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Is the missing stable red pigment the reason why red clothes give off their color in the laundry much easier than the other colors?
by Aardwolf 9y ago
Is the missing stable red pigment the reason why red clothes give off their color in the laundry much easier than the other colors?
- logfromblammo 9y agoClothing is usually dyed, rather than inked or painted. Some dyes are better at attaching to fibers than others, and some synthetic polymer fibers are notoriously hard to dye. But on the other hand, some dyes diffuse into certain plastics very easily, and then never come out. It depends on the chemistry. The only pigmented clothes I am aware of are "dirt shirts" that are infused with strongly colored soil. The reddish orange color is undoubtedly iron oxide, and they will fade with every washing, because there is no binder to keep the pigment attached to the fiber.
- gwern 9y agoOne exception is Japanese kakishibu/kaki-shibu: fermented unripe persimmons, creates a sort of rusty brown red which darkens over time, heavily used in traditional Japanese clothing for water-resistance and fire protection. People still like to use it for paper, shirts, and home-made or high-end jeans (eg https://www.weargustin.com/store/6683 https://www.weargustin.com/store/6683 )