Any chemists out there?

[tearinghair]

I've just done a load of washing. It contained nothing remotely red or pink, yet three items (two cotton, one nylon) that were previously white now have a pinkish tinge. The only item I hadn't washed before (I know it was stupid to put it in a mixed wash) was a pair of navy trousers. Is there something in the dye that would have caused this effect?

[mollykins]

I've done chromatography in chemistry before.

If you test a sample you could find that to make a colour, it contains various other colours within it so in this case, one of the colours used to make the navy dye was red or pink.

We tested different black pens and found various ones had different combination of yellow blue red and green.

[ummmm]

If you want to get the pink out soak the items in a sterilising solution.

[mollykins]

But why they only went pink, I can't say. Maybe it was like chromatography testing it and the pink came to it equilibrium with the material somehow.

[DrFilth]

i agree with what molly says , have a try with a black felt tip pen

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=...orer/black_magic.html

[beso]

Strawberries look red but stain blue because the blue component in their colour is is absorbed more easily by the cloth.

[tearinghair]

Thanks for your comments. I tried the sterilising solution, with interesting results: the white cotton remained exactly the same, the white nylon went a brighter pink all over, and a yellow cotton which had turned a delicate shade of peach is now back to its original sunshine. I'm not sure what Mollykins' chromatology teacher would have to say to that....

[tearinghair]

...or chromatography, even.

[tearinghair]

Thanks again. I handwashed them again with ordinary bleach. Cotton now acceptable, nylon still very pink but what the heck, at my age no-one is going to see it!

[coccinelle]

Unless you have a fall in the street and need to be rushed to hospital !! LOL

[ayabrea38]

I think its down to what material the garment is made of,and the make up of the dye in the navy pants.Red always seems to be the dominant dye,in clothes,hair etc it is the hardest to get into a material,so unfortunatly the one that comes out easiest.I think that is what may of happened with your pants,the seemingly blue has red in it.
Sinve you have tried bleaching,if you are that fed up with the colour dye them proper red!You foxy thing!
good luck
Aya

[mollykins]

Well my chemistry teacher has a phd so i'm sure he'd be able to explain it better than me.

[tearinghair]

Thanks for the warning, ladybird, I'll have to watch my step!
Aya, we are talking UK here not USA - it was navy trousers not underwear.....Thanks for the explanations everyone. I'll watch how I make up my washing in future; I'd got very lazy about putting everything in together.