Preserving the vibrant colors of your favorite clothes doesn't have to be complicated. With a few simple adjustments to your laundry routine, you can help reduce fading and keep your garments looking fresh. Here's how to help keep your clothes from color fading.
Before you can fully learn how to prevent clothes from fading, it helps to understand what causes fading in the first place. The most common culprits include chlorine, friction from washing and drying, sunlight, and some detergents. Over time, these elements break down the dyes in fabric, which leads to dull or washed-out colors. Taking small steps like sorting your laundry properly, washing on a gentle cycle, and using a high-quality liquid fabric softener can go a long way toward minimizing these effects.
When it comes to laundry, sometimes a little planning and preparation can make a big difference preventing clothes from fading.
If you want to learn how to keep clothes from fading, it’s important to first check your garment’s care label to confirm your cleaning approach and maximize the item’s lifespan. These tags are there for a reason: they’re the manufacturer’s best advice on how to keep your garments looking their best. For a deeper dive, check out our guide to reading laundry care symbols. Following these directions helps you avoid over-washing, overheating, or using products that can accelerate color fading.
Washers and dryers can be rough on clothes and laundry colors. When you turn your clothing inside out, you’re protecting the outside of your garments from friction that happens when they spin together with other items in the washer.
If you don’t already, you may want to take the extra step of sorting your clothes by color to help prevent laundry color bleeding, too. Color bleeding is one of the fastest ways to lose the original look of your favorite clothes. Washing darks and lights together can cause dyes to transfer, especially in warm water or longer cycles. One of the easiest ways to stop color fading in clothes is to separate laundry into whites, lights, and darks. This gives each item the best chance to retain its original hue.
It might be tempting to toss everything in one load, but cramming your washer can lead to increased friction between garments, which contributes to fading. If you're serious about learning how to avoid color fading when washing clothes, make sure your laundry has enough room to move freely. This simple habit helps reduce fabric abrasion and keeps colors brighter longer.
This is one of the exceptions to the rule of the care label. If your care label says you should wash on warm, beware that warm water can release color. For laundry color fade protection, washing in cold water is your best bet.
A harsh detergent might get rid of tough stains, but it can also strip color from your clothes. To help protect your clothing, use a detergent that’s formulated to clean and protect colors. When you're learning how to keep clothes color from fading, the right detergent can help preserve vibrancy over time.
Fabric softener, sometimes called “fabric conditioner,” can be a great addition to your laundry day routine. In addition to the softness most people associate with this type of product, some fabric softeners like Snuggle® SuperFresh® liquid fabric softener actually help keep clothes looking newer, longer versus the leading liquid value detergent alone.
If you're looking for more tips on how to keep colors from fading, try washing clothes on a more gentle setting. Even with the clothes turned inside out and set to a cold-water wash, it doesn’t hurt to add the extra layer of care by washing your clothes on a gentle cycle to keep clothes from fading. The mix of the cold water, the indirect fabric exposure, and gentle cycle are all shields to help keep clothes from fading.
Washing too often can be just as bad as washing incorrectly. Unless something is visibly dirty or smells, consider spot cleaning or airing it out between wears. This strategy is a smart way to stop clothes from fading because it limits exposure to the water, heat, and friction that can break down fabric and dyes over time.
If you have the space to air dry indoors or out, it’s a safer bet than higher heat settings of an electric dryer. If that’s not an option, make sure not to overdo the heat and dry until just dry. Adding Snuggle® dryer sheets can also help reduce static and friction in the dryer. If you’re opting for drying outdoors on a line, you’ll want to be sure to keep your clothes inside out to avoid color fading from the sun.
