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Quote:

Originally Posted by feline fanatic (Post 8080440)

This does not work with today's modern dyes.

Right you are! Adding salt with the vinegar doesn't help, either.
I'm a believer in Color Catchers or the Carbona brand (WalMart) that does the same thing.

Bleeding dyes happen for every color in the rainbow. I ALWAYS test the fabric I'm planning on using, by cutting a narrow strip (about 1/2" wide by 6" long) and placing it in a glass of hottest tap water available. If the water shows, for instance, a pink or reddish tone from a red fabric, I know I need to treat the fabric. I began using Ritz Laundry Treatment Dye Setter to set the red borders on a white whole cloth quilt (of course, before I cut the borders), and I tried everything with that red -- almost to the point of giving up on it. I did some searching online and found that product, I ordered some, used it, and I've never had a piece of fabric bleed after treating it with the Ritz Laundry Treatment Dye Setter. This product is used to set the dye in hand-dyed fabric. Due to having asthma, I prewash every piece of fabric that comes in this house. I have no financial interest of any kind in Ritz or any of its products. Reds are particularly bad, but I dared the red and white log cabin quilt (my avatar) and used this product to set the dyes on ALL of the reds. On that first white quilt with red borders -- I tried everything to stop the bleeding of the red dye -- I went through two gallons of vinegar, epsom salts, etc., including every "old wives' tale" or home remedy and this product is the only thing I tried that worked. I've never looked farther since I found this.

I use three when washing red,black and purple for the first time.

Quote:

Originally Posted by SewingSew (Post 8080203)

I have used these Color Catchers many times with good results, with one exception. Once I made Bumblebee costumes out of bright mustard yellow and black fleece for my husband and myself. They were lined and stuffed and looked amazing. I didn't pre-treat the fabric. After we wore them, I removed the polyfil and laundered them using Color Catchers. It ruined the costumes. When I took them out of the washing machine, they were a pale yellow and more of a dull dark brown than a black. I ended up throwing them away, which was a shame as all my materials had costed me about 75 dollars, not to mention the time it took to make them.

Color Catchers do not set the dye nor make the fabric give up the dye. They only pick up the loose dye from the water, so it will not deposit anywhere else. If you fleece bled, it was the fleece that was the problem.

I am a Color Catcher fan and include an info sheet and some Color Catchers along with the prewashed quilt. I usually prewash everything except precuts. I wash so I know what is going to happen before I gift it.