How to stop black trousers [pic]

[LazyJayne]

Pic on the left = Brand new.

Pic on the right = A few months old.

After a few washes, I always find that the nice deep black colour on the left fades into the lighter, murkier colour on the right.

Up close, there’s lots of little tiny white hairs, which seem to come out of the fabric itself.

I wash with similar colours, use a lint roller and try to extend the time between washes as long as politely possible.

Does anyone manage to keep their black clothes a nice deep black for a long time and if so how do you do it!? 🙈

Title should read ‘how to stop black trousers fading’ not just ‘how to stop black trousers’ in general 😆

Wash them inside out

The apricot colour seems to have totally gone. What temperature are you using, and what sort of detergent? And what's the fabric?

Surf do a liquid for black clothing I use it on all blacks and it does help them keep their colour much longer.

It’s this one

@ErrolTheDragon I don’t think they are the same design of trousers, just an example

Those are the same trousers? I’d be questioning the quality for all of the peachy colour to have completely gone.

In general I wash blacks inside out on a cold wash with non-bio.

what does the washing label say?

If they're plain black you can dye them back to black after a while. I think the effect you're showing does happen a lot with cheaper fabrics though. I also despair of jumpers which bobble and pill after what feels like only a few weeks of wear...

I thought the same as @ErrolTheDragon

Yes sorry as above poster said they’re different patterns, just using as an example for the black. They’re both 97% viscose and from Matalan.

I usually wash on 40 with a pod.

Haven’t been turning inside out, so will definitely try that.

I don’t like use the wool cycle as I don’t feel like it cleans properly.

Wash on 20 inside out, line dry.

I do my darks at 30.

The wool cycle seems to clean my muddy walking socks just fine, though sometimes I run the cycle a second time without any detergent. Obviously for wool I'm using no bio.

Not sure but isn't a lot of viscose handwash only? What does the label recommend?

I will try on 30 inside out :)

Label says wash on wool at 40 @ErrolTheDragon but when I’ve washed on wool before the clothes don’t smell as fresh. Could be my machine or could be in my head.

Do try a non-bio for darks if your pods are biological. I think bio has a slight bleaching effect.

I’m using the wool cycle a lot (albeit for wool!) and I’ve never had an issue with clothes not smelling fresh.

re the black colour.
ive always put that down to quality. I’ve had trousers staying black forever and others fading very quickly whilst treating them all the same way…..

Also if it says wash on a wool cycle, I expect a material that is needing special treatment and fragile (and too high maintenance for me when it comes to trousers!)

If they are plain black trousers then you can dye them black again, I often do that to black jeans/chinos - you need a good cotton content. It gives them a new lease of life. Equally a sharpie will effectively colour in bleach spots.

What colour are they on the inside? I find it depends sometimes on whether the black is dyed in or more sort of printed (probably a better term for that!). I would expect with both of those trousers that it's the printed type, due to the patterns having white in and the type of fabric. I'll try to find something to take a picture of what I mean! You see lots of people selling things on Vinted etc 'only worn a few times' but it looks like it's been washed 100 times... I'm always looking for breast-feeding clothes atm and brands like Jojo, Frugi etc are really bad for this instant wash-fade, because they aren't dyed all the way through, if that makes sense!

I think I know what you mean @TravellingJack; like how they print wallpaper rather than the actual weave impregnated with the dye?

interesting - I’d never thought about it before.

I wear a lot of black clothes and use Woolite laundry liquid for dark fabrics and denim. Gentle enough for wool too. Also turn inside out before washing and then dry inside. I think most black fabrics fade in time but this seems to help.

I think you're right @TravellingJack , and printed is the right term! I have some trousers which are M&S thin jersey ones with a navy print and have had the same issue

Liquid @ 30 degrees on a short cycle!

Bio powder has bleach in it so you need to wash them in colour liquid detergent to stop this .

30 inside out. Non bio.

Missing the point entirely but I love the idea the thread is just about stopping black trousers 😂

I was going say non bio helps, but cheaper fabrics do this only after a few washers, I have some lovely wide leg trouser from George at asda which faded after only two washers, and most black tops from H&M do this too.