# AAAAAHHHHH, PINK! **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 6, 2000, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aaaaahhhhh-pink/8218 "2000-03-06T13:02:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![melanietarrant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/898d66/32.png) [@melanietarrant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/melanietarrant)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2000, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aaaaahhhhh-pink/8218/1 "2000-03-06T13:02:00Z")
my wonderful husband “helped” me with the laundry. he threw a red bathrobe in with a load of whites washed in hot water. is there any way to get the dye out of my clothes? i already tried washing them again in extra bleach. are we doomed to a pink wardrobe? ## ironiclly, the clothes he “pinked” are mostly his socks and underwear. (snicker) I am D.B. Cooper ---
**Author:** ![funneefarmer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/9fc348/32.png) [@funneefarmer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/funneefarmer)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2000, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aaaaahhhhh-pink/8218/2 "2000-03-06T13:12:00Z")
I believe they have dye that you can put in your washer for various coloring of garments. Seems like you could cover it up with a white dye if you can’t get the pink out. Why would you want to though ? ---
**Author:** ![ZenBeam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/3ab097/32.png) [@ZenBeam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZenBeam)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2000, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aaaaahhhhh-pink/8218/3 "2000-03-06T13:18:00Z")
I’d reccommend getting some pink or red dye, and making his socks and underwear a little closer to hot pink each time. “Gee honey, I don’t know why they keep getting brighter pink instead of fading. Guess you won’t do that again, huh?” * * * _It is too clear, and so it is hard to see._ ---
**Author:** ![Nightingale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecae2f/32.png) [@Nightingale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nightingale)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2000, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aaaaahhhhh-pink/8218/4 "2000-03-06T14:12:00Z")
Look in the laundry aisle of your local supermarket. They usually carry stuff that is supposed to remove dye from clothing. . . never tried it myself, though. Or have you considered good old fashioned Clorox? * * * “There are more things you don’t know than there are things that I do know. I despair of the imbalance.” – Dr. Morgenes, _The Dragonbone Chair_ ---
**Author:** ![Nightingale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecae2f/32.png) [@Nightingale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nightingale)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2000, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aaaaahhhhh-pink/8218/5 "2000-03-06T14:14:00Z")
_aside to self_ Duh, Val, next time try reading a little more closely before you post. . . * * * “There are more things you don’t know than there are things that I do know. I despair of the imbalance.” – Dr. Morgenes, _The Dragonbone Chair_ ---
**Author:** ![Mojo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Mojo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mojo)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2000, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aaaaahhhhh-pink/8218/6 "2000-03-06T17:01:00Z")
You might want to try bluing- it makes your whites appear more white by dying them a slightly bluish tint. However, you might wind up with purple whites. Better thn pink IMO. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2000, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aaaaahhhhh-pink/8218/7 "2000-03-06T17:18:00Z")
> [@](#): > > Guess you won’t do that again, huh? That may have been his idea. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2000, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aaaaahhhhh-pink/8218/8 "2000-03-06T17:32:00Z")
We’ve had pretty good luck with a) breaking the load into smaller batches b) using a detergent with bleach and then about 1/2 - 3/4 cup good old chlorine bleach c) soaking in cold water and then d) washing in cold water. Of course, if the clothes got put the dryer, you’re probably SOL. ---
**Author:** ![ZenBeam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/3ab097/32.png) [@ZenBeam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZenBeam)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2000, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aaaaahhhhh-pink/8218/9 "2000-03-06T17:58:00Z")
Little Nemo may be right. All the more reason to make it more painful for him. 😉 * * * _It is too clear, and so it is hard to see._ ---
**Author:** ![melanietarrant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/898d66/32.png) [@melanietarrant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/melanietarrant)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2000, 6:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aaaaahhhhh-pink/8218/10 "2000-03-07T06:17:00Z")
i don’t think it he sabotaged the laundry on purpose. otherwise, he wouldn’t have made his own undies pink. he’s done a load or two a week for the last 10 years. he never sorts his clothes, just throws 'em in. if he was going protest doing laundry, he should have started years ago. it was an honest mistake. ---
**Author:** ![phouka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c5a1d2/32.png) [@phouka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phouka)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2000, 6:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aaaaahhhhh-pink/8218/11 "2000-03-07T06:46:00Z")
Try cold water and a full cup of bleach. As long as I’ve been doing laundry, I still occasionally manage to do this to myself - though nothing so dramatic as all pink underwear. In these circumstances, laundry is your friend. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2000, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aaaaahhhhh-pink/8218/12 "2000-03-07T00:56:00Z")
> [@](#): > > he never sorts his clothes, just throws 'em in. I do that too. I’m slightly colourblind, so I can’t detect pinkness in any of my clothes. Apparently one of my shirts has a marked pinkness to it, but it’s invisible to me. The perils of colourblindness, I suppose. * * * [The Legend Of PigeonMan](http://www.hotkey.net.au/~guanolad/pigeonman/) - **Shadow of the Pigeon** - Weirdo of the Night ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2000, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aaaaahhhhh-pink/8218/13 "2000-03-07T03:13:00Z")
Pink is good, pink can be lived with. Try washing with bleach several times, it will fade. The pink thing happened to me, all the mister’s undies were pink but luckily in the winter he used to get dressed in the semi-dark, and by the time mornings were brighter they had faded to a grungy gray… ---
**Author:** ![voguevixen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5ac83/32.png) [@voguevixen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voguevixen)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2000, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aaaaahhhhh-pink/8218/14 "2000-03-07T03:17:00Z")
RIT dye makes a couple of whitening products, one for whites that are stained and one for whites that are “dingy” (I’m trying the dingy one on my work uniforms as we speak.) I tried bluing and ended up with blue blotches on my whites (GRRR!) and no noticible improvement in the brightness of the whites, so I hope this does the trick. * * * “I don’t know…I don’t know.” – St. DooDah ---
**Author:** ![Sigmundex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e19adc/32.png) [@Sigmundex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmundex)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2000, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aaaaahhhhh-pink/8218/15 "2000-03-07T03:45:00Z")
I’ve done some research. I think the answer lies in ‘The Cat In the Hat Comes Back’. You may want to find Little Cat Z. He has some stuff in his hat called Voom that removes pink stains and then cleans up after itself. ---
**Author:** ![LucyVanPelt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c6cbf5/32.png) [@LucyVanPelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LucyVanPelt)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2000, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aaaaahhhhh-pink/8218/16 "2000-03-07T04:01:00Z")
I had the same thing happen to my favorite white shirt. Using bleach in the wash wont help but if you soak it overnight then wash it, it should do the trick. I just took a bucket of water with a cup of bleach and left the shirt for a day or so. ---
**Author:** ![voguevixen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5ac83/32.png) [@voguevixen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voguevixen)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2000, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aaaaahhhhh-pink/8218/17 "2000-03-07T04:13:00Z")
Update…the RIT product gets 4 stars out of 5…of the 5 items I washed, 4 came out brilliantly white and the bluing stains were removed from all of the ones that were previously effected. The name of the product was “RIT White-Wash.” I got it at Target and I think it was less than $2. * * * “I don’t know…I don’t know.” – St. DooDah ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2000, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aaaaahhhhh-pink/8218/18 "2000-03-07T04:18:00Z")
Another product along the same lines as the one from RIT is produced by Carbonara. Since I think Jo-Ann Fabrics and similar stores sell both products, they might be able to tell you which is safer/better. * * * Tom~