You’re diligent about separating your dark clothes from light-colored clothes to prevent discoloring the latter, but what about some TLC for your favorite black concert T-shirt?

You’ll have to add some anti-fading techniques to your laundry routine if you want that top and the rest of your black clothes to keep on rocking instead of fading. Here’s how to do it.  

Use Cold Water to Wash Black Clothing

Use the cold temperature setting on your washer if you want to preserve the black dye in your clothing, says James Joun, co-founder and chief operating officer of on-demand laundry and dry cleaning pickup and delivery company Rinse.

“Warm or hot water can agitate dyes and loosen them from the clothing fibers, which can result in color fading,” he explains. “Conversely, cold water reduces agitation and can better protect against color loss. 

Want more cleaning and organizing tips? Sign up for our free daily newsletter for the latest hacks, expert advice, and more!

Turn Black Clothes Inside Out Before Washing

If you leave your shirts inside out when you toss them in the hamper, you’re actually being proactive, not lazy. That’s because many experts recommend turning black clothes inside out before washing to keep the color.

“Turning black clothes inside out before washing them helps reduce the friction that can cause fading,” says Joun. “By having the inside of the fabric take the brunt of the wash, you keep the outer surface looking fresh and vibrant.”

Reversing your clothes is a good practice no matter the color to prevent wear and tear, says Joun, but it’s especially good for denim and clothing with prints. If you’ve got any iron-on graphic T-shirts, this is a good way to preserve the design.

Hand Wash Your Favorite Black Clothes

It’s understandable if you don’t want to add more work to your laundry duties. But if you have certain black clothes that you want to keep wearing for a long time, wash them by hand.

While washing machines certainly save time and energy, the agitation can be rough on the clothing fibers, causing them to lose their dye.

By gently washing your favorite black shirt by hand, you have a fighting chance of causing less damage to the fabric.

How to Bring Back Faded Black Clothes

Unfortunately, once black clothes or other dark colors have faded, there isn’t any washing technique that can revive them. 

“When clothes become faded, that means they’ve experienced a loss of dye,” says Joun. “There is no real way to bring the color back without manually dyeing the garment, which we do not recommend.” 

Quick Tips To Keep Clothes From Fading

By now, you’ve realized that it takes a bit of preventative work to keep black and other dark clothes looking vivid wash after wash. Here are some more tips:

• Use a gentle wash cycle. You might not think of your black clothes as delicate, but if you treat them as such with a gentler agitation wash cycle, the dye will stick around longer. 
• Use a detergent made for dark colors. There are several to choose from, but Joun recommends the Woolite brand. 
• Air dry when possible. It’s good to keep your black clothes from being agitated as much as possible to keep the dye and fabric looking good over time. Just don’t leave them on the clothesline, as sunlight will make them fade.
• Go longer between washings. Whether it’s a quick blast from a steamer or a spritz of some fabric deodorizer, try not to wash your black clothes—especially denim—every time you wear them to maintain their color longer.