You can soak clothes directly in the chamber of your washing machine if you plan to machine wash them afterward. All you need to do is add detergent to the water drawn into the washing machine, then let the clothes soak for 20-30 minutes in the mix of detergent and standing water.
WHAT DO YOU DO IF YOUR CLOTHES ARE SOAKING WET AFTER WASHING? Try using your washer's Drain and Spin Cycle—it's typically designed to quickly remove extra water from hand-washed clothes, soaked items or heavier fabrics. This cycle also helps if you've canceled or interrupted a load and need to drain the washer.
Rinse Garment / fabric in cool water Once the garment / fabric has soaked as long as you want (in my case 15 minutes) then rinse with cool water until the water runs clear. Also keep in mind that the color will look darker when wet.
If clothes are left in water, or even just damp, for too long, the dyes in the clothing can leak, fading darker colours and colouring lighter ones. In addition, dampness/wetness encourages the growth of mould and bacteria.
Soaking clothes overnight, whether inside a washing machine or out, is best avoided. Follow recommended guidelines when soaking clothes and using chemicals, and always remember that prolonged soaking can and will damage your clothes.
Purpose: To loosen dirt and stains by allowing clothes to soak in water and detergent. Duration: Typically ranges from 15 minutes to a few hours, depending on the level of soiling. Use Ideal for heavily soiled clothes that need extra time for dirt and stains to break down.
Item can remain in dyebath from 10 minutes up to one hour with stirring. If dyeing a polyester cotton blend, keep the fabric in the dyebath for at least 30 minutes to ensure that the color takes fully. Nylon tends to dye very quickly and much darker than other fibers so the actual time needed in the dyebath is less.
To remove color bleed, avoid using a dryer which can set the stain; instead soak garments with laundry detergent, vinegar or oxygen-based bleach depending on fabric type and dye strength.
Soak clothes for 1-6 hours, depending on the severity of the stain. Some stains may require more time to soak. For best results, soak for 6 hours.
No Soaking Wet Clothes
Clothes that are soaking wet or dripping are heavy and this added weight in a standard dryer could damage it as it spins the load around. Always let your washer fully complete its spin cycle before removing the damp clothes and putting them in your dryer.
If your washing machine is set to a low spin speed, it may remove less water than cycles with high spin speeds. Depending on your load, you may need to select a cycle with higher spin speeds. Select washing machines may also feature a Drain and Spin Cycle, which can help remove excess water from a load.
If your clothes are hanging outside (or indoors near an open window on a breezy day) they should be dry in a few hours, depending on their materials. Heavy blue jeans may take a full day but a lightweight t-shirt could be dry in two hours.
There is not a do not soak symbol specifically, however if you spot the 'do not wash' symbol, this covers soaking. After all, you cannot wash without an item becoming soaking wet. If an item of clothing says not to wash it, it's safe to assume you should also not soak it.
Soaking clothes in Oxiclean for too long can make the fabric weaker. This is especially true for delicate fabrics like wool, silk, or spandex. The cleaning stuff in Oxiclean is great for getting rid of stains, but if it sits on your clothes for ages, it can start to break down the fibers.
Several common household items are effective in tackling color bleed stains. White vinegar and baking soda are great for soaking and scrubbing stains gently; hydrogen peroxide works well for whites. Oxygen-based bleach is safe for most fabrics.
A Common Dishwashing Liquid Can Remove Migrating Dye!
Dawn dishwashing liquid can usually remove the migrated dye. One year while putting her holiday decorations away Julie Cefalu from The Crafty Quilter discovered that her lovely red and white tree skirt had bled from spilled water.
Key Takeaway on How To Remove Colour Bleeding Stains
Rewash the stained garment, if it doesn't remove the stain you will need stain removers. Read the garment care label to see whether the fabric can tolerate bleach or not. If it is bleach-sensitive you can use vinegar.
Fabric Damage
Textiles are only made to stay soaked for a short time. Extended dampness begins to break down the fibers, leading to a noticeable decrease in the quality of your clothes. Some materials are more vulnerable than others; for example, delicate fabrics like silk degrade faster in damp conditions.
"If you leave your color on for too long, there is potential for extra deposit of pigment to occur. You can't make your hair too light by leaving a tint color on too long (unless you're bleaching), but it can make your hair darker than intended," says Tardo.
Soak your fabric overnight in the alum mordant bath, no heat is necessary just a nice long 8 hr room temp soak. Remove the fabric from the mordant and hang to dry on a clothes line. You can start dyeing right away with damp fabric, or dry the fabric to use whenever you are ready to dye.
After soaking your garments, rinse with plain water and wash as usual.
Tossing a towel in with your laundry may help absorb moisture and can possibly help speed up drying times. Adding dryer balls before the cycle may also help because they keep laundry from clumping together, increasing the airflow between items.
Dissolve 1 tablespoon of Downy Fabric Conditioner (or enough to cover the bottom of the cap) in 1 cup of water. Move fabrics to the side of the tub and pour the fabric conditioner solution directly into the rinse water. Stir the fabrics in the rinse water several times, then soak for 2 to 3 minutes.