Here are some tips to ensure the best color performance of your garments:
- Always read and follow care instructions.
- Protect white and colored garments from excessive exposure to light.
- When in doubt, ask us before you do anything.
Washable & Water-Based Dyes
Some dyes are water-soluble resulting in discoloration when laundered or exposed to
rain, perspiration, or water. Since many stains require water and water-soluble agents for removal, even dry cleanable items
should have water-resistant dyes.
Water can also cause problems with sizing which
is applied during manufacture to provide body in fabrics such as rayon. Water spills may cause sizing to migrate and form
dark rings or streaks as it dries. This occurrence is particularly difficult to remedy on dry cleanable fabrics because it
requires additional water to remove the sizing disturbance.
Color Loss in Dry Cleaning
A dye that is soluble in dry cleaning may fade during
care. If two or more dyes have been used and only one is soluble, there is a good possibility of a dramatic color change.
For example, if a yellow dye component of a green garment were to break down, you could be left with a blue garment! There
is no way of knowing this in advance. Occurrences such as this example are rare, but they can happen in the first cleaning
or progress with each subsequent cleaning.
Fading may occur in household items such as bedspreads
and draperies. Often the fading may not be noticeable until the item is compared with a matching item. We recommend that all
matching items be dry cleaned or laundered at the same time to ensure color uniformity.
Dye Deterioration From Light and Chemicals
Most dyes eventually fade with exposure to sun or artificial light. Color failure may occur rapidly on
exposed areas of garments such as shoulders, collars, and sleeves. Particularly sensitive are blue, green, and lavender dyes,
especially those used on silk or wool fabrics.
Common household substances can also be causes of color loss. Be careful not to expose fabrics to alkaline
toiletries such as toothpaste or shampoo. Hairspray, perfume, and deodorant contain alcohol which may cause color loss on
silk or rayon. Even the acidity of lemon juice affects some dyes. Color loss as a result of these situation might not be visible
until after the garment is cleaned. Bleach, a component in many household cleaning products and skin or hair preparations,
is one of the most common causes of color loss and fabric damage.
