How to Remove the Dye Transfer on Colored Clothing

Fabric dye in new clothing often bleeds during the first wash. A new pair of blue jeans or bright red shirt are notorious for causing dye transfer stains on other articles of clothing. While it's best to prevent dye transfer stains from occurring by setting fabric color, it's possible to treat stains that have already happened. You must treat a dye transfer stain on colored clothing while it's fresh to avoid a permanent stain.

Heavy-duty laundry detergent
Bucket
All-fabric bleach

Instructions

- 1
  Lay the dye transfer stained clothing on a flat work surface with the stained areas facing up. If the garment isn't fresh from the wash machine, dampen the stained area to moisten the fabric.
- 2
  
  Treating the stain with laundry detergent helps lift dye transfer.
  
  Pour heavy-duty laundry detergent over the dye transfer stain to cover the stain. Rub the detergent into the stained fabric and allow it to sit for 1 or 2 minutes.
- 3
  Rinse the heavy-duty laundry detergent off the fabric with cool water. Fill a bucket with 1 gallon cool water and mix in 1/2 cup of all-fabric bleach. Soak the dye transfer stained garment in the bleach solution for 30 minutes to remove the stains.
- 4
  Wash the garment according to directions on the care label. Use heavy-duty laundry detergent and all-fabric bleach in the wash cycle to remove the remainder of the dye transfer stain from your colored clothing.
- 5
  Check the garment before placing it in the dryer. If any dye transfer stain remains repeat these steps until it's removed before drying.

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