How to Dye Clothes

Let’s turn old clothes into new by dyeing bright colors. Simply choose clothes that are old, worn out, and have natural fibers to create a new look with vegetable dyes or store-bought dyes. Light and white clothes are easy to dye, but you can also bleach the fabric and dye it again. Using pre-made dyes shortens the process so you can refresh your wardrobe in just a few hours. Another more labor-intensive way is to use vegetable dyes, but you’ll end up with a great finish and produce colors that look very natural.

Table of Contents

Dyeing clothes with washing machine

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Wash clothes before dyeing. Follow the washing instructions attached to the dye. Usually, you will put the clothes in the washing machine on a gentle cycle in warm water and use a mild detergent. ^{[1] X Research Source}

Make sure all stains are washed off before continuing.
You do not need to dry the clothes after washing. In fact, clothes need to be wet to dye.

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Fill the tub with hot water. Choose the hottest water setting possible, as long as it suits the fabric you want to dye. You will choose the right amount of water for a small wash of clothes. ^{[2] X Research Source}

If you use too much water, the dye will be diluted and produce a faded finish.

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Add dye while the water flows into the drum. Don’t rush to put your clothes in the washing machine right now. By pouring dye into the washing machine while the water is running, you won’t need to stir. The fast flow of water into the drum will stir the dye. ^{[3] X Research Sources}

See the instructions on the package for the amount of dye to use. You usually have to use a packet of dye powder or half a bottle of dye water.

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Add the curing agent to the dye water. If you’re dyeing cotton or linen fabrics, add 1 cup (275 grams) of salt. When dyeing silk or nylon, you need to use 1 cup (200ml) of white vinegar. ^{[4] X Research Sources}

The curing material will help the dye adhere to the fabric.

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Put the clothes in the washing machine and choose the 30-minute wash. After the washing machine has had enough water, you will put the clothes in. Please select the washing mode for 30 minutes. You can choose a longer wash cycle if you want to create a deeper color. ^{[5] X Research Sources}

Clothes must be wet before being placed in the washing tub with dye water. Otherwise, the finished product will not have the desired color.

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Turn on the warm water rinse mode for the washing machine. You need to rinse the clothes in the washing machine full cycle to remove any excess dye. Warm water will remove excess dye more effectively than cold water. ^{[6] X Research Source}

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Wash clothes with regular detergent. Wash clothes in normal mode with cold water and mild detergent. Cold water will help the dye adhere to the clothes. Besides, the washing process will clean the clothes after being soaked in dye water and color fixing materials. ^{[7] X Research Sources}

Do not wash other clothes with dyed clothes.
Dry clothes in a dryer or hang them on a clothes drying rack.

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Turn on an extra wash cycle for the empty washer. After you take the dyed clothes out of the washing machine, you will turn on one more wash cycle to clean the dye and prepare for the next wash. ^{[8] X Research Sources}

For best results, you should use hot water and 1 cup (250ml) of bleach.

Use commercially available dyes to cook on the stove

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Cover the surface used for dyeing clothes, wear rubber gloves, and wear old clothes. Dyeing clothes can be dirty because the dye not only adheres to the garment to be dyed, but can also adhere to the garment and other surfaces. To make cleanup easier, you should cover the surface with plastic wrap or newspaper to dye the clothes. Besides, remember to protect your skin from harmful chemicals or dyes by wearing gloves and wearing old clothes that you don’t have to worry about getting dirty.

Have a sponge and paper towel ready to wipe if the dye spills while dyeing the garment.

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Simmer a large pot of water over medium heat. First, you will fill the pot 3/4 full with water. Make sure the amount of water is enough to soak the entire garment. Otherwise, you will have to divide the clothes to manipulate many times. Next, bring the water to a boil over medium heat. ^{[9] X Research Source}

Use an 8-quart pot for best results.

Add a coloring agent such as salt or white vinegar to the water that is about to boil. Add the curing agent directly to the pot of water. Select a curing material suitable for the fabric of the clothes to be dyed as follows: ^{[10] X Research source}

With natural fibers like cotton and silk, you would add 1 cup (275g) of salt to the water that is about to boil.
For synthetic fibers like nylon, you will use 1 cup (250ml) of white vinegar.

