There’s nothing more disappointing than watching your favourite outfit fade after just a few washes.
Whether it’s that Ankara fabric you love, your favourite jeans, or your t-shirt, clothes fading is a common problem, and learning how to care for your outfits properly can help them last longer and retain their colour.
Here are some simple but effective tips to help you stop your outfits from fading.
1. Wash With Care
The first tip in preventing your outfits from fading is to wash with care. Before washing, always turn your clothes inside out, especially brightly coloured ones. This helps reduce direct friction on the outside of the fabric, which is what causes colours to fade faster.
2. Separate Colours While Washing
It might seem like too much work, but separating dark colours from light ones can help you save your outfits from fading. Don’t wash your white shirts with red or black fabrics unless you want a new (and unwanted) tie-dye design.
READ ALSO: Tips to make your clothes last longer
3. Use Gentle Laundry Soap
If you don’t want your outfits fading easily, then choose gentle laundry products.
Some laundry soaps are too harsh, especially the powdered types, as they strip fabrics of their colours.
Choose mild detergents or liquid soaps, and use just the right amount – not too much, as some detergents leave behind residue that dulls fabrics and speeds up the fading process.
4. Soak Clothes In Salt Water
Before you wash your cotton or denim for the first time, soak them in lukewarm water that you’ve added salt to.
Doing this will help set the dye and stop fading.
5. Avoid Frequent Washing
Let’s be honest – some outfits don’t need to be washed after every single wear.
Jeans, for instance, can be worn a few times before washing.
Over-washing wears out the fabric and the colour. If the clothes are not dirty, airing them out might be enough.
6. Avoid Harsh Sunlight
Sun drying your outfits under intense sunlight might seem like the fastest way, but it’s one of the quickest ways colours fade.
Instead, dry your clothes in shaded, airy places. Let the breeze do the job, not the blazing sun.
7. Iron With Caution
Ironing directly on some materials, especially when the iron is too hot, can cause the fabric to fade.
To prevent your outfits from fading, always iron inside out or use a pressing cloth to protect the material. Outfits are not cheap, especially with today’s economy, so it only makes sense to make them last.