The Household Essential That Makes Laundry Dye Transfer Stains A Thing Of The Past

Life can get hectic, and this can lead to mistakes like putting a bright clothing item in the washer with a bunch of white clothes. Some colors and fabrics can cause dye transfer (also referred to as color bleeding), giving your crisp white shirt a makeover you didn't want. There's no need to panic and rush out to buy another shirt, though — using hydrogen peroxide to clean your laundry might be able to rescue the affected items. Even though it's often used as a disinfectant, this bathroom cabinet staple is particularly handy for using in the laundry room, too.

Dye transfer occurs when colors leak into one another in the wash, leaving behind a tint. Sometimes, just a mark is left, but other times you may be left with patches all over your item. It can be extremely annoying to deal with, but the following method should restore your clothing item back to how it was pre-dye transfer. It will also ensure you know what to grab if you experience color bleeding with any of your other clothes.

You'll need a large tub like a washing-up bowl for this hack. Combine equal parts hydrogen peroxide and water together. Take the clothing items affected by dye transfer and put them in the tub, making sure all items are fully covered — we recommend wearing gloves while doing this to avoid any skin irritation. Leave the items in the tub for around half an hour, potentially longer if the dye transfer is particularly stubborn. When time is up, rinse all clothes thoroughly with clean water and then put them in the wash once more.

If you don't have time to put the item in the washing machine after soaking it, rinsing it with cold water in the tub should be fine in a pinch. However, we do recommend a proper wash, if possible, to make sure the dye stains have fully disappeared. Once done, you can let the item dry naturally or use a dryer. If you do plan to use a dryer, remember not to mix light, dark, and bright washing together. This hack works due to the bleaching properties of hydrogen peroxide, which could work by bleaching the stain until it lifts.

Though using hydrogen peroxide to remove dry transfer stains should be fine on the whole, be aware of the following before you begin. Firstly, as mentioned, hydrogen peroxide is a bleaching agent. Despite it not being as strong as regular bleach, this does mean you'll need to be careful if trying to get a color bleed mark out of an item that isn't white or cream. A good way to prevent accidental fading is by carrying out a spot test first. You can do this by pouring a small amount of hydrogen peroxide on an inconspicuous area of your garment such as the inner corner of a shirt or the inside leg of some pants.

If there is no fading in the spot where you poured the hydrogen peroxide, it's likely you can go ahead without the risk of ruining your clothing item even more. Another thing to know is that this hack may not work if the dye transfer mark is old or very ingrained, in which case you may either have to take the item to a professional cleaning service or say goodbye to it.