How to use Blue Guard (& Vintage Guard)
Select Washing method
CAUTION
- This product is intended for use on pure cotton or cotton-blend denim garments (Blue jeans, etc.) Do not use clothing made of other materials such as wool/silk/leather or printed fabric as it may be damaged.
- This product is not a detergent, but a laundry additive that reduces fading when washing denim clothes. So you must use it with a detergent.
- This product only reduces but does not completely prevent fading due to the nature of indigo dyeing. Especially, performance may be limited when washing new clothes for the first time.
- Use rubber gloves for handwashing and wash them well if they get on your hands or skin.
- Avoid eye contact. If contact occurs, flush immediately with water for 15 minutes.
- Not a food product. Do not consume. Contact doctor if ingested.
- Do not place in direct sunlight or in hot and humid places.
- Keep away from children.
How to Hand Wash
PREPARE
Turn inside out the denim, button and zip it up.
The reason for washing denim inside out is that friction is one of the biggest reasons why indigo dye fades. Due to the nature of indigo dyeing, the fibers and dyes are not chemically tightly bonded, which accelerates fading due to friction.
However, if you wash your denim inside out and keep the buttons and zippers closed, you can minimize the friction during the washing process. Because the dyed area is hidden inside, which eliminates an important cause of fading.
Pre-wash: When your laundry is heavily soiled, pre-wash stain by sponge dampened with warm water & a little mild detergent.
SOAK
Add 1/2 spoon (2.5g) of this product in cold water 1.3 GAL(5L) and dissolve it well. Soak laundry completely & leave it for 10 minutes.
If you need to wash multiple pairs of denim, we recommend wash one by one to minimize friction.
Cold water: Washing in hot water will cause severe fading of the indigo dye.
WASH
Add a small amount of mild detergent. Hand wash by gently shaking, pressing, and lifting. Repeat this cycle about 5-6 times.
Dump out the water and rinse with cold water 3-4 times. Never wring, just squeeze & shaking.
The best way to wash denim is a slight rinse, not tight scrub, to prevent it from fading out. This is enough because most detergents have good performance these days. This product is not a detergent, but a laundry additive that reduces fading when washing denim clothes. So you must use it with a detergent.
Mild detergent: Common laundry detergents are alkaline with strong cleaning power. The stronger the cleaning power, the more severe the fading of the dye. That’s why we soak denim in BlueGuard solution for 10 minutes to create a protective layer BEFORE adding detergent. On the other hand, if you use a mild (pH-neutral) detergent, you can minimize the fading phenomenon caused by detergent and still get a clean enough wash.
Fabric softener: You can add a little fabric softener to the last rinse for extra softness and fragrance, but we recommend skipping it for maximum anti-fading.
DRY
Make sure to dry naturally in the shade after washing, and never use a electric dryer.
Roll (not fold) the denim in a large towel to drain as much water as possible. If you don’t have a large towel, feel free to skip this step.
Flip the denim back to its original position, shake it off, spread the wrinkles, and hang it in the shade to dry naturally.
Direct sunlight: Avoid drying in direct sunlight as UV ray in sunlight may cause fading.
Electric clothes dryer: Using the electric dryer is the worst thing you can do! The combination of high heat and friction in the dryer can cause severe fading of the indigo dye.
How to Machine Wash
PREPARE
Turn inside out the denim, button and zip it up. Put the laundry bag with denim in the washing machine. Add a mild detergent into the automatic dispenser.
The reason for washing denim inside out is that friction is one of the biggest reasons why indigo dye fades. Due to the nature of indigo dyeing, the fibers and dyes are not chemically tightly bonded, which accelerates fading due to friction.
However, if you wash your denim inside out and keep the buttons and zippers closed, you can minimize the friction during the washing process. Because the dyed area is hidden inside, which eliminates an important cause of fading.
Laundry bag: If you need to wash multiple denim garments, be sure to use a mesh laundry bag to minimize friction between them. The key is to use a separate laundry bag for each denim. (ex) Wash 3 jeans, use 3 laundry bags.
Mild detergent: Common laundry detergents are alkaline with strong cleaning power. The stronger the cleaning power, the more severe the fading of the dye. That’s why we soak denim in BlueGuard solution for 10 minutes to create a protective layer BEFORE adding detergent. On the other hand, if you use a mild (pH-neutral) detergent, you can minimize the fading phenomenon caused by detergent and still get a clean enough wash.
Automatic dispenser: Do not pour detergent directly into the laundry. Because need to apply this product in advance than detergent.
Pre-wash: When your laundry is heavily soiled, pre-wash stain by sponge dampened with warm water & a little mild detergent.
SOAK
Sprinkle this product on laundry. When the washing machine is filled with water pause the machine for 10 minutes to absorb this product.
When the total weight of the laundry is less than 7 lb (about 3.2kg, 4-5 pairs of adult jeans), use 2 spoons (10g). Add extra 1/2 spoon (2.5g) per jeans when over 7 lb.
Washing mode: Select most delicate washing mode such as wool or lingerie course.
Cold water: Washing in hot water will cause severe fading of the indigo dye.
WASH
After 10 minutes, run the machine again.
Fabric softener: You can add a little fabric softener to the last rinse for extra softness and fragrance, but we recommend skipping it for maximum anti-fading.
DRY
Make sure to dry naturally in the shade after washing, and never use a electric dryer.
Roll (not fold) the denim in a large towel to drain as much water as possible. If you don’t have a large towel, feel free to skip this step.
Flip the denim back to its original position, shake it off, spread the wrinkles, and hang it in the shade to dry naturally.
Direct sunlight: Avoid drying in direct sunlight as UV ray in sunlight may cause fading.
Electric clothes dryer: Using the electric dryer is the worst thing you can do! The combination of high heat and friction in the dryer can cause severe fading of the indigo dye.