Gas-fade inhibition

A method for increasing the color fastness of dyed textiles selected from the group consisting of cellulose acetate, cellulose triacetate, and a blend thereof, wherein said textiles are subject to exposure, after dyeing with a disperse dye, to atmospheric oxides of nitrogen selected from the group consisting of nitrous oxide, nitric oxide, nitrogen sesquioxide, nitrogen dioxide, dinitrogen tetroxide, dinitrogen pentoxide, and mixtures thereof, comprising treating said textiles prior to said exposure with a fade-inhibiting amount of a composition including at least one polyalkylene imine selected from the group consisting of a linear polyethylene imine of the formula

• R.sup.1 --(CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 NH).sub.n R.sup.2
• wherein R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 are chain terminating groups and n is an integer greater than 1 and a branched polyethylene imine of the formula
• R.sup.3 --(CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 NR.sup.4).sub.y R.sup.5
• wherein R.sup.3 and R.sup.5 are chain terminating groups, y is an integer greater than 1, and R.sup.4 is --(CH.sub.2 NH).sub.z, --(CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 NH).sub.z R.sup.6, --(CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 NH).sub.z R.sup.6, --(CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 NH).sub.z R.sup.6, or higher CH.sub.2 polymers, or isomers thereof, where R.sup.6 is a chain terminating group and z is an integer greater than 1, or R.sup.4 is alkyl of one or more carbon atoms.