March 29, 2024, 01:43:04 AM
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Topic: This forum was the only place I could think of that might know the answer I want  (Read 3548 times)

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Offline OrionEmpire

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Hello, long time lurker of this forums. Had a question pop into my head that google does not want to provide an answer for. Go figure.

If woolite dark doesnt contain dyes, what is it doing on a chemical level that causes faded dark clothes to gain back their color?

In my failed attempt at trying to find a simple answer on google, I came across various people claiming it doesnt actually work and is a "fake" product. I definitely disagree, because after washing some jeans that were once black and almost white ish, they came out with a strong black to them, almost like they were brand new.

So my question remain, if Woolite Dark doesnt contain dyes as the company claims (unless theyre lying), what is happening at the chemical level thats causing the color to come back?

Offline Arkcon

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Woolite Dark contains dyes.


There, I said it.


Oh, I don't know at all, and as their formulation is a trade secret, I'll never know.  But it must contain some sort of colorant, or it simply doesn't contain oxidizers, so it doesn't make clothes more faded, which looks like an improvement.  Or it does nothing.  They could have  added mordants, which essentially re-dye your clothes with leached out dyes.  Except that guess of mine is crap -- a dilute, improperly formulated dying bath isn't going to dye anything. Unless you see white trim on dark clthes becoming colored when washed.

But with the many different dyes, and many different fabrics, no one's going to write a balanced chemical equation for dye-less color recovery, or track down the rare "adds color" element.
Hey, I'm not judging.  I just like to shoot straight.  I'm a man of science.

Offline OrionEmpire

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Im guessing theyve got to contain dyes. Like the pants i had put in them, most people mistook as grey/white colored. El cheapo black jeans from walmart. You know the ones, where the color fades after like 2 washes; well these ones didnt resemble black at all really, not anymore anyways.

But now they are slightly less dark then brand new. I know cuz i got a pair of brand new ones next to em.

Offline wildfyr

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A reducing agent to "de-oxidize" the dyes? It's pretty darn difficult to make a non-specific reducing agent powerful and stable enough to work on any random dye.

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