Stop black garments from fading with two kitchen gadgets you most likely already personal
Witnessing the fade of your go-to black jeans can be quite heartbreaking – but you can do something about it.
The issue of black clothes losing their vibrancy ties back to the type of dye used. Factors like hot water, intense detergents and continuous washes can strip the colour away over time. However, fear not, as there are measures you can put in place to prevent such a dismal fate.
Coming to the rescue with a simple yet efficient hack is Madame Sweat, real name Mary Futher, known across social media for her excellent advice on all things hygiene and cleaning related. Recently, she made waves on TikTok by sharing arguably the “easiest way to avoid your black clothes fading”.
Rather than splashing cash on high-end cleaning products, Mary recommends nabbing two “natural” items likely already residing in your pantry. In the video, now viewed over 865k times, Mary suggests: “Two natural things you’ve already got in your kitchen. Either vinegar or salt.”
Toss a 1/4 cup of vinegar into the drum with your detergent; this helps set the dye. Alternatively, salt works wonders too, although you’ll require a slightly larger portion – specifically, a 1/2 cup – to sprinkle onto your exclusively black laundry load.
Remember, cold water and a quick wash setting is essential. “And the other big tip, never put them in the dryer. You’ve got to get a drying rack. Don’t put it outside. Leave it in your washroom or laundry room to dry.”
If you’re caught short without white vinegar or salt at home, no worries just grab them on your next supermarket sweep. For the online shoppers among us, you can purchase a 5l bottle of Pride White Vinegar for £6.99 on Amazon, and a 750g pack of Saxa Table Salt for just £1.70.
Loads of folks were gobsmacked by this nifty cleaning trick and are itching to give it a whirl, with one chuffed user exclaiming: “You saved my life! Thanks.” Another was kicking themselves, saying: “Why am I only seeing this now? “.
In other laundry news, expert Sarah Dempsey from Myjobquote.co.uk, the go-to site for finding tradespeople in the UK, dished out advice for keeping your jeans from losing their colour. She recommends: “Turn dark jeans inside out before washing and use a colour-preserving detergent.”
She also advises to wash similar dark colours together and keep the temperature down low, even suggesting the cold setting if needed. And here’s a kicker occasionally soaking your dark denims in white vinegar and salt can help lock in the dye and slow down any fading.
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