How-To Wash Striped Clothing

Crisp, nautical stripes are a classic wardrobe staple, and the fear of washing them and having the colors bleed into each other is common. The Laundress to the rescue! Follow our definitive washing guide then earn those stripes!

Find an inconspicuous area on your striped clothing, such as a seam or hem, and dip it in warm water. If you are not able to submerge a part of the item in water, you can do a “spot test.” To spot test, wet a clean, Lint-Free Cleaning Cloth and blot the item. If dye releases into the water or onto the cloth, you’ll know that, if washed, there would be bleeding onto the other areas of the fabric. If there is significant dye release, you may want to take it to the dry cleaner to prevent color bleeding. If there is minimal dye release and it's the first time you are washing an item, you should wash the item alone.

For food stains on your white striped clothes, pre-treat with our Stain Solution and one capful of our All-Purpose Bleach Alternative. Mix the solution to create a paste. Use our Stain Brush or your finger to scrub the paste. For oil-based stains, use the Wash & Stain Bar.

If this the first time washing a striped garment, you may want to handwash. Sort each item based on the color in the majority. If the colors are even, then take your pick of piles. Fill a Wash Tub Basin or sink with cool water to prevent the colored stripes from bleeding onto the white area. You can add a capful of All-Purpose Bleach Alternative to the Wash Tub Basin or sink. Add in our Signature Detergent or Signature Detergent Refill for cotton items and agitate the water to dissolve the detergent.

While we recommend handwashing as the better method to prevent any dye transfer you can also machine wash your item with like colors. Machine wash on cool with an extra rinse spin cycle. If possible, wash your item by itself if it’s the first time washing your striped item.

If it is a delicate garment such as a swimsuit, silk blouse, hang it to dry. Other non-delicate garments can typically be machine dried. Look on the tag of the garment for more information about how to dry it.