# Color Bleeding in Laundry: Prevent It, and Fix It by Fabric > Color bleeding in laundry, routed by situation and fabric: test new clothes, rescue a wet or dried load, and match bleach to the label. **Published :** 2026-09-29 --- **Summary:** Keep a bled load **out of the dryer** until it is treated, because the heat can set the dye. Rewash the stained items straight away with liquid detergent worked in. If colour remains, let the **bleach triangle** and the fibre decide the next step. To prevent it, wash with like colours in cool or cold water. The table below splits the job by where you are and what the fabric can take, and each row names its source. Bleeding is dye leaching out of a fabric into the wash water; if the garment shares a load, the released dye can discolour the other items ([Iowa State University Extension](https://blogs.extension.iastate.edu/answerline/2019/04/29/color-transfer-bleeding-crocking/)). This page covers that transfer between garments. Whites that have gone yellow rather than tinted are a different problem, covered in [how to whiten yellowed whites](/blog/whiten-yellowed-whites/index.md). ## The decision table: where you are, then what the fabric allows Find the row that matches your load and fabric: if its check passes, then take the action in the third column. The sections below give the method for each. ## Before the first wash: test, then sort The label is the first clue. If the tag says "wash separately", expect the dye to bleed: wash the garment alone the first time and note what you see in the water; more washes may be needed to remove excess dye, and each wash also fades it ([Iowa State University Extension](https://blogs.extension.iastate.edu/answerline/2019/04/29/color-transfer-bleeding-crocking/)). No warning, but you are unsure? To check a garment, dampen a small hidden patch, place a white cotton handkerchief or kitchen paper on top and iron it; if it picks up colour, the garment is not colourfast ([Persil](https://www.persil.com/uk/laundry/laundry-tips/washing-tips/knew-one-colour-runs-wash-another.html)). Sorting does the rest. Washing with like colours is the only way to prevent colour transfer, and the fixers that hold dye can wear off after repeated washing ([Iowa State University Extension](https://blogs.extension.iastate.edu/answerline/2019/04/29/color-transfer-bleeding-crocking/)). Temperature matters too: hot water tends to encourage colours to run by opening up the fibres, so a cool or cold wash is best to prevent colour run ([Persil](https://www.persil.com/uk/laundry/laundry-tips/washing-tips/knew-one-colour-runs-wash-another.html)). And take the load out as soon as the cycle ends, because colour transfer is more likely while wet items lie close together ([Iowa State University Extension](https://blogs.extension.iastate.edu/answerline/2019/04/29/color-transfer-bleeding-crocking/)). For cotton specifically, the routine sits in [how to wash cotton](/blog/how-to-wash-cotton/index.md); for denim, in [washing jeans without fading](/blog/wash-jeans-without-fading/index.md). ### Colour-catcher sheets: a backstop, not a licence to mix Colour-catcher sheets trap loose dye released during the wash. The maker's directions are 1 sheet per load, 2 for large loads or loads with new or heavily coloured fabrics, and in a front-loader the sheet goes in a mesh bag at the back of the drum ([Shout](https://shoutitout.com/en-us/products/laundry-in-wash-solution/color-catcher-dye-trapping-sheet)). The limit: they work well but are not totally reliable ([Iowa State University Extension](https://blogs.extension.iastate.edu/answerline/2019/04/29/color-transfer-bleeding-crocking/)). **Recommended product** ## If the load is still wet: the rescue, step by step Speed matters here: the longer a dye stain has to set, the more difficult it is to remove ([Persil](https://www.persil.com/uk/laundry/laundry-tips/stains/get-dye-clothes.html)). ### 1. Keep the load out of the dryer Do not tumble-dry stained clothes before you treat them: the high heat can set the dye stain ([Persil](https://www.persil.com/uk/laundry/laundry-tips/stains/get-dye-clothes.html)). ### 2. Take out the item that ran Pull out the garment that bled and hang it to dry away from the rest of the load ([Persil](https://www.persil.com/uk/laundry/laundry-tips/stains/get-dye-clothes.html)). ### 3. Rewash the stained items straight away Rewash the stained items as quickly as possible without drying them, working liquid detergent into the tinted areas, and repeat ([Texas A\&M AgriLife Extension](https://agrilifeextension.tamu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Quick-Stain-Removal-Guide.pdf)). ### 4. Soak whites in hot detergent solution For whites, soak in a detergent solution made with the hottest water the care label allows, for at least 30 minutes up to a few hours, then rinse in hot or warm water, wash as normal, and repeat if the dye remains ([Persil](https://www.persil.com/uk/laundry/laundry-tips/stains/get-dye-clothes.html)). ### 5. Still tinted? Route by fabric and bleach symbol Read the bleach triangle on the care label, then follow the decision table for your fabric: chlorine only where the label and fibre allow it, oxygen bleach where only oxygen is allowed, and no bleach under a crossed-out triangle ([GINETEX](https://www.ginetex.net/gb/labelling/care-symbols.asp)). The next section gives each route. ## If the load has already dried Set your expectations: colour removal after bleeding is not always successful ([Iowa State University Extension](https://blogs.extension.iastate.edu/answerline/2019/04/29/color-transfer-bleeding-crocking/)). Work through the same routes as a wet load, in the order the decision table gives for your fabric, and escalate only as far as the label allows. For other stains that went through the dryer, see [how to remove set-in stains](/blog/remove-set-in-stains/index.md). ## Escalating