Mistakes & fixes

Fabric looking dull or washed-out after repeated laundering comes from dye breaking down under heat, sunlight, and detergent brighteners. Wash in cold water, turn garments inside out, and use a detergent made for colors.

Color transferring onto another fabric during washing, or running when the garment gets wet, comes from unfixed or excess dye in the fibers, common in dark or hand-dyed fabrics. Wash separately in cold water with a color-catcher sheet.

Small balls of fiber forming on a knit's surface from friction during wear come from loose, weaker fibers tangling together. Use a fabric shaver or comb to remove pills, and wash inside out on gentle cycle.

A garment coming out smaller after its first wash usually means the fabric wasn't pre-washed before cutting, or was laundered hotter than the fiber tolerates. Always pre-wash fabric the way the finished garment will be laundered.

Treating a stain successfully depends on identifying whether it's oil, protein, tannin, or dye based and acting before it sets or gets heat-treated by drying. Blot rather than rub, and test any remover on a hidden area first.