My shirts "bled" - what's wrong???

[karajeboo]

OK, we wore our P&PP shirts on Saturday night, but after riding Splash Mountain and getting a little wet, our shirts "bled" - not good! We are going back in May with 9 people, all matching shirts, how can I prevent this??????

 

[karajeboo]

Am I seriously the only one this has happened to? Figures! I will be the laughing stock of our group if this happens to 9 shirts on Splash Mountain in May! Help!

 

[~*~Michelle~*~]

I've read about it happening to others as well, but I don't remember what they did to prevent it. Sorry! Hopefully someone will respond.

 

[2thfairy]

i have read on here in the past about washing the shirts in some vinegar. I just made some shirts last night for the first time and i'm going to soak them in vinegar tonight and then wash them. I have done this in the past for shirts i have bought in the store that i thought would bleed. i'm not sure if this will work or not but thought i would mention it.

 

[DisneyMom92]

Just add a cup of white vinegar (not apple cidar vinegarb ) to washer, no detergent, and then dry normally. That will "set" the design. I don't know why the transfers are not saying to do this anymore. Used to be that all the transfers, paint, etc. for fabrics recommended that. I know our local airbrush place still says to do it.

Good Luck.

 

[karajeboo]

After I transfer the design to the shirt? Won't it fade now? Or crack? I want all of these to look "perfect" for May! Dry on cool? Air dry? Help! I think I am the one who is cracking up here!!!!

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

I bought my shirts at the mall because I am too much of a weenie to do them myself!
The guy printed my designs, ironed them on the shirts, and put my shirts in a bag. He told me to take them home and machine wash them in cold water and white vinegar - NO detergent and NO fabric softener. Which I did. Then I hung them dry and the ink ran ALL OVER the place. I took them back. He made more shirts for me and told me NOT to air dry them - tumble dry them on low.

I washed the new shirts in cold water and vinegar and then put them straight into the dryer. They came out fine - no bleeding, no cracking or peeling. And since they were tumble dried they were pretty soft. I didn't wash them again until after the trip, but even when I did wash them in Tide and Downy they were fine.

 

[karajeboo]

Thank you! That's exactly what I wanted to hear!!!!

 

[DisneyMom92]

Yes, 1 cup of white vinegar, wash like colors together, cold or cool water, low heat, but not air dry, on your dryer. Will set your color with no bleeding ever. Incidentally, this will make any shirt colorfast, even those you buy at the store.

 

[daisyduck123]

subbing....good info. here

 

[2thfairy]

ok...So to drag this out more...
I washed my shirts in the vinegar and then dried them and they turned out great. The image faded a little but they still looked great. Then to fast forward...ds got a spot of something on one of the shirts. So i put a dab of water on it try to get it out and just a little water touched some of the color on the shirt and they color ran....UHHH! I thought since it was thru the wash it would be fine. So what happens when we wear these in June and it rains...which it will. What do you do about this happenening????

 

[DisneyMom92]

Wow! I have never heard of this happening. What brand of transfers are you using? Some of the companies have a guarantee against this kind of thing. You might check their website. Definately post back here to let us know what happened.

I have made probably made over 1000 shirts literally over the last 10 or 15 years and only have seen them bleed when the vinegar wash was not done. You used white vinegar, no detergent or fabric softener, nothing else in the wash cycle but the shirt(s), water and vinegar? You might try repeating the process, but with more vinegar, maybe your washer is bigger or something and the vinegar got diluted too much? I don't know.

 

[karajeboo]

I sent this info to MIL so she could prep her shirts, and she decided to iron them and of course ruined the shirt!!!! So now I have to make another one for FIL - guess I'll just wait to wash all mine until I have his replacement made. The transfers I use are either June Tailor or Avery. I did notice that when I made one with the Avery a little drop of water must have gotten on one because you can see where it bled a little. And I'm looking at the label now and it says, "New color shield formula - color lasts longer, no cracking."

 

[Tigger7570]

O.K. I'm a little confused. I know we wash them, then iron them, then do the iron transfer and I too will do the vinegar was after the transfer is done, but karajeboo you mentioned your MIL ironed the shirt. If they come out wrinkled after the vinegar wash does that mean they can't be ironed - I mean ironing the shirt except the part with the transer?

 

[Lesley Mahler]

Wow! I have never heard of this happening. What brand of transfers are you using? Some of the companies have a guarantee against this kind of thing. You might check their website. Definately post back here to let us know what happened.

I have made probably made over 1000 shirts literally over the last 10 or 15 years and only have seen them bleed when the vinegar wash was not done. You used white vinegar, no detergent or fabric softener, nothing else in the wash cycle but the shirt(s), water and vinegar? You might try repeating the process, but with more vinegar, maybe your washer is bigger or something and the vinegar got diluted too much? I don't know.

Do you mind me asking what name brand you use for your iron on transfers?

 

[Lesley Mahler]

Wow! I have never heard of this happening. What brand of transfers are you using? Some of the companies have a guarantee against this kind of thing. You might check their website. Definately post back here to let us know what happened.

I have made probably made over 1000 shirts literally over the last 10 or 15 years and only have seen them bleed when the vinegar wash was not done. You used white vinegar, no detergent or fabric softener, nothing else in the wash cycle but the shirt(s), water and vinegar? You might try repeating the process, but with more vinegar, maybe your washer is bigger or something and the vinegar got diluted too much? I don't know.

Would you mind me asking what brand of transfers you use?

 

[DisneyMom92]

O.K. I'm a little confused. I know we wash them, then iron them, then do the iron transfer and I too will do the vinegar was after the transfer is done, but karajeboo you mentioned your MIL ironed the shirt. If they come out wrinkled after the vinegar wash does that mean they can't be ironed - I mean ironing the shirt except the part with the transer?[/QUOTE}

If you are worried about the shirt wrinkling when it comes out of the dryer, add a towel or two to the dryer to help toss it around a little, speed drying and keep it from wrinkling quite so bad. You can iron any part that does not have the image on it, just use the lowest setting that will do the job. I have used the backing from another iron on to press over a shirt that needed it, placed the backing on it just like it was originally and pressed, again lowest setting that will do the job. In this case you need to be very very careful that you don't pull up the image you ironed on to your shirt.

As far as brand, I have used many different brands, I know Avery was one of the first. My favorite one, I can't remember the brand name, but it says "Oops Proof" on it and has a money-back guarantee on it. It used to come with a Hanes T-Shirt, if I remember right.

I am actually trying a new brand this time. It's from www.printonit.com. I will let everyone know how they turn out after I get them done.

 

[karajeboo]

I just ordered the HP for light shirts that I read about on another thread (by one get one free + fee overnight shipping!). I'm hoping they work well.

I thought you could iron the shirts if you put a pillowcase over the design and ironed over it on low heat?

I'm just curious whey nobody else has ever complained about these designs running? Are we the only ones who wash our clothes???

 

[MALE*RN*777]

I used the Avery light transfer for the boys shirt and he slept in it last night and from sweating some of it ran on his arm and onto the shirt. I'm glad I found this post because I will now was it and the others made for my daughter with vinager and hope for the best.