We usually have that one or two favorite T-shirts to wear on any occasion, even when there is no occasion at all.
We wore them and washed them from time to time out of love; until one day, the inevitable happened.
Suddenly, we realized that their colors have faded and they have lost their shine.
When it happened, we always came up with the same question. Is it possible to restore the faded T-shirt like in its glorious days?
It might take some effort, but the simple answer is: YES. It is possible to restore faded T-shirts.
One of the most favorite colors, which is black is also one of the least prone to fading.
Now, there are some remedies you can take on how to make black clothes black again, and we’ve curated them for you.
Contents
Why Clothes Fade
First of all, we need to understand the factors that cause colors in our clothes to fade.
Most of the time, clothes, especially T-shirts, lose colors due to the chemical ingredients in detergents and water used in laundry.
Components like bleach work perfectly to remove stains in clothes, but they might also have strong side effects on the fabrics.
Water temperature and quality also contribute to the fade process. Hot water breaks textile materials and releases dye from the clothes.
Meanwhile, high-mineral water makes clothes appear dry, especially when there is a high amount of chlorine in it.
How to Restore Faded T-shirts’ Color
The good news is there’s no need to buy yourself some new T-shirts when your old ones start to fade.
There are a few known methods to undo the fade depending on the cause of decolorizations.
Here are a few hacks you can try to restore your faded T-shirts.
First, try restoring the brightness with salt.
When your T-shirts start to fade after only a few washes, you might find out that detergent buildup is possibly the one to blame.
Luckily, salt can break up those buildups and make your clothes look stunning as they used to be again.
Second, use vinegar to fight the side effects of hard water.
Vinegar helps to break up chemicals and mineral residues from hard water used for laundry.
It can also prevent the buildup from forming, making it an excellent solution to keep your T-shirt bright.
Third, dye the clothes to bring the color back to its pristine state.
Before doing so, you need to check whether the fabric used for the T-shirt is dyeable.
Some textile materials might dye better than some others. Materials with high natural fibers, such as cotton, silk, linen, wool, etc., will be easier to dye well.
Solid-colored clothes can be dyed again with a matching color if the fabric can hold them.
Even black T-shirts have the same chance to return to their glory if you know how to make black clothes black again.
The general tips for black T-shirts are the same, yet, you can even use coffee to restore its blackness.
How to Prevent Fading
Now that you know how to restore your faded T-shirts, you might need to remember the old phrase “prevention is better than cure.”
It will be a great idea to prevent the clothes from fading.
To prevent fading, you might need to change the way you wash your T-shirts and other clothes.
Try turning your clothes inside out to prevent them from brushing against your washing machine.
Washing them with cold water might also reduce the fading level. However, it might also make it a little more difficult to remove spots and stains.
These methods might extend not only the life of your clothes but also the colors.
Conclusions
Restoring the colors of your faded T-shirts, be it your black tees or the others, is possible.
There are some effective methods of restoring the color of your fading clothes.
You can use salt, vinegar, or additional dyeing materials to bring back your T-shirt’s heyday.
You can choose the one that suits your case well and make your colorful days vibrant again.
