Colour that has run

Short answer: Colour run happens when a new garment releases dye in a warm wash. It can usually be rescued if you spot it before the clothes have dried, and it can almost always be avoided with a little sorting.

Wash new dark items separately

The first two or three washes release the most colour. A new dark garment has excess dye in the fabric that needs rinsing out before it settles. Wash new dark clothes on their own the first few times, or with items of the same colour. Then the loose dye does no harm, see bamboo T-shirts for men.

Rewash straight away

If colour has run, wash again immediately at forty degrees, before the garment dries. While the fabric is wet, the stray colour sits loosely and can often be rinsed out. Do not hang it up to see whether it fades by itself. That goes for jumpers and socks alike, see bamboo socks for men.

Do not dry before checking

As with stains, heat binds the colour to the fabric. Check the laundry in good light when it comes out of the machine, before it goes in the dryer or on a warm radiator. If colour is still there, wash again rather than dry. Once dried in, it usually stays.

Wash cold rather than hot

A cold wash draws less colour from the fabric. The warmer the water, the more dye a new garment releases, and the more easily it settles on lighter clothes. For dark clothes that are not very dirty, a cool wash is often enough, and it also protects the garment's own colour, see bamboo underwear for men.

Sort by colour

The simplest habit is to split laundry into light, dark and coloured. It takes a moment when loading the machine, but removes nearly all risk of colour run. If you do not have enough for a full load of each, wait a day rather than mix a new dark item with white clothes.

Check the pockets

Sometimes it is not the clothes that bleed but something in the pockets. A forgotten pen, a receipt or a coloured napkin can mark a whole load. Empty the pockets before clothes go in the wash. It takes seconds and saves you washing the entire load again.

Turn dark clothes inside out

Dark clothes keep their colour better if you turn them inside out before washing. The outer side then rubs less against the drum and other clothes, and less dye comes loose. It does not do much for colour run as such, but it keeps your dark clothes dark for longer.

When the colour is stuck

If clothes have been dried with colour on them, it is hard to remove completely. You can try washing them a few more times at the temperature the care label allows. If it does not come out, a light garment with a faint tint can still be worn as an inner layer or at home.

Frequently asked questions

Why does colour run

Because new textiles release excess dye in the first few washes, especially at high temperatures and alongside light clothes.

Can you save clothes that have picked up colour

Often, yes, if you wash them again straight away. Once dried, the colour usually stays in the fabric.

How do you avoid it

Wash new dark clothes separately the first two or three times, and wash at forty degrees rather than hotter.