Why do stains wash out of clothes but not the dye?

211 views

As in, what is the chemistry behind dye that keeps it intact? What is different about common stains (dirt, food, etc.) that allows them to wash out?

In: 12

Anonymous 0 Comments

If you look closely at fabric, it’s basically a net. Stains are caught in the net and can be dislodged and removed via washing.

Dyes actually bond themselves to the fabric. The dye itself is has a charge to it that is attracted to ionic/polar sites on the fabric fibers at a molecular level. So they aren’t simply just caught in a net, they become part of the actual fabric itself.

Fading happens as these bonds start to break down.