Pour the dye into the water. Stir until the dye dissolves in the water. Follow the instructions on the package to determine the correct amount of dye to use. Amounts will vary depending on whether dye powder or dye is used: ^{[11] X Research Source}

If using powder dye, you usually have to pour the whole packet of powder into simmering boiling water.
If using dye water, you will use half a bottle.

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Soak the garment completely in the dye water. You need to place the clothes so that the clothes are submerged in the dyed water. Use a spoon to press the garment into the water.

Toss the clothes in the pot to make sure every spot soaks up the dye.

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Simmer the clothes in the dye water. After the dye water boils, you will turn the stove down to low heat and continue to cook for another hour. The water only needs to boil slightly. ^{[12] X Research Source}

Rotate the garment from time to time so that the finished product is dyed evenly.
Do not cover the pot.

Rinse the garment with hot water and wring it out. Carefully use 2 spoons to remove the garment from the hot dye water and place it in the metal sink. Place the garment under hot running water and then gradually reduce the temperature until the water is cold and the color is no longer flowing. Finally, use your hands to wring the clothes dry.

Discard the dye water in the metal sink.
A lot of dye comes out when you rinse your clothes. This is completely normal.
Use cold water in the final step to allow the dye to adhere to the garment.

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Dry clothes. You will hang the clothes until completely dry. Spread an old towel or rag underneath to soak up the little dye while drying.

Do not dry clothes with the dryer.

Dye clothes the natural way

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Cover the surface with nylon canvas or newspaper to dye the clothes. Natural dyes also adhere to clothes and other surfaces like chemical dyes. You’ll make cleanup easier and avoid stains when you cover the surface used to dye your clothes.

Wear clothes that you don’t have to worry about getting dirty or wearing an apron.

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Clean the clothes you want to dye with laundry detergent or soda ash (a sodium carbonate salt). For protein-based fibers like cashmere, wool, and silk, soak the garment in a mild dishwashing liquid and warm water (use cold water for wool). For cellulose fibers like cotton, linen, and hemp, you’ll soak the garment in soda ash and warm water. Clothes need to be soaked for at least 1-2 hours or up to 4 hours. Put the clothes in the pot with the detergent mixture and bring to a boil over low heat. ^{[13] X Research Source}

The exact ratio of the detergent mixture doesn’t matter, as long as the garment is submerged in water and there is enough soap or soda ash to clean it.
You can make your own soda ash by putting baking soda in the oven at 90°C for 1 hour.

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Soak the garment in the dye for about 20 minutes. A dye mordant is a mixture of metal ore and water that helps the dye adhere to the fibers of the fabric. Soak the clothes for about 20 minutes in the dye pot and bring to a simmer, then turn off the heat and wait for the water to cool the clothes. You can use different dyes depending on the results you want: ^{[14] X Research Source}

Alum is the most convenient mordant to use. You can find these at supermarkets, craft stores, or online. Stir 110g of alum with warm water for every 500g of clothes you want to dye. However, using too much alum can cause the fabric to stick.
Iron is an effective mordant but will result in a dark brown finish. Use iron ore only when you want to create earth tones. To make an iron-infused soak, you’ll boil some old nails in a large pot of water.
Use copper to create a green product. Make a copper-infused soak by boiling a few old (pre-1982) US dollars in boiling water, or purchase copper sulfate online. Copper is a toxic substance if swallowed; Therefore, you should not heat copper in a food processor and should operate in a well-ventilated place.
Use a little tin for the finished product to have a distinct color and not fade. You only need to use a small amount of tin. Similar to copper, you should not heat tin in a food processor and should handle it in a well-ventilated area.

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Soak the clothes in the curing agent for about 1 hour. Color-fixing materials help clothes absorb dye better and avoid fading later. The best curing material will depend on the type of dye you use: ^{[15] X Research Source}

When coloring with berries, you will use salt to set the color. Mix 1/2 cup (135g) of salt with 8 cups (2 liters) of cold water.
Vinegar is used as a fixative when you make dyes from other plants. You will use 1 part white vinegar to 4 parts cold water.

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Rinse the garment with cold water before coloring. You will rinse off the fixative and colorant by placing the garment under the tap. Rinse until you see clear water. ^{[16] X Research Source}

Your clothes must be wet before dyeing; so you can do the dyeing step after rinsing.

