Stop Clothing Fade: 3 Must-Know Truths & Fixes

As an "insider" who has been working in the clothing industry for ten years, I will talk to you today about a topic that is often misunderstood: Why do clothes fade? Once many people see clothes fading, they will suspect that "the quality must be very poor." In fact, fading does not mean low quality. It is more the result of the combined effect of fabrics, dyes and dyeing processes. Below, I will explain the truth about fading in detail from three aspects and teach you how to correctly view, purchase and care for clothes.

Quite often, when we see fading after washing, we will attribute it to "poor fabric" or "cheap dye". But in fact, fading is often determined by the "binding force" between the dye and the fabric.

Is the dye penetrated deeply enough: If the dye only sticks to the surface of the fiber and does not really penetrate into the fiber, it is very easy to fade during the first or second wash.

Is the follow-up treatment done enough: Even advanced dyes such as reactive dyes and disperse dyes need to go through several processes such as "dyeing-fixing-washing" to stabilize. If a certain link is not done well, such as insufficient washing, a lot of surface floating dye will be left.

For example: If a pair of jeans is washed with enzymes and fixed during production, and then rinsed repeatedly, it may still lose some color during the first wash, but it will hardly fade significantly afterwards. However, if the dyeing factory saves on the fixing agent or washes the jeans less frequently in order to speed up the production, a large amount of indigo will be washed out during the first wash even if the dye itself is of good quality, and consumers will feel that "the quality of these clothes is too poor."

If you prefer natural fabrics such as cotton, linen, silk, and wool, be prepared: these fabrics are more likely to fade than synthetic fibers such as polyester and polyester. The reason is simple - the structure of natural fibers is relatively loose, and the gaps between fibers are large, so dyes are more likely to adhere only to the surface and are not easy to penetrate into the tiny fiber pores.

According to actual statistics, the probability of natural fibers such as cotton, linen, silk, and wool fading during washing is about 3.2 times that of synthetic fibers such as polyester and polyester. In other words, with the same dye and process, a cotton T-shirt is more likely to fade in the first wash than a polyester T-shirt of the same style.

But the advantages of natural fabrics are also obvious: skin-friendly, breathable, and sweat-absorbent, so they are still popular. For many people who pursue a comfortable life, slight fading is not a big problem, but they can enjoy the softness and breathability of natural materials.

If you don't mind slight fading of natural fibers, then when purchasing, just pay attention to the following: hand wash separately in cold water for the first wash, use a neutral weak alkaline detergent, and avoid soaking and exposure to the sun for a long time, which can minimize the probability of fading.

Misconception 1: Only low-quality dyes can fade. In fact, even high-end reactive dyes and environmentally friendly disperse dyes can fade due to improper post-dyeing processes or subsequent care.

Even if high-end reactive dyes are used, if the dyeing factory does not fully clean the excess dye residues on the fiber surface after dyeing, then these dye molecules scattered on the surface of the fabric will easily fall off in large quantities during the first wash, giving people the illusion that "the clothes fade seriously."

During dyeing, a chemical additive called a fixing agent is usually added, and hot water is used to fix the dye to strengthen the bond between the dye and the fiber. If the amount of fixing agent added is insufficient, or the setting temperature and time are not properly controlled, the dye cannot penetrate deeply and firmly adhere to the fiber, resulting in a decrease in the color fastness of the finished product, and the color will fade after a few wears and washes.

Some denim or workwear fabrics, in order to pursue a retro and natural "aging" appearance, will deliberately use enzymes, washing or frosting processes during the production process to cause partial fading of the surface of the fabric. Such fading is deliberately done by the designer to achieve a specific visual effect, not because of poor quality.

Similarly, you will also see some inexpensive clothes that are nominally dyed with high-end dyes, but they fade after one wash. The reason is that most of the dyeing factories save costs or speed up shipments, omitting the necessary fixing and washing steps. This is the real root cause of fading, not the bad dye itself.

For newly bought dark or bright clothes, it is best to wash them by hand in cold water for the first time, and wash them separately with clothes of similar colors, and avoid mixing them with light-colored clothes.

Washing in cold water can significantly reduce dye loss; avoid using strong alkaline detergents, and choose "anti-fading laundry detergent" specifically for dark clothes.

Soaking for too long will cause the dye to dissolve continuously; ultraviolet rays will accelerate the decomposition of the dye, making the clothes more likely to fade.

If you are very concerned about the color fastness of natural fiber clothes, you can consider hand washing or putting them in a washing bag for machine washing, and turn them over and dry them in time after washing.

DiZNEW is a professional manufacturer with many years of experience in clothing manufacturing. We provide one-stop customization services starting from MOQ 30 pieces, and control the entire process from design proofing to garment inspection. Each batch of products undergoes strict color fastness testing, and the after-sales team responds quickly to ensure that you are 100% satisfied when you receive the goods.