Everyone has at least once encountered the unpleasant situation when a favorite T-shirt fades, and white underwear takes on a strange pink or grayish tint. It seems that the washing machine or an accident is to blame, but in fact the shedding process is pure chemistry and physics. Understanding what happens to the fabric fibers inside the drum will help save your wardrobe from premature aging.
Dye instability
The most common reason lies in the quality of the thing itself. Manufacturers, trying to reduce the cost of the process, often use direct dyeswhich adhere to the fibers only due to weak chemical bonds. If at the production stage the fabric has not undergone a thorough color fixation procedure, excess pigment will begin to wash out at the first contact with water. This is especially true for rich red, blue and black items made from natural materials.
Aggressive temperature regime
Many people, out of habit, choose the 40 or 60 degree mode, considering it universal. However hot water has a destructive effect on fabric fibers. Under the influence of high temperature, the structure of the thread opens, “releasing” paint particles into the water. Cotton and linen products are especially sensitive to this. Cold water keeps the fiber structure closed, keeping the pigment inside, so for colored items, reducing the temperature is a critical factor in preservation.
Mistakes in choosing a detergent
Not all powders are equally useful for colored laundry. Products for white clothes contain optical brighteners and active oxygen. Their task is to oxidize dirt, but together with stains, they oxidize and destroy dye molecules. Even all-purpose powders can have a high pH level (alkaline), which aggressively strips the color. Specialized gels for colored laundry contain color transfer inhibitors and enzymes that work more gently and do not damage the pigment.
Mechanical friction and overload
Shedding can be not only chemical, but also mechanical. When the washing machine drum is full, clothes are exposed to excess friction about each other. This works like sandpaper: the microvilli of the fabric are damaged, and the dyed fibers literally come off the surface. As a result, the item looks faded and washed out, although in fact it has simply lost the top layer of dyed material.
Different nature of fibers
Mixing synthetics and natural fabrics in the same wash is a sure way to lose color. Synthetic fibers (such as polyester) are stronger and coarser than natural cotton or rayon. When rotated together, coarse synthetics act as an abrasive, damaging more delicate natural threads. Because of this, the damaged areas begin to release the dye faster, and the item loses its original brightness unevenly, becoming covered with pellets and faded spots.
Knowing the composition of the fabric and correctly sorting items before starting the washing machine significantly extends the life of clothing.
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