by fabric and bleach symbol ### Read the bleach triangle first **bleach-any** **bleach-oxygen** **bleach-no** On the care label, a triangle with two oblique lines allows oxygen bleach but not chlorine bleach, an empty triangle allows chlorine and oxygen bleach, and a crossed-out triangle means no bleaching — use only bleach-free detergent ([GINETEX](https://www.ginetex.net/gb/labelling/care-symbols.asp)). The decoder reads the whole care label, including the wash temperature that sets how hot a rescue soak can be. ### Bleach-safe whites: the chlorine soak The bleach maker lists cotton, linen, polyester, rayon, nylon and acrylic as bleach-safe, and wool, silk, mohair, leather and spandex as not bleach-safe ([Clorox](https://www.clorox.com/learn/how-to-get-pink-out-of-white-clothes/)); the full fibre chart is in [what fabrics can you bleach](/blog/what-fabrics-can-you-bleach/index.md). For bleach-safe items, Clorox's rescue uses its Disinfecting Bleach: 1/4 cup in 1 gallon of cold water (US measures: about 59 ml in 3.8 litres), the item fully submerged for up to 5 minutes (wear gloves), then a thorough rinse in cool water; if the colour is only lighter, repeat the treatment rather than use a stronger solution or a longer soak ([Clorox](https://www.clorox.com/learn/how-to-get-pink-out-of-white-clothes/)). Those numbers are for Clorox's own bleach; with another product, follow its package. ### Whites with spandex Where chlorine bleach cannot be used, such as a white with spandex, or where it leaves the transferred colour unchanged, a reducing bleach sold as "colour remover" is the alternative ([Clorox](https://www.clorox.com/learn/how-to-get-pink-out-of-white-clothes/)), but check that product's own fabric list first (see colour removers below). A colour remover is still a bleach, so this page keeps it to garments with an empty triangle: a two-line triangle allows oxygen bleach only, and a crossed-out triangle allows none ([GINETEX](https://www.ginetex.net/gb/labelling/care-symbols.asp)). ### Whites whose label allows oxygen bleach only For whites, and only if the care labels allow it, a solution of cool water and non-chlorine (oxygen) bleach, with the garment soaked for a few hours, is a further option before washing as normal ([Persil](https://www.persil.com/uk/laundry/laundry-tips/stains/get-dye-clothes.html)). ### Coloured clothes that are colourfast Coloured clothes can follow the same steps as whites only if you are sure they are colourfast ([Persil](https://www.persil.com/uk/laundry/laundry-tips/stains/get-dye-clothes.html)), and the fibre list and the bleach triangle above still apply to them. Before bleaching an item that had colour, run Clorox's bleachability test: 2 teaspoons of Clorox Bleach in 1/4 cup of water (US measures: about 10 ml in 59 ml), one drop on a hidden part such as an inside hem, wait one minute, rinse and blot; if the original colour is still there, the item can be treated with bleach ([Clorox](https://www.clorox.com/learn/how-to-get-pink-out-of-white-clothes/)). ### Coloured clothes that are not colourfast For coloured clothes that are not colourfast: dab the stain repeatedly with a white cloth dampened with a stain remover or rubbing alcohol, rinse in warm water, wash as normal, and repeat; only if the stain is still there and the original colour has not faded, soak in a colour detergent with the hottest water the label allows for at least 30 minutes, checking the colour while it soaks, then rinse and wash as normal ([Persil](https://www.persil.com/uk/laundry/laundry-tips/stains/get-dye-clothes.html)). ### Colour removers: read the product's limits A university stain guide lists a commercial colour remover among the options on white or colourfast fabric, following the package ([Texas A\&M AgriLife Extension](https://agrilifeextension.tamu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Quick-Stain-Removal-Guide.pdf)). As above, keep it to garments whose bleach triangle is empty. Carbona's Color Run Remover is for colourfast fabrics only; it is not recommended for silk, denim, khaki, synthetics, leather, suede, vinyl or garments that have bled onto themselves, and if the original dye is not colourfast it may be removed as well ([Carbona](https://carbona.com/products/laundry-care/color-run-remover/)). ## Salt and vinegar do not set dye Salt or vinegar in the wash does not fix dye after dyeing is complete; if it seemed to work, the loose dye was simply washed out ([Iowa State University Extension](https://blogs.extension.iastate.edu/answerline/2019/04/29/color-transfer-bleeding-crocking/)). > After a dye run, rinse out the washing tub or run an empty wash so the next > load is not contaminated ([Persil](https://www.persil.com/uk/laundry/laundry-tips/washing-tips/knew-one-colour-runs-wash-another.html)). ## Mistakes to avoid > **Warning:** > - **Drying before treating.** The high heat can set the dye stain (Persil). > - **A stronger or longer chlorine soak.** Clorox's limit is up to 5 minutes; if the colour is only lighter, repeat the treatment instead (Clorox). > - **Colour remover on a garment that is not colourfast.** Its original dye may be removed as well (Carbona). > - **Any bleach under a crossed-out triangle.** It means no bleaching; use only bleach-free detergent (GINETEX). ## Related reading - [What fabrics can you bleach?](/blog/what-fabrics-can-you-bleach/index.md) — the fibre-by-fibre chlorine and oxygen chart. - [How to remove set-in stains](/blog/remove-set-in-stains/index.md) — stains that have already been through the dryer. - [How to wash cotton](/blog/how-to-wash-cotton/index.md) — the everyday cotton routine, including sorting. - [How to wash jeans without fading](/blog/wash-jeans-without-fading/index.md) — denim dye and fading. - [How to whiten yellowed whites](/blog/whiten-yellowed-whites/index.md) — when whites have yellowed rather than picked up dye.