How to Keep Bright and Colourful Clothes Looking like New

Spring is here, and summer is approaching rapidly – it’s finally time to once again dig out your bolder, brightly coloured clothes from the depths of your closet and wear them out in the sunshine. But everyone who loves colourful fashion knows that if you’re not careful, and love (and wash) a piece of clothing a little too much, colours can fade; your favourite dress or shirt might stop looking like new long before its time. Fortunately, this can be easily avoided if you know how to take good care of your clothes – the laundry tips you can find online are great for specific problems, but learning the basic advice below is a great way to start maintaining clothes easily. Take a look at these simple tips on how to keep clothes new and bright, for a colourful spring and summer look.

Separate based on colour

This first tip should be a given, but it’s often neglected when you’re in a rush to get the laundry done. Never mix light, dark, and bright colours – you don’t want the colours to fade or your white shirt to suddenly look grey and sad. Keep your laundry bags organised and invest in separate ones for each colour: your clothes will thank you. It’s better (and cheaper) to do one extra wash rather than buy a whole new wardrobe every couple of months. When you do splash out on something new, remember that fresh dyes are likely to wash out a little, so never mix new clothes with any other colour! Black clothes should also always be washed together, separate from anything bright or pale.

Add salt or vinegar to your wash

This is an easy and very cheap trick – everyone has salt at home – so next time you are washing bright colours, add ½ of a cup to your laundry. This will stop the colours from bleeding, keeping them fresh and bright for longer. Salt is great for colours in general – it can reduce yellowing in clothes (especially important for whites) and acts as an instant home remedy for stains. If you don’t want to use too much salt, you can alternatively add a cup of vinegar to your wash to decrease the risk of fading.

Wash your colours inside out

This doesn’t take too much time, and is really worth the effort – just turn your clothes inside out before you throw them in the wash. This will protect both the fabric and the colours, and is especially important for your favourite bright pair of jeans, but is actually beneficial for every fabric. If you have colourful delicate items, you might want to consider purchasing a mesh laundry bag too. Separating them from other items will keep your underwear and other fragile items in great shape, and protect them from wash wear and fading.

Wash with cold water

This one will not only save you money, but also protect your favourite bright colours. The colder the water, the smaller the risk of your laundry changing colour by accident; hot water makes colours bleed, so avoid it whenever possible, and opt for the cold cycle – many good washing detergents will work very well at 30 degrees, and even a 20 degree wash can be effective for just slightly grubby clothes.

These laundry tips are a great way to extend the life of your favourite colourful clothes this summer – you may even be taking them out of winter hibernation for years to come. Enjoy your brightly hued look!