Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Miscellaneous/2015 December 23

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December 23

Clothes painting other clothes in washing machine

It is well known that when you wash red clothes together with white clothes, sometimes the colored paint from the red fabric can get solved out and it colors the white clothes pink, all but ruining the white clothes. For this reason, we are advised to wash different colored clothes separately.

My question is what factors make it more likely that this kind of color transfer happens? Assume that I'm washing cotton clothes in a washing machine, and please stick to variables I can observe or affect before washing. For example, does it matter whether

• the clothes are new rather than old,
• I wash at 60°C rather than 40°C (provided the instructions for the clothes permit this),
• I tumble dry at higher speed rather than lower speed?

– b_jonas 14:31, 23 December 2015 (UTC)

The first two make a difference, sometimes a very big difference, as does the type die used and how well it has been fixed. The third makes negligible difference, the only possible mechanism being that if the dye is still coming out as the clothes are tumbled then they are pressed ever so slightly closer together. Dbfirs 15:13, 23 December 2015 (UTC)

The type of dye used and how well it has been fixed might matter, but these aren't observable to me. Is there some simple way I could see whether the dye is of the kind that will stain? Is one of the icons in the washing instructions tag trying to tell me this? Should I feel something by touch on the fabric? – b_jonas 15:52, 23 December 2015 (UTC)

New jeans are one of the worst offenders. If they are labelled "pre-washed", then the problem won't be as bad. (BTW, those that haven't been pre-washed can be washed with old jeans of the same color, to somewhat refresh the colors on those.)

Clothes labeled "Hand wash only" might be so labeled because they will bleed color in hot water, or for other reasons, like containing delicate fabric that can't handle machine washing.

Also, man-made fabrics tend to absorb color less than cotton, so you might consider a cotton blend, rather than 100% cotton (they will also wrinkle less).

As for temperature, you only mentioned hot and warm temps. You might also consider cold water. It will transfer less dye and use less energy/money. (It may not wash clothes as well, especially if there is oil on them, but I suggest you try it and see if it washes your clothes acceptably.)

I wash all my clothes together (except my socks, which seem unable to handle bleach), and use bleach rather than detergent, in cold water. Most of them seem to survive that OK. I do occasionally have a shirt that absorbs some color, and then I demote that just wear around the house. I have many shirts that resist deposition of dye, and those I wear when going out.

I do share your frustration on not knowing what I am getting when buying clothes (shirts in particular). That is, will it wrinkle, shrink, fade, and absorb other colors ? I even had one that tore in the wash. I actually buy my shirts used, since, if they will suffer any of those problems, I can see the evidence. Also, they are much cheaper that way, so I can buy more and not worry about the few that are ruined in the wash. (I have nothing but for contempt for shirts sold folded, wrapped up in a plastic package, with lots of starch, so they look nice in the package.) StuRat (talk) 16:02, 23 December 2015 (UTC)

• Given that blacks bleed red when they wash, I wash my blacks with my reds, my whites alone with bleach, if I have enough for a large load, or my jeans with my whites (see bluing (fabric)) in hot water with detergent, and my other coloreds in cold water with detergent. Or, I just hand it all to the lady at the laundromat with a $20, and then it comes back not only perfectly undiscolored, but also folded as well! μηδείς (talk) 22:47, 23 December 2015 (UTC)

Thank you all for the answers so far. That jeans can bleed color is certainly a useful info. I'll be careful with new non-white jeans then.

I am not too proficient in washing, so I certainly don't try to wash clothes that say “hand wash only”, and I'm mostly asking about clothes that are easy to handle and wash. I'm not comfortable with washing fabric with bleach (rather than detergent) in a washing machine, and I seem to remember the instructions of my washing machine specifically forbid that anyway.

