laundry accident. red dye on white shirt! please help

[jleiby@hotmail.com]

So I put a tye dye shirt in with a white shirt and there's red spots on
my beautiful white top! The tag says use only non-bleach for the white
shirt. I have a color bleach that says it has no bleach but will that
take the dye off the white shirt? Or will it hold the red dye on the
white shirt since it's a 'color' bleach. Please help, I really love
this shirt.

Are they're any other ways to remove the dye?

Julie

[jleiby@hotmail.com]

Also, the shirt is made out of 100% pima cotton if that helps.

[Mrs Bonk]

jleiby@hotmail.com wrote:
> So I put a tye dye shirt in with a white shirt and there's red spots on
> my beautiful white top! The tag says use only non-bleach for the white
> shirt. I have a color bleach that says it has no bleach but will that
> take the dye off the white shirt? Or will it hold the red dye on the
> white shirt since it's a 'color' bleach. Please help, I really love
> this shirt.
>
> Are they're any other ways to remove the dye?

If no one steps forward with any other advice I would have a bash at using
the bleach that is not bleach, after all, the garment isn't wearable as it
is - so you have nothing to lose. It would be kind of you to let us know any
outcome for future enquirers.
If you don't wish to try you could wait for Gary, he usually posts such
excellent replies but seems to have gone missing of late. I am more than
concerned for him. I do hope nothing is amiss.

[Choreboy]

Mrs Bonk wrote:
>
> jleiby@hotmail.com wrote:
> > So I put a tye dye shirt in with a white shirt and there's red spots on
> > my beautiful white top! The tag says use only non-bleach for the white
> > shirt. I have a color bleach that says it has no bleach but will that
> > take the dye off the white shirt? Or will it hold the red dye on the
> > white shirt since it's a 'color' bleach. Please help, I really love
> > this shirt.
> >
> > Are they're any other ways to remove the dye?
>
> If no one steps forward with any other advice I would have a bash at using
> the bleach that is not bleach, after all, the garment isn't wearable as it
> is - so you have nothing to lose. It would be kind of you to let us know any
> outcome for future enquirers.
> If you don't wish to try you could wait for Gary, he usually posts such
> excellent replies but seems to have gone missing of late. I am more than
> concerned for him. I do hope nothing is amiss.

He should have kept his mouth shut about you-know-what.

[jleiby@hotmail.com]

Thanks, everyone, for the replies. I went ahead and soaked it in Tide
non-chlorine bleach overnight and it all came out. *happy* !

I have another question, actually. What are the purposes for chlorine
bleach and non-chlorine bleach? Does the regular make certain clothes
yellow?

[Choreboy]

"jleiby@hotmail.com" wrote:
>
> Thanks, everyone, for the replies. I went ahead and soaked it in Tide
> non-chlorine bleach overnight and it all came out. *happy* !
>
> I have another question, actually. What are the purposes for chlorine
> bleach and non-chlorine bleach? Does the regular make certain clothes
> yellow?

Both bleaches supply oxygen. The chlorine in chlorine bleach is
supposed to end up as chlorine in salt.

Chlorine bleach can be quick, reliable, and cheap. Straight from the
bottle it has a pH of 11, which is caustic. It's especially bad for
silk, wool, and nylon, the same fabrics that don't tolerate strong
alkalines. It can dull colors and yellow fabrics. (I think in some
cases the fiber is naturally yellow and the bleach removes the
whitening.) It can weaken fabrics.

It has a limited shelf life. Last week I used bleach that had
deteriorated to the point that it took a quart to whiten a mildewed
pillow case.

Oxygen bleach uses hydrogen peroxide mixed with a washing powder such as
sodium carbonate. That way, it has a long shelf life. It's less likely
than chlorine bleach to do damage, but it's less reliable. Laundry
detergents may contain additives to help the bleach work.

Sunlight and lemon juice can bleach by removing oxygen instead of
supplying it. In time, oxygen can make the stain return.

[jleiby@hotmail.com]

So if bleach supplies oxygen and oxygen can make the stain return..
isn't that contradicting itself?

So it's okay if I use Tide non-chlorine bleach with Gain? Will that
help the shelf life?

[Choreboy]

"jleiby@hotmail.com" wrote:
>
> So if bleach supplies oxygen and oxygen can make the stain return..
> isn't that contradicting itself?

A fabric's color is in the light it reflects. If it reflects all the
light it will be bright white. If it absorbs some colors of light, the
light it reflects will have the other colors.

The part of a molecule that absorbs light is called a chromophore. A
chromophore will absorb certain wavelengths of light because of the
spacing between atoms. If you can change the chromophore it may reflect
more light and look white. Some chromophores can be changed by adding
oxygen. Others can be changed by taking it away. Some aren't affected
either way.

A stain on colored fabric is a special problem. You don't want to
change the original chromophores, and you don't want to turn the stain white.


>
> So it's okay if I use Tide non-chlorine bleach with Gain? Will that
> help the shelf life?

They'll have a good shelf life however you use them. You could keep a
bottle of hydrogen peroxide to pour into your wash, but its shelf life
wouldn't be long.