Fabric dye that runs in the washing machine can ruin some items of clothing, or even the entire load. To avoid dye bleeding to other materials, use a color catcher to absorb dyes in the water before they invade other clothing. While color catchers can be purchased in most laundry aisles, you can make your own with stabilizer found in craft and fabric stores.
Things You'll Need
- Heavyweight, sew-in stabilizer
- Scissors
- Bucket
- Water
- Salt
- Spoon
- Clothesline or drying rack
- Laundry detergent
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Purchase at least 5 inches of 22-inch-wide stabilizer. Stabilizer is a thin, foam-like material typically sewn onto clothes or fabrics to control stretching, literally stabilizing the fabric. Cut the stabilizer into 5-inch squares with scissors to make four squares.
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Add 1/4 gallon of hot water to a bucket. Gradually add 1 cup of salt into the water, 1/4 cup at a time. Stir as you add the salt until it is all dissolved into the water.
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Place your squares of stabilizer into the water. Push the squares down so they are fully immersed in the water. Allow the squares to soak 45 minutes to an hour.
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Pull the squares from the water one at a time. Hang the squares on a clothesline or drying rack, and allow them to drip dry.
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Set your washing machine's water setting to cold, and fill the machine. Add one square of stabilizer to the machine along with your load of laundry. Allow the cycle to run as normal with your preferred detergent.
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Remove the square prior to placing the clothes into the dryer. Discard the square.
References
- "Laundry"; Cheryl Mendelson; 2005
- "Cleaning Plain & Simple"; Donna Smallin; 2005
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Brand X Pictures/Getty Images
