It is best to wash your black or other dark clothing at cold temperatures of 20-30ºC to avoid colour run.
Washing blacks and other darks separately can help you to preserve their colour and prevent them from fading or running into other light colours such as your whites, which can dull them.
Throughout the wash cycle, any clothes placed in the washing drum will collide with each other, which can occasionally cause fabric fibres to break down over time, leaving the fibre ends exposed.
The friction of rubbing together with other clothing can then cause the surface of the fabric to become faded and disrupted, which can sometimes make the clothing look as though it is fading and that there is less colour.
Tumble drying blacks or dark clothing can also cause significant damage to them as well. This can cause colour to fade or the clothes to shrink. Washing black or dark clothing in hot or warm water can speed up the rate at which colour is lost.
Colours will naturally fade over time when washing, but it is best to help preserve this by washing black clothes at a cold temperature between 20-30ºC.
How to Stop Blacks Fading in the Wash
To keep black clothes black, it is best to wash them inside out using a cycle that is delicate or cold.
This will reduce the rate at which any colour is lost and will help to stop clothes from shrinking.
It is best to not put black or dark clothing into the dryer as this will cause them to shrink as well as fade the colour rapidly.
Why Do My Blacks Fade in the Wash?
When washing your clothes, they will rub against one another causing friction throughout the wash cycle. This can cause the fibre of your black clothing to break down and cause there to be less colour. This is what causes the fading.
Colour can also fade from exposure to high heat such as the dryer, hence why it is best to not put blacks in the dryer. To dry black clothing hang them out to dry or use a drying rack. However, avoid bright sunlight as this can fade clothes.
How Do You Keep Black Clothes Black?
The best way to keep your black clothes black is to firstly separate it from the rest of your washing so that you wash all your black or dark clothing together. Use cold water as this will prevent the clothes from fading.
If you want to ensure they remain black for longer it is also best to avoid using a dryer as the heat will cause the clothes to shrink and fade.
To dry black clothing, use a drying rack rather than a tumble dryer, although be sure not to hang dry them in the sun.
In The Wash is your guide to the best laundry and cleaning products, tips and tricks. Our mission is to solve the UK’s cleaning and laundry dilemmas!
