When colour runs onto other clothes in the wash
Short answer: Excess dye escapes from new clothes the first few times. Wash new coloured clothes on their own, use cold water and add a colour catcher sheet to the machine until the water runs clear after the wash.
Why new clothes hold loose dye
After dyeing there is always a residue of dye left on the surface that is not bound into the fibre. It washes out over the first few washes. Dark red, navy and black shed the most, because they need the most dye to reach the deep shade. That is not a flaw in the fabric.
Why it becomes a problem
It is not a flaw, but it becomes a problem if something white sits in the same drum as the new, dark garment. The loose dye spreads through the water during the wash, and any light fabric in the same load absorbs some of it, often unevenly.
How to wash the first few times
Wash new dark clothes alone or together with other dark items for the first three washes. Use cold or lukewarm water, since heat opens the fibre and draws out more dye. See bamboo clothing for men, where the darkest colours need the most attention early on.
A colour catcher traps what escapes
A colour catcher traps what escapes anyway, even when you have sorted correctly. Add it to the first wash and check afterwards whether it has turned dark, since that shows how much loose dye was actually in the garment and whether you should repeat the precautions again.
If the damage has already happened
Wash the affected item again right away while the stain is still damp. Drying, especially tumble drying, sets the dye, so the faster you react, the better your chance of removing it again without needing stronger treatments afterwards.
How to clean the affected item
A wash at the highest temperature the fabric can take together with a colour remover for white laundry solves most cases. Wait to use bleach until you have tried an ordinary rewash, since bleach can damage the fibres needlessly if the simple rewash alone would have solved it.
How to avoid it going forward
Always sort by colour and not only by temperature, and keep white separate for the whole life of the garment, not just the first few washes. That habit is what really protects the wardrobe, more than any single treatment afterwards can.
New bedding and towels shed dye too
New towels and new bedding shed dye too, so they need the same quarantine as clothes. See bamboo bedding and bamboo towels, where the same rules for the first washes apply, whether it is clothing or textiles for the home.
How long the quarantine should last
Three washes is a good rule of thumb, but dark and strongly coloured items can need a fourth wash before the water runs fully clear. Keep washing the new item on its own until you can see for yourself that the colour no longer tints the water.
Frequently asked questions
How many washes does a new garment shed dye?
Usually two to three. After that the excess dye is out, and the rest sits fixed in the fibre without further shedding in normal use.
Does a colour catcher work?
Yes, it binds loose dye in the water. It does not replace sorting, but it saves the day if a single item ends up in the wrong load.
Can shedding be removed from white clothes?
Often yes, if you rewash right away and avoid drying the item in between, so the stain does not have time to set.
You can find the full range at Bamboo-Clothing.com.
