Are you frustrated when you buy a new pair of jeans or black shirt, only for them to fade after a few washes?

Faded blacks and dark colors need to be treated extra special, the easy answer would be to never wash your dark clothes, but your clothes do have to eventually get clean. As a dry cleaner, we understand your frustration. The more you wear them and the more you clean them, obviously, the more they will show age.

If you own a dark wardrobe and want to keep it clean and new looking without fading, here are some suggestions:

1.  Always read your care labels on your garments before cleaning them. Bringing them to the dry cleaners is always a safe bet because they know how to optimize and take the correct action to keep your garments looking great!

2.  Wash on gentle cycle in cold water

When you do run a dark cycle, use cold or tepid water. Warm water can compromise dye loss, so use a short, gentle, cool cycle will help preserve the fabric’s dye. 

3.  Turn them Inside out before washing

Turning your dark clothing inside out  will help minimize friction in the wash, and is a bit more protective to the exposed side you wear.  Don’t forget to also close zippers and fasten any hooks.

4.  Wash “Like” Clothing together

Keep your lights with your lights and your darks with your darks. However, heavy items can ruin delicate clothing, and washing items of the same weight ensure they get properly cleaned with the appropriate cycle. In other words, jeans and denim should be washed together, knits and delicates should be washed together, towels should be washed together.  Always sorting your colors and washing like colors together.

5.  Choose your detergent carefully!

Use detergent for cold water, that can help neutralize the chlorine found in tap water, which can fade color. A much better solution is to wash with soft water, it cleans better and removes the chlorine that is toxic anyway. Use a small amount of detergent, too much soap can leave a  residue and not rinse out of clothing. 

6.  Do not over dry!

The heat of the dryer can cause dark clothes to fade and is hard on garments. Village Cleaners recommends drying your garments on a lower setting and your special knits should be hung after they have tumbled until about 50% dry.  Shrinkage happens in the last 13% of the drying cycle.  Hanging your clothes totally wet will create new problems with wrinkles and softness. We recommend “tempering” them before you hang them up.