The field guide · Age and condition

Colour run

A colour run is dye bleeding from the yarn into neighbouring areas, usually when a rug gets wet. It happens when a dye is not fast to water: Iranica notes that some early synthetic dyes ran when washed. Conservators test dyes before any wet cleaning and do not wash a textile whose colours move. After a spill, soak up the liquid at once and dab rather than rub.

Also color run · dye run · dye bleed · bleeding · running colours · colour bleed

See also Aniline dye, Rug washing, Natural dye, Abrash

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