There is nothing worse than buying a nice black pair of jeans or a shirt, only for them to get faded two washes later.
If your wardrobe has dark outfits and you want to keep them clean and crisp, try the following tips to preserve them:
1.Wash using cold water
Whenever you want to wash your black clothes, always use cold water.
Cold water helps preserve the fabric's colour whereas warm water hastens fading.
2. Add vinegar
Add a 250ml cup of vinegar during the rinsing cycle.
Vinegar will not only preserve the colour of your black clothes but is also a natural clothes softener.
3. Use coffee or black tea
Both coffee and black tea are natural dyes. Not only will they darken the black dye on your cloth but also darken the overall hue of the outfit.
Brew two cups of coffee or black tea, then add the liquid to the rinsing water(not too much) and rinse your black clothes.
4. Use salt
Salt prevents colour dyes, including black dye, from bleeding.
Just add a half a cup of salt to your washing basin, add a little water then use this water to wash the black clothes.
5. Turn them inside out
The surface of the cloth that mostly faces out during washing is the one that will wear out and fade faster.
Whether you are using a washing machine or your God-given hands, turn each cloth inside out before washing.
6.Dry them under minimal heat
Too much heat causes dark clothes to fade.
Also over-drying causes the colour fade, so un-hang them once they are dry.
7. Only wash when necessary
This is good news to those who hate doing laundry.
Unless your black outfits are really dirty, you can go three to four times without washing them.
In case of spills or stains, just spot-treat them using a stain remover or do it the traditional way by using a clean wet piece of cloth, then let it dry.