Colourful garments are special because they reflect our moods and our personalities. But, they also have special needs when it comes to washing and care. They can fade and lose colour quicker than light and dark clothes. Washing clothes carefully will help you keep these colourful favourites looking vibrant for longer. So, here are our laundry tips for washing coloured clothes.
7 steps on how to wash coloured clothes
1
Read the instructions.
Check the washing symbols on your fabric care label and they’ll tell you whether your item should be washed in a washing machine or by hand, or whether it should go to a dry cleaner.
2
Wash your colours separately.
For coloured clothes that can be washed at home, you first need to sort them according to colour. Bright clothes, such as purples, reds, oranges, and bright yellows, can be washed together. Bright blues and greens can also be washed together. If you have one item that doesn’t match anything else, consider washing it by hand.
3
Pre-treat stains.
Examine your coloured clothing for stains, and treat them with a small amount of Ariel detergent. It is tough on stains, yet gentle on your colours.
4
Turn clothes inside out.
Your new coloured clothes should be washed inside out and on as gentle a cycle as is necessary to clean your clothes. Make sure you don’t overstuff the machine to avoid poor laundry results.
5
Wash in cold water.
Your new clothes should be washed in cold water. For best results, use Ariel Colour Washing Powder designed for semi-automatic washing machines, or Ariel Matic Liquid, made for bright coloured clothes, and designed to be used in fully automatic washing machines. These detergents help keep your colours bright while removing many tough stains and impurities with just one wash.
6
Unload quickly
Remove your coloured clothing from the machine as soon as the cycle finishes. Allowing coloured clothes to sit in the drum may cause the colours to leech onto other items.
7
Hang to dry.
Avoid using the dryer, if possible, as the dryer will cause your clothing to fade faster and set any stains that you may have missed.
How to protect colours with Ariel
How to remove stains from coloured clothes
1
Prepare a soaking solution.
Fill up a bucket or your sink with lukewarm water, and add half a scoop of Ariel Colour Washing Powder to create a soaking solution.
2
Soak.
Add your clothes to the solution, and let them sit for an hour. Put a towel on top, if the garments keep floating to the top to keep them submerged.
3
Prepare for the wash.
Wring out the excess water gently, then add your clothes to your washing machine with similar items.
4
Dose.
Add detergent based on the instructions on the package, and choose a detergent that’s specifically developed for coloured clothes to keep them bright and colourful longer.
5
Wash.
Use your usual cycle with the highest temperature allowed on the garments’ fabric care label.
6
Unload.
As soon as the cycle is finished, unload your garments, and hang them out to dry.
Getting stains out of coloured clothes - What to consider
When it comes to stain removal, there are always a few things you need to check or keep in mind before you start:
1
Type of fabric
Make a habit out of checking the fabric care label of your garments before washing them to see if they need any special care. If it’s an extremely delicate item that has “dry clean only” on its label, you should take it to a professional for cleaning.
2
Fabric colour
Colours can bleed in the washer, so if you don’t want to have a fabric dye stain on your clothes, it’s always best to sort them by colour before throwing them in the washing machine.
3
Type of stain
Some stains, especially if they’re fresh, don’t need any special treatment. In these cases, all it takes to get rid of the stain is just a quick rinse and wash. Others, however, if they’re old or more stubborn, may need pre-treatment in a soaking solution of water mixed with detergent. Make sure to check out our stain removal guides to determine the best course of action.
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