Caring for Colors in Clothing
Whites
Whites tend to yellow with age. To keep this from happening, store them in blue plastic bags, blue tissue paper, or white non-acid tissue paper. Detergent residue can cause yellowing, too, so be sure to rinse thoroughly.
To remove stains, use a pre-treat product like Spray and Wash (or even Formula 409), then wash with detergent and a bleach like Clorox (check the label for instructions) and wash in the hottest water recommended on the fabric care label.
Darks
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Darks, especially cotton, often fade quickly when washed. To slow the process, machine wash in cold water or hand wash with a mild detergent like Ivory Snow. The Conshohocken Cotton Company's color-preserving Cot'nwash, available in specialty stores, works in the machine with warm water. But when it's more economical and actually better for your dark clothing to wash it in cold water, why bother?
