Page Outline:
What Is Colour Fastness In Laundry?
Have you ever washed a blue towel with a white shirt, only to end up with a light blue-stained garment? This scenario perfectly illustrates colour fastness in laundry, which measures a fabric’s resistance to fading, bleeding, or transferring color to other items. In the example above, the blue towel had low colour fastness, causing it to bleed onto the white shirt. By contrast, fabrics with high colour fastness retain their color during washing and do not stain other clothes.
Some refer to this as color bleeding or fading, but the technical term is “colour fastness.”
The fabric’s colour fastness depends on factors like dye type, fiber composition, and how these two interact. It’s a misconception that pricier garments automatically have better colour fastness; some designers choose specific dyes for their aesthetic, even if it lowers a fabric’s ability to retain color. For instance, new indigo-dyed jeans may include a warning label: “This garment may fade during washing.”
Other elements that influence colour fastness include perspiration, heat, sunlight, and the number of washes. Some fabrics initially resist color transfer but begin to bleed or fade once protective finishes wear off.
1. Read the Care Label
Look for instructions like “wash separately” or “wash with like colours,” which suggest lower colour fastness.
2. Perform a Simple Spot Test
- Choose a hidden area (e.g., an interior seam).
- Apply water and a small amount of detergent.
- Dab with a clean white cloth.
- If no color transfers, the garment likely has high colour fastness; if color does transfer, wash it separately.
