How to Avoid Colored Clothes from Staining Other Clothes

If you've ever turned a white shirt pink (or baby blue, or gray, etc.), you know the perils of washing colored clothes. However, with some simple tips and practice, you can keep your whites white and colors bright. Start by following these steps.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Washing machine and dryer
• Colored clothes
• "Shout!" color catcher sheets
• Mild or color-safe detergent

1. Separate your laundry. Sort it into at least three categories: darks, lights and whites. It is wise to also make a fourth category for towels and heavy duty items, to ensure thorough cleaning.

2. Since we are dealing with colored clothes here, set aside your whites and lights—the darks are what cause the greatest trouble.

3. Fill the washer with COLD water to the appropriate level for the load size. Cold water prevents colors from running and fading.

4. Add a "color catcher" such as a "Shout! Color Catcher" sheet. This will keep multi-colored clothes crisply colored and prevent that rogue red sock from turning your laundry into different colors.

5. Add a mild or color-safe detergent to the load and begin wash. Nearly any wash cycle type is fine.

6. Allow the wash cycle to complete and remove your laundry immediately. Letting the wash linger while wet will only increase the chance of dye transfer.

7. Hang dry your clothes or put them in the dryer right away. Again, the wash should not be sitting together while wet.

8. Dry and fold as usual. Enjoy your properly colored clothes.

Tips & Warnings

• It doesn't affect dye transfer, but turning colored clothes inside out prevents fading. It also helps in the wash process, as clothes are usually dirtier on the inside (unless you're rolling in the mud).
• Don't skip steps here. Just because you follow the rest of the steps doesn't mean you can mix whites and colors - all steps are crucial.