Name: Amanda
Message: Hello, I'm sorry to bother you, this is a question from Australia. I bought some lovely old linen the other day which I soaked in nappysan, foolishly I put in something that had a bit of red material sewn on to it, it has caused pink marks on a lot of the linen. I soaked them again overnight and it faded but has not gone, should I soak them in household bleach? I've learnt my lesson. Many thanks in advance

First try washing the linen in hot water, if it can tolerate it. The dye that ran is sticking to the fiber due to its property called substantivity; substantivity is significantly decreased in hot water.

Bleach would probably do the job. In this circumstance I have always used Rit brand Color Remover, which is a brand of sodium hydrosulfite. It is sold alongside Rit brand all-purpose dye in many locations, and is certainly a better product than Rit dye. If this chemical is not easy to find in your local shops, bleach would be worth a try.