Asking other people nicely to wash is a good trick of course, but I'm reserving that to clothes that are difficult to wash. This could include new jeans I guess. I don't have much such clothes, and the few I have don't have to be washed often. The most difficult are of course hand-knitted wool sweaters and caps of course, which shrink and become rigid if you wash them no matter how carefully. – b_jonas 00:33, 24 December 2015 (UTC)

Washing at 60C is a massive waste of energy. For most clothes that have just been worn and not particularly dirty, 30C is more than enough. Also, adding bleach is very bad for both fabric and washing machine durability (if done often). Fgf10 (talk) 13:57, 24 December 2015 (UTC)

From my experience, bleach seems fine for most of my clothes (cotton/poly blends), provided you dilute it sufficiently by adding it to the water, once the machine is in motion, rather than pouring it in earlier, while the clothes are still. The only exception I've found is black socks, for some reason, which fade dramatically. StuRat (talk) 06:47, 26 December 2015 (UTC)

You could try color catching sheets, or make our own.--Fuhghettaboutit (talk) 14:19, 24 December 2015 (UTC)

Also marketed as "dye magnets". ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 18:49, 24 December 2015 (UTC)

Media Industry

What/Where is the main media industry for music, animation, movies and games? -- Space Ghost (talk) 21:20, 23 December 2015 (UTC)

For video games: San Francisco, Austin, Seattle. (I'm a video game software engineer - here in Austin, there are between 40 and 50 video games studios in an area of about 10 square miles!) SteveBaker (talk) 21:32, 23 December 2015 (UTC)

In the US the music industry is centered on two cities: Nashville and Los Angeles, though it is highly distributed, you'll probably find some music studios in almost any major city. The film industry, on the other hand, is still highly concentrated in the US in Los Angeles, though recently smaller hubs like Wilmington, North Carolina have sprung up in a few places. Television is centered in Los Angeles and took a lesser degree New York City.--Jayron32 21:47, 23 December 2015 (UTC)

Animation is increasingly a world-wide activity - even a single production will be distributed across many locations. SteveBaker (talk) 02:43, 24 December 2015 (UTC)

Indeed. Many US animated shows are drawn in Korea. The show Family Guy once made reference to it in one of their episodes, if I remember correctly. See List of animation studios and "Homer's Phobia" which mentions the animation coming back to the US from Korea. Dismas|^(talk) 14:16, 24 December 2015 (UTC)

Okay.

The telepathy users who've been disturbing my life and emotions using telepathy for the last 5-6 years, who could see my visions and dreams, who also mentally torture me using telepathy everyday just to create/make visions and scenes (most of the times trying to cover their satanic activities of the past, in the present by performing more satanic activities using telepathy – upon all they fail[ed] of course, and will as long as they'll try cause they were all thrown in the dungeon of fire without a discussion just for daring) have made some movies, animation movies, cartoons, and television serials - some of what I've seen...the hierarchy started from the social media websites then went to the media industry. These telepathy users wanted me to go to New York so that they could publicise me but I rejected their offer due to 666 issue – What is in New York? What kind of industry?

Important: I read a biblical verse some time ago, can't recall it now though, it states something about how the hell-raisers on earth take people to hell with them... - I've covered this by diverting their blasphemous deeds upon them and their present living and future living generations, because I thought it was injustice upon the naive people, who did not know, regardless of whether they were believers or disbelievers of the God Almighty, who would've burnt in Hell (some for eternity) due to these idiots.

Q: Am I right in doing so, or should I just let it go as its prophesised? The reason for asking/thinking this is because, now that, as I’m seeking knowledge through education and since I bought a video game recently i.e relative to what the telepathy users are doing/done, I’m having two states of mind…

Space Ghost (talk) 22:45, 24 December 2015 (UTC)

I don't think your verse is from the bible, and you probably know that there is absolutely no scientific evidence for telepathy. Sorry you've got a split mind, but perhaps you will feel better tomorrow. Happy Christmas! Dbfirs 23:25, 24 December 2015 (UTC)

-- Space Ghost (talk) 21:35, 25 December 2015 (UTC)

We explicitly don't give legal advice; perhaps that ought to be extended to theological and/or ethical advice. —Tamfang (talk) 08:15, 25 December 2015 (UTC)

Okay, sorry. -- Space Ghost (talk) 21:35, 25 December 2015 (UTC)

I think this is more asking for medical advice . KägeTorä - (^影_虎) (もしもし！) 10:32, 26 December 2015 (UTC)