There’s one bathroom item you can add to a dark wash to help prevent colours from fading (Image: Getty)
Keeping clothes in tip top condition can be difficult, no matter how well you stick to the washing instructions. Dark and bright coloured clothing are particularly difficult to maintain, as the colour can fade over time.
To keep coloured clothes in the best shape possible, cleaning fan and TikTok creator Chantel Mila, better known as Mama Mila, revealed the surprising item she adds when washing new dark clothing. In a recent video, Chantel shared a number of laundry hacks she believes everyone should know. When it comes to preventing dark clothes from fading when washing, there’s one surprising natural item, typically found in the bathroom, she uses to lock in those colours.
Here’s what you need to know.
How to stop dark clothes fading
When it comes to washing dark coloured clothing, Chantel adds Epsom salts to the drum on a normal cycle. Simply add one cup of the Epsom salts to the machine before washing as usual.
She claims that Epsom salts will stop new clothes, particularly dark colours, from fading. Chantel’s hack should only be used with new dark coloured items of clothing.
Epsom salt is popularly believed to stop clothes fading by setting fabric dyes and neutralising harsh minerals in the water, though evidence suggests regular table salt or commercial colour-fixing products are more effective.
Simply add one cup of Epsom salt to the drum (Image: Getty)
Does Epsom salt help your laundry?
Some cleaning fans believe that the magnesium sulphate in Epsom salt locks loose dye molecules into fabric fibres during the wash, which stops them from bleeding out in the wash.
Epsom salt is also believed to help soften hard water, binding to the hard water minerals. This can help stop soap scum and detergent residue from dulling fabric colours when doing laundry in the washing machine.
However, people should consider if Epsom salts are the best natural item to add to the wash, as adding salt (of any kind) could interfere with detergent’s performance.
The experts at Humble Suds explained: “Salt is often touted as a natural cleaning agent because of its abrasive texture and moisture-absorbing properties. Epsom salt (magnesium sulphate) is frequently recommended as a fabric softener in DIY laundry recipes. However, these claims don’t hold up under scientific scrutiny.
“In fact, adding salt — whether table salt, sea salt, or Epsom salt — can interfere with detergent performance, damage your washing machine, and even shorten the lifespan of your clothes.”
@mama_mila_ #6 is the trick to never lose a sock in laundry again ?????? Save these 7 tricks before your next laundry day to make your clothes look and smell amazing for longer ?????? which one will you be trying first? 1. A musty washing machine will cause musty clothes, so make sure youre emptying your drain pump and filter regularly to clear stagnant water 2. Take off your detergent tray and clean it to remove hidden build up 3. When washing clothes make sure to fasten zips as they can damage other clothes in the spin cycle and cause fading 4. But leave buttons open as they can pull in the wash 5. You can also wash new dark clothes with 1 cup epsom salt to prevent fading 6. Wash and dry socks in a mesh laundry bag to never lose a sock in the laundry again 7. Use less detergent – 1 tbs is often all you need too much can leave a build up and makes clothes feel stiff Hope these were helpful lovelies xx #laundrytips #tipsandtricks #mamamilastips #homehacks ♬ Ivory Check-in – ma-su
It explained that the magnesium in the Epsom salts can actually leave residue on fabrics, ultimately making them stiffer. Using salt in washing machines can also damage the appliance by clogging the machine.
Humble Suds continued: “All types of salt, including Epsom salt, have desiccant properties, meaning they draw moisture out of fabrics. Over time, this weakens the fibres, making them prone to wear and tear. Salt’s abrasive texture can also cause micro-tears, particularly in delicate fabrics, leading to premature aging of your clothes.
“Adding salt to your laundry can also accelerate colour fading, especially for darker or vibrant-coloured fabrics. This happens because salt strips moisture, including the dyes that keep colors looking rich and vibrant.”
Does Epsom salt soften clothes too?
When House Digest put the hack to the test and found the results weren’t as good as promised. They wrote: “The Epsom salt load wasn’t terrible, but I’m not sold either. The laundry smelled reasonably fresh, but both the duvet and towel felt slightly stiff, almost like they needed one more rinse cycle prior to drying.
“The towel edges in particular had a crunchy stiffness that made me second-guess all those DIY fabric softener claims I kept finding online. I couldn’t tell a difference in terms of brightness between the two methods, and when I solicited a second opinion from a family member, he couldn’t either.”