How to – wash dark fabrics

As far as I’m concerned laundry is a necessary evil but that’s no excuse for not doing a good job. This how to Friday 4 tips to help wash dark or colourful fabrics without the colour running. If you’re washing clothes in a decent washing machine (plenty can be found here) and following the care label on your clothes then you shouldn’t have too much of a problem but if you’re taking the belt and braces approach follow this advise.

Turn inside out – washing your dark clothes inside out means there is less friction against the outside which basically means less wear.

Use a detergent designed for dark clothes – you can buy washing powders and liquids which are designed for coloured clothes from your local supermarket.

Cold water – wash dark clothes in colder water. If your washing machine can run at 30 or 15 degrees then that’s great. Modern detergents are often designed to be used at lower temperatures so you will still have clean clothes.

Air dry – rather than using the tumble dryer make sure you air dry your dark clothes and if it’s a sunny day leave them inside out so the sun doesn’t dull them.