Clothes often fade after washing. Adding a spoonful of black pepper to the wash cycle can help solve this problem.

Color fading is a common issue that frustrates many people. But you don’t have to worry anymore—a little black pepper is all you need to keep your clothes looking as good as new.

For this trick to truly work, you need to:

Sort clothes by color before washing and separate different types of fabric.
If washing by hand, soak the clothes with detergent along with both whole black peppercorns and ground black pepper. Whole peppercorns increase friction during washing, helping to quickly remove stains, while ground black pepper helps preserve the color of the fabric.

Here’s a step-by-step guide:

Add a teaspoon of ground black pepper to your detergent or laundry liquid and wash your clothes in cold water as usual. Due to its abrasive properties, the black pepper helps remove detergent residue that clings to your clothes (the main cause of fading).