be to remove,” Zapata says. “Prompt treatment can improve stain removal while reducing the need for more aggressive cleaning methods later.”

A light touch and gentle stain removers are best. “Always blot stains rather than rubbing them, which can spread the stain and potentially damage fibres,” Romine says. “Treating stains on dark clothing requires a gentle approach.” Avoid using harsh chemicals, such as bleach or hydrogen peroxide, which can strip the colour out of the garment.

Don’t overdo it with the detergent. Zapata says that one of the best things you can do to protect black and dark clothing from fading is to avoid using too much detergent. “Adding a lot of detergent just to see more bubbles does not mean your clothes will get cleaner. In fact, all it’s going to do is cause detergent buildup, which can make them look dull or chalky over time,” she says.

Also, steer clear of optical brighteners. “When it comes to darker clothing, avoid formulas that contain optical brighteners. They often leave residue on clothing that makes dark colours look more faded,” Albert says.

Optical brighteners are laundry additives designed to make whites and light colours appear brighter (they are, essentially, an optical illusion for your clothes). Optical brighteners are used in more detergent formulas than not, and are usually listed among the ingredients as disodium distyrylbiphenyl disulfonate (DDD), fluorescent brightener or tinopal CBS-X. A benefit of detergents made specifically for dark and black clothing is that they don’t contain optical brighteners.

Try a darks detergent. A specialty detergent formulated for use on black and dark clothing isn’t necessary, but it can be a good alternative if your everyday detergent contains optical brighteners or if you have a wardrobe with a lot of dark clothing. “Woolite makes a really good one,” Zapata says. “It’s designed to clean your dark clothing while helping reduce fading and wear, especially when you use it with cold water and a gentle cycle.”

Skip the heavy-duty washer cycle. Unless the clothes are heavily soiled, avoid using heavy-duty washer cycles. “You don’t need to put your clothes through that extra agitation unless it truly is needed,” Zapata says. “That extra friction from the heavy-duty cycle can contribute to a faded appearance over time. A good option is the permanent press cycle – it’s less aggressive on your fabric, which helps reduce unnecessary wear over time.”

Wash in cold water. Washing dark fabrics in hot water can accelerate fading, so cold water is always a better choice. “Cold water is your best friend when washing dark clothing,” Zapata says. “It’s more gentle on dark dyes.”

Air-drying is best. “Whenever possible, especially for delicates or frequently washed pieces, laying flat to air-dry is ideal, as you avoid any additional friction or heat from a traditional tumble dryer,” Albert says.

Choose low-heat cycles when machine drying. If air-drying isn’t possible, or is inconvenient, use the lowest heat setting. “When using your dryer, choose a lower setting to avoid heat-induced colour loss and keep your clothing turned inside out to avoid even further friction and fabric fraying,” Albert says.

Avoid overdrying. Excessive drying is a sneaky source of fading in dark and black clothes. “Never overdry your darks,” Albert says. “When in doubt, pull them out slightly damp or just dry. Extended time in a hot, tumbling dryer can further damage fibres.”

Don’t dry darks in direct sunlight. While air-drying darks is ideal, sun exposure poses a risk of colour loss. “Another lesser-known culprit of colour stripping, fading and streakiness on dark clothing is direct exposure to UV rays,” Albert says. “If air- or line-drying outside, keep garments out of the sun and well shaded.”

Proper storage matters. “Following the same principle of avoiding exposure to UV,” Albert says, “store clothes in a dark, cool place. While it may seem silly to fear sunlight through a window, prolonged exposure over time can cause slow degradation of garments.” Avoid storing dark clothing next to light-colored, lint-heavy garments to prevent lint transfer and make sure that dark clothing is completely clean and dry before putting it away.

This applies to all clothing, Albert says: “One thing people often overlook before storing clothing for a long period is making sure it’s both clean and completely dry. Leftover stains, body oils or product residue can become harder to remove over time, and you don’t want moisture trapped in fabric through a season, only to find your garment unwearable when you take it out.”

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