how many times do you reuse a color catcher?

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06-10-2015, 08:53 AM

#41

Pennyhal

Super Member

Join Date: Oct 2010

Location: California

Posts: 1,732

Don't the terry cloth ones throw off a lot of lint?

06-10-2015, 12:00 PM

#42

Belfrybat

Super Member

Join Date: Oct 2012

Location: West Central Texas

Posts: 2,586

It never dawned on me that they could be used more than once. I'll have to start keeping the used ones.

06-10-2015, 01:27 PM

#43

Prism99

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Join Date: Dec 2008

Location: Western Wisconsin

Posts: 12,930

Quote:

Originally Posted by silliness

I didn't know that I could reuse them. I had a recent color bleeding situation with a load of blue solids where I used a color catcher and cold water. The color catcher came out light blue so I put everything in the dryer thinking that there wasn't that much bleeding. When I went to iron the fabrics, most of the fabrics had bleeding marks on them. Since I have already dried them, I read that it likely won't come out. Since one new one failed to catch the excess color in my load, I cannot imagine reusing one. It sounds like I need to use Synthropol and 3 new color catchers on hot water in all of my future prewashes. It feels like I am being overly paranoid, but I likely just ruined a load of ~$200 worth of fabric, and don't want to repeat that mistake.

Most dyes these days are not set by means of heat. Most require chemicals. So you should be able to get the bleed marks out of the blue fabrics by washing in hot water using Synthrapol. Synthrapol will help lift the unset dye particles out of the fabric and keep them suspended in the water so they rinse away. It can take more than one washing with Synthrapol to completely get rid of a bleed, but sometimes just one is enough.

If you use Synthrapol in hot water, it is totally unnecessary to use color catchers.

Edit: I should mention that you should use Synthrapol with a ***lot*** of hot water. Any time you are washing fabric to get rid of excess dye you want to use lots of water to dilute any dye bleeds. Domestic front-loading washers do NOT use enough water for this purpose. Commercial front-loaders are fine, as are domestic top loaders that will allow enough water into the tub.

Last edited by Prism99; 06-10-2015 at 01:30 PM.

06-10-2015, 03:04 PM

#44

silliness

Junior Member

Join Date: May 2014

Location: Atlanta, Georgia

Posts: 191

I have a front load washer. In order to fix the bleeding, should I soak the fabric in hot water in a bathtub with Synthropol?

06-10-2015, 05:10 PM

#45

QuiltnLady1

Super Member

Join Date: May 2011

Posts: 4,688

I just throw a white towel in the wash with the fabric and reuse it until it gets really grungy -- nothing picks up stray color like a white towel.

06-10-2015, 08:18 PM

#46

Prism99

Power Poster

Join Date: Dec 2008

Location: Western Wisconsin

Posts: 12,930

Quote:

Originally Posted by silliness

I have a front load washer. In order to fix the bleeding, should I soak the fabric in hot water in a bathtub with Synthropol?

You could. The thing is, though, you can't just let it soak; you need to keep the fabric moving around. You could use a broomstick to push down on it here and there. Also, if you see the water getting dark with dye you are going to want to allow old water to drain out and add new hot water (and possibly more Synthrapol; it doesn't take much, though).

Here is a link to a thread on how another QB member got the bleeds out of her quilt top using her bathtub:
http://www.quiltingboard.com/main-f1...x-t144836.html