How to return the bright color to clothes that have lost their color? Here is the simple and natural remedy that will save your clothes.
It often happens that you have clothes in excellent condition, but they might have lost their beautiful bright color due to improper washing or drying in the sun. If they are in good condition, it would be a shame to throw them away. But how can we restore the former brilliant color without resorting to fabric dyes? Simple, with bay leaves.
Laurel against faded fabrics
Among the most famous and widely used home remedies is the use of bay leaves. A very ancient plant, already used in ancient Greece, with a thousand properties and a thousand uses, widely used especially in cooking, but also very good for other purposes. Among them is the use of bay leaves in the laundry. Its properties allow a few leaves to disinfect the laundry, eliminate the most stubborn odors and naturally revive the colors of fabrics.
From our grandmothers we have handed down many home methods, also known as “grandmother’s remedies”. Among them, there are some that allow you to take care of your clothes in the best way and with ingredients that are accessible to everyone. While more and more attention is paid to darker clothes to prevent them from fading, the same attention should be paid to colored clothes, which can lose color brilliance over time.
The reasons for the loss of color of fabrics can be different, starting with the water temperature, which may be too hot, due to frequent washing, the use of too aggressive detergents or simply drying in the sun. Despite the damage can be repaired without resorting to fabric dyes, which would be useless for garments with textures or patterns.
How to use bay leaf for machine washable clothes
Instead of throwing away garments that have lost their original color, you can breathe new life into them by using bay leaf to restore their luster. Bay leaves are very useful, to say the least, to restore clothes to their original color. They can be used in different ways: Some put the leaves directly in the basket, others boil them to obtain a decoction. The decoction itself proves to be the most effective method against discolored clothes.
The preparation is very simple, and the ingredients are easily available and probably present in most households. To make the colors of your clothes shine again, you will need some bay leaves (about ten should be enough), some water and some baking soda.
The process is simple to perform. In fact, it is enough to fill a pot with water, in which you add the bay leaves and 4 tablespoons of sodium bicarbonate. Once all the ingredients are added, it’s time to put the pot on the stove and wait for the water to boil.
Once the water begins to boil, you must “cook” everything for at least half an hour, making sure to stir every 5 to 10 minutes. At the end of the cooking time, remove the pot from the heat and let the broth cool. When the solution reaches room temperature, you can immerse the items you want to revive in it and soak for at least 24 hours.
For lightweight items or items that tend to rise to the surface, you may want to keep them well submerged with 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 by hand or in the washing machine, and after drying you will notice the difference. The procedure can be repeated several times without any problems, as the fabric is not damaged.
