Replies

1. 
   sanderson | Dec 17, 2001 07:10pm | #1

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   I can't give you any science on this one but my experience is to use about 1 cup of vinegar to about four gallons of warm water if the fabric can handle warm. If I see a lot of bleeding in the resulting solution I sometimes add a cup of washing soda, agitate a bit longer, spin it out and then try again with the vinegar. Some reds just never stay stuck and if you are really in love with the shade you may have to do it up as a cold hand wash as a trade off. I'll be interested to hear other solutions on this dilemma.

1. 
   karen_morris_ | Dec 18, 2001 10:58am | #2

   *Hmmm, digging into my memory of dye baths and such, I believe that the vinegar soak only works on certain types of dye. I think it's used to set Procion dye, which is often used on cotton fabrics. (Someone correct me who remembers more details about dyeing! I mostly have dyed silk in my life, using acid dyes.)With most quality red fabrics, I find that an initial hand wash will tell me how much the fabric bleeds. After that it should bleed less, and can usually be thrown in with a "darks" load. But dosing it with vinegar first certainly can't hurt.What are the new red garments, Ruth, a new Santa outfit? (ho ho)

1. 
   ruth_lively | Dec 18, 2001 06:03pm | #3

   *Nothing so imaginative. OK, I confess, they're STOREBOUGHT things -- a couple of knit shirts and some napkins. Did the vinegar soak and the water stayed CLEAR. Thanks to all.

1. 
   Karen_Vesk | Feb 23, 2002 06:52am | #4

   *Recently, I saw a product being advertised that looks like a dryer sheet, but you put it in the wash cycle. The sheet is supposed to soak all the dye that comes out of the fabric, so that multi-coloured fabrics don't bleed.I haven't had a chance to look for it - much less try it, but it's on my shopping list. Has anyone tried it? Any comments on it?