Tips & tricks to maintain the brightness of your neon-coloured workwear
It is a light yellow, sometimes slightly greenish in colour. An extremely bright yellow. Warning yellow. Also referred to as "day-glow colour". To ensure that your clothes not only shine on the first day, but also after, say, the fiftieth wash, you should bear one or two things in mind. We talked to Harald Kuch about it. He is a master textile cleaner at the Trossingen laundry. If anyone knows how to wash neon colours, it's him.
Quick textile lesson
Coloured fabrics lose their brightness over time. Natural fibres in particular, such as cotton, are comparatively short; the fibre ends are very sensitive and come to the surface during the washing process. Frequent washing makes the fabric rougher over time. Light scatters more on rough surfaces than on smooth ones (it is refracted differently) and the colours appear faded.
Synthetic fibres such as polyester are less affected by this fading effect. They are also dyed with water-insoluble substances. This means that the colour is retained when washed.
Investing in high quality is worthwhile: high-quality fabrics are dyed differently than cheaper ones; their production is more complex - but also ensures that the clothing is more durable.
This is what matters: Washing fluorescent workwear correctly
Please always wash high-visibility and reflective clothing with a mild detergent (not too high a dosage) in the coldest possible water, with similar colours and with little friction. When washing, do not put work jeans or other coarse fabrics in the same wash load. Close buttons and zips and turn clothes inside out. These additional measures reduce friction on the fabric surface, keeping the fibres smooth and, as we have just learned, the colours bright. Bleach and laundry starch have no place in this wash cycle. Both bleach out the colour - and that's exactly what we don't want!
Briefly summarised:
- The reason for the rapid fading is the fibres
- Natural fibres in particular are affected by their short ends
- Synthetic fibres are less affected by colour loss
- Price and quality also play an important role
- Turn coloured garments inside out
- Close buttons and zips
- Don't use too much detergent: the quantity makes the poison
What your grandmother still knew: household tips
They do exist, the "miracle cures" from the household. Introducing: Vinegar.
Vinegar is a must in every laundry room. Not only is it a natural fabric softener, vinegar can also revive colours. The miracle product covers the colour pigments like a protective coat. 100-150 ml of clear vinegar is enough to refresh the colours, soften the laundry and remove unpleasant odours.