How to stop colour run

[dodobookends]

I have a leotard that I have been washing by hand (it is bright pink) and every time, the water goes pink too. I've washed it about 10 times now - is there a way to somehow fix the dye so it doesn't keep coming out?

Ideas please!

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news but, based on the information you gave, there is not really anything you can do.

Some advise that soaking in salty water will help, but in the case of pinks and reds, it will not. Others advise that washing repeatedly will get rid of the excess dye, and it might diminish a little, but not an awful lot. The thing is, if the colour run hasn't diminished after a couple of washes, it is not just excess dye being washed away, but a failure of the dye to bond with the fabric.

The reason is that certain types of dye require a mordant. This is a chemical which combines with the dye and undergoes a reaction with it so that it doesn't run. Reds and pinks are the most difficult to get right in this process, and if it hasn't worked out properly at the dying stage, nothing you do at home is going to rectify the issue.

Very interesing anzu66

I have a bright pink bathing suit that still runs pink dye after 3 years -- and numerous washes.

Time to toss I think.

Thanks anzu - looks like more hand-washing then. Can't throw away and buy a different one unfortunately, as there are 5 of them and they have to be that particular make and colour. What a pain.

Can you not just machine wash with similar colours

demented not really no, sorry to drip-feed but they belong to dd who is at dance college and newly living away from home. She doesn't have anything else that colour either, and the launderette is expensive - I thought if we could find a way of stopping the colour running she could just bung the things in with her other stuff on a cool wash.

I would put them in with towels with a colour catcher sheet. I have a top that has red sleeves that i have had for four years that still runs in the wash but if I put a colour catcher sheet in, it doesn't run onto anything else.

Colour catcher sheets are a good idea, but 16-year-olds might not reliably remember to do that! I will mention it to her though.