Why do my clothes turn pink when i wash them?

Hi.

Yeah, I hope you wash coloured and white separately?

Regards,
- Jimmy

To answer your question, your cloths turn "pink" because the dyes from  your other clothing are being released in the wash water.  Your light colored cloths will acutally absorb a small amount of this dye and will appear "pink"

Personally I am a lazy SOB, and dont seperate my colors.   I do however wash any new cloths a few times by themselves so that any "weak" dye has a chance to go free.   After my new cloths have been washed a few times, I can then safely wash them with other stuff.

If your really worried about it, look for cloths that are dyed with "colorfast" colors, or colors that will not bleed.

Hope this helps!

Do you use water from the city or well? Could be that well water has some minerals in it (e.g., iron)?

I know a better solution:
Take your dirty clothes to a laundromat...
Ask any cute female 18+ years old to 'help' you figure out your problem.

:D

I like HeadIdiot's solution the best.

Ask for her phone number in case problem continues.

And offer to buy dinner if problem is solved.

did you leave your lipstick in the pocket of your Dockers?

Wash your whites with an even mixture of red, blue and green clothing, so it all evens out.

> Wash your whites with an even mixture of red, blue and green clothing, so it all evens out.

There's a difference between additive and subtractive mixing, you know =)  R+G+B will "even out" to a pretty yucky color when you're using paints/dyes (subtractive mixing).  R+G+B on the computer screen will look white (additive mixing).

- hbz

hmmm pink.
thats better then my clothes they turn to cheese or apples.

hbz that's what I meant by "all evens out" ;)

One thing that I don't see mentioned is that colors are more likely to bleed in warmer water.  I think most people wash whites in hot and colors in warm or cold; the more likely something is to bleed, the colder the water you want, and the better seperation.

Now me, I'm too lazy to screw with all that non sense:  Jam 'em all in there, and if they come out smelling better than when they went in.....they're clean....enough.  :)

mwu mwu mwuhahahaha ur doomed, doomed I tell you...

For me, the original sources of 'pink' was dye in other clothes. While the color of a solid red shirt is more obvious, I've seen the effect come from not only colored towels, but more so, from staoking that appear closer to black (all colors). Later on, (after separating colors etc) I am told this, and it rings true:

It comes from you.

While the more commonly seen color to many is the yellow 'stains', a source is the things you wear when not clothed, in particular, deodorant.  But really anything can contribute to color transfer less than desireable. The best you can do is at least separate out the whites and bleach, and to always wash the new clothes separate from used, the first washing is usually the time of the greates period of the bleeding effect.  Sometimes called prewashed, some clothes are sold that way, especially jeans, since they often have more appear looking more worn than new. I think snaef said most of that well enough, as well as  higginspi. But the jeans thing, when getting fancier ones, I swear they can bleed more colors than just blue.

Possibly it is the wrong commercial, I mean, er, product. Which soap/detergent do you use? Probably the one with the cute ad, not the accurate one. Or the cheap one instead of the one with the good stuff.  Personally, I haven't yet figured out which of the 'new' and 'improved' products have something better than the other one. Maybe someone else can identify brand, I've trouble there.

I did once have a comment from former neighbors, concerning one soap from that door-to-door company. One said it was source of all the pink she got in her man's clothes. So they needed the more commercialized stuff. Another neighbor said that no, it comes from their use of well water, not city, that it is effect of "hard water" (contains more minerals). Say, better use laundromat. If not, adding 'bluing' (chemically balance) will help. Other neighbor said: it's neither, she used same product and water and had no such problem.  Different answer from every one asked.

Concerning laundromats, been there done that, I guess I don't know where the right part of town is to meet such a person. milkydoo temperature comment of course is relevant since the machine have a temperature setting.

ANd if you learn how to read, and take time to review the shelf of detergents, they all mention the effects of temperature and of colors. Then, next to the same old labels the same old brands have some new labels with claims "all temperature" and "all color".  But the old ones are still marketed, no special new price for the one for any water temperature or for facilitating wash by mixing colors, skipping separation. I try, I ask, no one I know has noticed a difference, but I am sure there must be, so if I've enough caffeine in me when going down the aisle, my advice is to get only the ones that have the most special cliams.  - and if you know a good lawyer, then sue 'em for each of your pinks.

I think even CrazyOne answer simple enough, and probably included on the box of detergent you use, whatever brand that is.

Didn't your mother ever teach you how to wash clothes?

Mine didn't - that's why I don't have pink whites anymore (she made that mistake more than once...)

Always wash your whites separately.  Look at the stupid tags on the stupid clothes.  If you don't you're going to ruin a lot more than just your whites.

Wash your white socks and underwear in hot water, separately, with a cold water rinse cycle.  Use bleach or "oxy clean" or washing soda to brighten them.  Don't use bluing - that's for grandma's hair...   Washing soda will "soften" hard water.  I think Borax will also.  Oh, and use detergent, too...

Wash your white permanent-press separately from your colored permanent-press, in warm water with cold rinse.

Wash your white delicates in cold water, using the delicate setting on your machine.

Wash your darks together, also paying attention to the labels, to determine warm, cold or delicate as well.  Don't wash colors in hot.  Don't wash pale colors with brand-new dark-colored clothes, or you risk the dark dyes bleeding onto the light-colored clothes.

Dry them according to the tags, also, or you are likely to end up with a size XL wool sweater or cotton t-shirt that could only fit a Cabbage Patch doll, or something that would normally not be wrinkled suddenly having permanent wrinkles.

Unlike the "do not remove this tag" tags on mattresses, the tags on clothes actually have a reason to exist.

If you're too lazy to do all this work, just buy all of your clothes in the same color, wash them all in cold, and line-dry everything except sweaters.  Does anyone care to explain "blocking" a sweater to Mal_K?

Hey there,

What's wrong with pink? Save yourself the worry and just buy pink clothes in the first place. Therefore - NO Problem!!

Or, if you don't like pink, don't leave the house or only visit nudist camps!!

Firstly, i'd like to point out that i live in London, chances of me getting water from a well are about as high as me getting a breath of fresh air. I use whatever is in the cupboard, in terms of washing agents (don't ask who's cupboard it is - i don't know myself). Usually this is Bold3 or Triplewax car shampoo (whatever's available). I'm having a hard time thinking of who to award the points to. Truth is I've had a right giggle reading all the responses and only wish i could split up the total and award all of u a little something =]

Headidiot i took your advice and went to the laundry, trouble is the only other person there was a drunk guy staring at a washing machine that wasn't even on. I then asked him to wash my clothes and he replied by pissing on himself, skp23 don't think he had a phone.

Centore your advice would work but unfortunately is not that helpful. Sunbow and Shineon both ur answers are informative and i needed to try both to see which one's more accurate. Ill keep u posted.

Mal_k

"...for the sake of my expensive wardrobe, tell me how to wash things without turning them pink."


Are you saying that everything you wash turns pink?

Wow


you shoud go into the clothes dying business, you could make a fortune - white cloth into your machine  Da daa, 45 mins later Pink clothes come out.

Seriously you might consider having your washing machine serviced to make sure you haven't got a number of red items stuck somewhere behind the drum.

Maybe you are the victim of a prank, i suggest you watch carefully next time you do your washing and sit in the cupboard next to the washing machine ready to jump out on the person who sneaks the pink dye into the washing powder tray, talk to them about the situation rationally and calmly, then savagely punch them in the throat!

easy solution, just buy all pink clothes, then they won't TURN pink

Put the pink items back in the wash with a cheap blue sock,
Problem solved if you like the blotchy purple look