Any YLF Expert Tips on Avoiding the Blue Dye Problem?

velvetychocolate

I bought a pair of Mossimo Premium Flare jeans at Target the other day (after seeing how nice they looked on Claire), and while I love the cut and the fit of them, there's a tag with the following warning:

"caution: indigo dye: leave your mark on the world, not the furniture. Rinsed denim gets its intense character from a deep indigo dye. Wash separately the first 3 to 4 times and avoid contact with light-colored fabrics or upholstery, as the dye may rub off."

Would you take this to mean I should wash them 3 or 4 times before wearing them? Does it mean the dye might rub off even after the first 3-4 washings (done separately as per the instructions) ?

Is there a trick to this?

I really like these jeans - but don't want blue stuff coming off all over the place.

14 years ago

General

9 replies

Latest reply was from

Queen Mum

Veteran

I soak all my jeans in a tub with a very generous amount of vinegar (and water) inside out over night. Then I rinse and spin in the washer. I do think it helps, although I still notice a bit of dye transfer on my hands.

14 years ago

velvetychocolate

Veteran

Thank you! I will try it. It's the first pair of jeans that I've bought that actually came with a warning...

14 years ago

Queen Mum

Veteran

and then, always wash them in cold water inside out. Hang dry.

14 years ago

velvetychocolate

Veteran

Thanks again...I regret putting some of my jeans in the dryer. Haven't been doing that for awhile, except the ones that are already wrecked, and used for housework.

14 years ago

Ana

(website)

Veteran

I have one pair of very dark blue clamdiggers that I've had for three years and I must have washed them a hundred times, and dye transfer still happens. But I have others that I've had no problem with transfer. I don't necessarily think it's about quality either, since I buy all premium denim. I think you just need to be careful, especially with light colored handbags that hang against your hip and might rub on the jeans.

14 years ago

FashionistaEmily

Member

VelvetyChocolate--I just bought these same jeans and had your same question. Now that you've had them a few months, what is your advice for what I should do? I haven't washed them yet. Should I do the vinegar thing? Or wash them separately? Will doing this 3-4 times make the dye wear off?

14 years ago

velvetychocolate

Veteran

I've had no problem with the dye coming off the jeans whatsoever. After realizing that it's vinegar that helps 'set' the dye in (at least that's the impression I got), I remembered that I had a small bag of fancy laundry soap that someone had given me as a gift - and that it had vinegar in it.

Here's the one I have:

http://www.scrubnaturally.com/.....ndry-soap/

I have the lavender scent (not overpowering at all), and took a chance that this fancy laundry soap might do the trick, and it totally worked. No dye has ever come off my jeans. I washed the jeans in my HE washing machine on the 'hand wash' setting with the 'extra rinse' button selected as well. Hung them up to dry and they've been perfect. These days, I wash the jeans on regular wash (cold/cold), and simply hang them up to dry. I never add fabric softener or anything - just this fancy laundry soap and cold water. I do turn the jeans inside out...and they have not faded one bit, and no blue dye has ever transferred anywhere. YAY!

I'm thinking there must be similar products around ...look for some laundry soap that has vinegar in it, choose cold/cold, and hang to dry and it should work beautifully.

editing to add: I still really like these jeans, and went back to Target to buy two more pairs. Looking forward to being able to wear them sometimes even in summer because they're not typical heavy-weight jeans. The Mossimo premium jeans are nice and lightweight - did you notice the same thing?

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14 years ago

Elly

Veteran

Vinegar is a mordant-- a substance that helps set dye. I think alum (you can buy it in the spice isle-- it is a white powder that is sometimes used in canning and baking, you can also use it on canker sores) mixed into the water to soak is probably the "best" of the all-natural common household mordants. So, if you have a pair of jeans that the vinegar doesn't work on, try the alum before you toss them out. You can also use salt water.

14 years ago

Anonymous

I wash inside out in cold water with a lot of salt ( I'm talking like two cups per load). I'm afraid of trying the vinegar route, due to the fact that it is so acidic. Then I air dry and rub a paper towel against them to see if the transfer stopped. If not, I repeat again. Sometimes you need good three washes to make it go away.

14 years ago

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