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Prepare ripe plant material for natural dyeing. For the best results, you should choose ripe fruit, seeds must also grow to be edible, flowers also need to be in full bloom and nearing the end of their life cycle. Seeds, leaves and stems should be harvested as soon as they emerge. Combine ingredients for a darker color or color combo: ^{[17] X Research Source}

Create orange with onion peels, carrot roots, pumpkin seed pods, and yellow lichen.
Create brown using dandelion root, oak bark, walnut shells, tea bags, coffee, chestnuts and gerbera buds.
Create pink with strawberries, cherries, red raspberries, and Grand Fir pine bark.
Create a blue-violet color with gardenia bark, red cabbage, lavender, elderberry fruit, mulberry fruit, chrysanthemum petals, blueberries, purple grapes, and iris.
Create a red-brown color with elderberries, purple onion skins, pomegranates, beets, bamboo and dried hibiscus flowers.
Create a dark-gray color using black raspberries, walnut shells, oak zits, and pumpkin rinds.
Create a red-purple color with fenugreek, blueberries, or basil leaves.
Create greens from artichokes, sorrel roots, spinach leaves, velvet eye flowers, snout flowers, lilacs, grasses, or aspens.
Create gold with bay leaves, alfalfa seeds, gerbera daisies, St. John’s Wort, dandelion, narcissus, bell pepper and turmeric.

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Cut the vegetable ingredients and place in a large pot of water. Use a knife to cut the ingredients into small pieces and put them in a large pot. For each 1 part ingredient, you will add 2 parts water. ^{[18] X Research Sources}

The pot should be twice as big as the amount of clothes you want to dye. You will have to split the amount of clothes if you want to dye many items.

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Simmer the vegetable ingredients for at least 1 hour or overnight. The pot must contain a lot of water so that the clothes to be dyed are completely submerged in the water. For a deep dye, you need to soak the plant material all night without heating. Or, you can simmer the mixture for about 1-4 hours and keep an eye on it while it cooks. ^{[19] X Research Source}

The longer the mixture cooks, the darker the dye will be.

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Filter plant material in dye water. Pour the mixture into a sieve to filter out the vegetable matter and drain the water. Put the filtered water into the dye pot. ^{[20] X Research Source}

Advice

Wash your clothes first and make sure they are free of stains for an even finish.
Avoid dyeing clothes made from ppyester, spandex, metallic yarn, or clothes labeled “dry clean only”.
Use stainless steel or other metal buckets to dye and wash clothes. Do not use plastic or porcelain pots because the dye will leave stains.
Remember that different fabrics will react differently to the same dye. Even dyeable clothes will show a slightly different color due to the type of fabric and the weight of the yarn. As a result, if the garment to be dyed has parts made from different fabrics, those parts will have slightly different tones.
Protect hands and clothing by wearing disposable gloves and a jacket or apron. To be on the safe side, you should wear clothing that you don’t have to worry about if it gets dirty or damaged from the dyeing process.
Clothing made from fabrics with at least 60% dyeable fibers like cotton can still be dyed with chemical dyes. However, the clothes will be lighter in color than when using 100% dyeable fabric.

Warning

When using chemical dyes, be sure to check the packaging for specific instructions and allergy information. Chemical dyes are generally safe, but some contain mild allergens that you should be aware of. ^{[23] X Research Sources}

Things you need

White or light colored clothes
Plastic tarpaulin or newspaper
Apron
Rubber gloves
Salt
White Vinegar
Clothes drying rack

Dyeing clothes with washing machine

Washing machine
Chemical dyes

Heat commercially available dyes on the stove

Pot with a capacity of 8 liters
Spoon
Washing powder
Chemical dyes

Dye clothes the natural way

Spoon
Plant material for dyeing
Knife
Soda ash (a carbonate salt of sodium).
Washing powder
Coloring agent (alum, iron, copper or tin)

Steps

Dyeing clothes with washing machine

Use commercially available dyes to cook on the stove

Dye clothes the natural way

Advice

Warning

Things you need

Dyeing clothes with washing machine

Heat commercially available dyes on the stove

Dye clothes the natural way

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