How to Remove Dye Stains From Clothes

How to Remove Dye Stains From Clothing

1. Check the Entire Load for Stains

   Find the bleeding culprit and pull it out of the washer. Set it aside for washing later with similar colors. Carefully check each remaining piece of laundry for discoloration or stains. Any pieces without signs of unwanted color can go into the dryer or on a clothesline.

2. Rewash the Affected Clothes

   Confirm that the item that bled color is out of the wash load. Rewash all the stained clothes using oxygen bleach (brands include OxiClean, Nellie's Oxygen Brightener, and Oxo Brite) in addition to your regular laundry detergent.

   Tip

   Oxygen bleach is safe to use in high-efficiency front-load and top-load washers and standard washers. It's effective at any water temperature; however, if your water is very cold, dissolve the powder in 1 quart of very warm water before using.

3. Inspect the Clothes Again

   After rewashing, recheck each piece of clothing for traces of dye. Any items that still have unwanted color should be soaked and rewashed. Clothes that came out with the undesired color completely gone can go in the dryer (or, to play it safe, air-dry until you're sure they're back to normal).

How to Soak Dye-Stained Clothing

1. Soak the Stained Items

   Mix a solution of oxygen bleach and cool water in a washtub or sink, following the product instructions. Submerge the stained items and allow them to soak for at least eight hours.

2. Check and Soak Again if Needed

   Recheck the clothes for unwanted dye. If the stains are gone, wash the items as usual. If the stains remain, mix a fresh batch of the oxygen bleach and water solution and soak for another eight hours. Check again and wash or repeat the soaking process as needed. You may need to do so several times, but it's the best way to get rid of the dye without damaging the fabric.

Additional Tips for Handling Dye Stains

• Don't confuse oxygen bleach with chlorine bleach, they are completely different products. Chlorine bleach will remove desired colors and damage fabrics.
• You may get better results using a powdered formula instead of a liquid because the powdered form is stable longer. The liquid form begins to degrade the moment it gets bottled.
• A set stain will be harder to get out than a fresh one. Skip right to performing a soak on the stained item to start lifting a set-in dye stain.
• Set-in stains may take multiple soaks. If the dye stain is still there after trying these stain removal techniques several times, consider getting a commercial color run remover product for the affected garment or rewash the item separately using a commercial color catcher sheet.
  
• If you plan to wash a dry-clean-only item, do a colorfast test. Wet a cotton swab, and rub it across an inside seam or hem. If dye appears on the cotton swab, the item can bleed and cause dye stains on your other clothing.