How to restore the bright colors of clothes that have lost their color? Here is the simple and natural remedy that will save your garments.
It often happens that you have garments that are in excellent condition but, due to bad washing or sun drying, have lost their beautiful bright color. If they are in good condition, it would be a shame to throw them away. But how can you bring back the bright color of yesteryear without using textile dyes? Simple, with bay leaves.
Bay leaves for faded textiles
Many of the best-known and most popular home remedies involve the use of bay leaves, among other ingredients. A very ancient plant, already used in ancient Greece, with a thousand properties and a thousand uses, widely used in cooking in particular, but which also lends itself very well to other functions. Among these is the use of laurel in laundry.
Just a few leaves are enough to disinfect clothes, eliminate stubborn odors and, of course, bring out the colors of fabrics.
Our grandmothers have handed down to us many home remedies, known as “grandmother’s remedies.” There are a few that will help you take care of your garments in the best possible way, using ingredients within everyone’s reach. While it is true that more and more attention is paid to dark garments to prevent them from fading, the same attention should be paid to colored garments, which can lose the brilliance of their colors over time.
There are many reasons why fabrics can lose color, starting with water temperature, which may be too hot, frequent washing, use of harsh detergents, or simply drying in the sun. Despite the damage, it can always be remedied without resorting to fabric dyes, which would be useless in the case of textured or patterned garments.
How to use bay leaf on machine-washable garments
Instead of throwing away garments that have lost their original color, you can give them new life by restoring their luster with bay leaves. Bay leaves are very useful in restoring garments to their original color, to say the least. They can be used in various ways: some put the leaves directly into the basket, others boil them to make a decoction. It is precisely the decoction that proves to be the most effective method for discolored clothes.
It is very simple to prepare and the ingredients are readily available, probably in most homes. To make the colors of your clothes shine again, you need a few bay leaves (about ten should be enough), a little water and some baking soda.
The process is simple. Just fill a pot with water, add the bay leaves and 4 tablespoons of baking soda. Once all the ingredients have been added, it is time to put the pot on the stove and wait for the water to boil.
When the water starts to boil, you will need to “cook” the mixture for at least half an hour, stirring every 5 to 10 minutes. After the cooking time has elapsed, remove the pot from the heat and allow the decoction to cool. Once the solution has reached room temperature, you can soak the objects you want to revive in it and let them soak for at least 24 hours.
For items that are lightweight or tend to float to the surface, it may be helpful to keep them well submerged by using a small weight, such as a glass jar that is not too small to float. After 24 hours, the items can be washed as usual, either by hand or in the washing machine, and once dry you will be able to tell the difference. The process can be repeated several times without any problems, as it does not damage the fabrics.
Translated with DeepL.com (free version)
