Colour catch sheets?

[oliveoiltinfoil]

Just tried searching through the threads but I can't seem to find anything related to colour catch sheets, unless there is a different term for it.

I swear by them. For those of you who don't know, they are small sheets made from man made fibres which catch the dye from running into other clothes. They really do work. You put the sheets in and they are white, they usually always coming out discoloured. I always think clothes come out brighter when I use them versus not using them. Excellent for keeping white crystal white.

 

[runematic]

I use them for newer clothing for their first few washes.  The only problem I've had with them, is the sheet migrating out and getting stuck sometimes in my Kenmore HE5t washer pump.  Other than that, they do work well.

 

[murando531]

Last year, The Color Run came through Huntsville and we participated. In everyone's little welcome pack there were a few goodies, including a few samples of the Shout Color Catcher sheets; apparently they were also a sponsor as there were a few Shout flags around the parts of the city that the 5k ran through. I tried them and it did seem to catch a lot of the dye released in the water, and from what I could tell the water was clear of color as well. I didn't think to try them with whites though. I'll have to see if I can grab a few more and test it out. Thanks for the tip!

 

[Marky_Mark]

Here's an interesting video of what Consumer Reports had to say after testing them:

 

 

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/magazine-archive/2011/june/appliances/shout-color-catcher/overview/index.htm

 

[oliveoiltinfoil]

@runematic; I have the same problem. The sheet will find its way toward the door and rubber seal (i have a bosch front loader) which is why i periodically check it to see if it is mixing with the cloths still. One thing i like about my machine is that you can pause and open the door mid way through a wash.

@marky_mark; I would say that is pretty accurate in my experience. It wont catch all the colour runs but it does help. Its a given that you wash whites separate anyway and the claim that "you never have to separate your washes" is a bit far fetched, but i do think these help. I do notice they are more redundant with clothes that have had a few first washes but as most of us buy a garment or two every so often, you'll always have new and old cloths mixing.

Can I say as a side note, this thread is separating the UK English speakers from the US English speakers

 

[spiraclean]

FWIW, I see a lot of launderettes using these nowadays for service washes. Given that customers may or may not pre-sort adequately beforehand, and everything will end up being placed in the same machine by the attendant, it's cheap insurance for the launderette against possible claims for damaged goods.

I do have a package of these at home, although I don't use them routinely as everything gets sorted by colour first. However, they are very useful for garments that, even if washed separately, have differently coloured sections that would otherwise run into each other. England rugby shirts are a prime example of this; no matter how many times you wash them, the red dye never stops bleeding, causing the rest of the garment to turn pink.

 

[earthling177]

When I use those sheets, I put them inside those bags for delicate clothing, so the sheets do not end up in the pump or boot -- the bags get pulled by the clothes and stay in the wash.

 

[iej]

Shouldn't this be something all good detergents do anyway by suspending loose dyes in the water and preventing them from redepositing on the clothes?

Although, I guess once the machine had rinsed, colour runs in clean water are still possible...

 

[hoover8pulse]

I find they only really work if you use the proper ones but they're very good when washing new clothes.