Nowadays most of us purchase our clothing from the department store, and we don’t really give much thought to how our clothes get their colors. What we do think about is how to take care of our clothes so that they don’t lose their shape or color.
If you have ever worked with fabric dye, you know that one trick of the trade is to add salt to your dye bath. Mixing a cup of salt into the dye bath will brighten the colors of natural fabric fibers to give you a more vibrant final product.
Did you know you can use a variation of this home remedy when washing laundry, too? A few pinches of salt dissolved with your laundry soap will help keep your colors bright. Adding salt to the laundry is especially beneficial if you are washing with hard water. Hard water originally got its name because of the difficulty it causes in washing. The minerals in hard water (like calcium and magnesium) cause the formation of an insoluable substance that prevents soap from lathering.
If you are washing with hard water, you should look into getting a water softener for your home. Softened water contains higher levels of sodium and will be more gentle to your laundry. Soft water will keep your whites whiter and your colors more vibrant. For a list of the water sofeners sold by Peterson Salt and Water Treatment, click here.
If you have more questions on the benefits of soft water, or if you would like to inquire about a water softener for your home or business, please send an e-mail to sales@petersonsalt.com or call us at (952) 929-0422.