How to Dye Clothes with Food Color

Using food coloring is a simple and economical way to dye clothes at home. This is also a fun activity that you can do alone or with family and friends! Get out into the yard on a nice day or find a corner of your home that you can use to dye your clothes. All you have to do is choose the clothes you want to dye, prepare some old towels, and start creating unique colorful patterns!

Table of Contents

Dye clothes with one color

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Choose wool if you want the color to last longer. Animal fibers such as wool, cashmere and silk have the best dye retention. Cotton yarn also gives good dyeing effect, but dye color usually fades faster. ^{[1] X Research Source}

You can always re-dye the faded garment.

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Spread the towel and prepare all the necessary materials. Use a towel or cloth that you don’t mind staining. You also need a large plastic bowl, white vinegar, water, and food coloring. Having everything ready is very convenient, because you don’t have to look for anything else when your hands are dirty. ^{[2] X Research Source}

There are several methods to help you clean up food color stains, but it’s best to avoid letting the color get stuck where it shouldn’t be.

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Soak clothes in a mixture of water and vinegar in a 1:1 ratio for about 30 minutes. Place the garment in a bowl, and then add equal amounts of water and white vinegar, enough to wet the garment. To make sure the mixture is equal, you should use a cup to measure about 230ml of each liquid. ^{[3] X Research Sources}

Clothes that have been soaked will absorb the dye better than when dyed directly with water and food coloring.
Although you can dye your clothes without pre-soaking, the color won’t be too eye-catching!

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Soak clothes in water and food coloring after soaking in vinegar. Discard the vinegar-water mixture and gently wring the garment dry. Take 3-4 cups (700-950ml) of water (or more, depending on the thickness of the garment) and add 10-15 drops of food coloring. Stir the water and color in a large bowl and add the freshly squeezed garment to the new mixture. ^{[4] X Research Sources}

If you’re worried the color will be too dark, start with a few drops of color and add more until you get the color you want.

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Mix 2 or more colors to create different colors. Most food coloring packs come in four basic colors: blue, green, red, and yellow. Stir red and blue to make purple. If you want orange, mix red and yellow. Create a beautiful shade of blue by combining green and blue. Feel free to experiment with food and water colors to find the perfect tone for your outfit. ^{[5] X Research Sources}

If your package of food coloring is white or black, use these colors to lighten or darken the mixture until you have the desired color.

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Soak the garment in the water and dye mixture for about 10-20 minutes. Use a long-handled spatula to submerge the garment in the water, and stir every few minutes to allow the dye to soak into the fabric. You can also wear rubber gloves and turn your clothes over every few minutes with your hands.

After 10-20 minutes, you will see the water is clearer than before because the clothes have absorbed the dye.

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Place the garment in a resealable plastic bag for at least 8 hours. Wring the clothes dry after soaking in the mixture of water and dye, then put them in a zippered plastic bag and place it somewhere. If you keep the clothes in the bag for longer than 8 hours, that’s okay. ^{[6] X Research Source}

Placing the garment in a bag allows the dye to react more quickly with the fabric, and as a result, the garment will have a brighter color and last longer.

Forced dyeing

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Choose clothing made with animal-based fibers for long-lasting color. Apparel made from wool, cashmere or silk have the ability to hold the dye for the longest time. These are fibers of animal origin, and food coloring sticks to them better than other fibers such as cotton, linen and some synthetics. ^{[7] X Research Sources}

It doesn’t matter if the garment you want to dye isn’t made from animal fibers! You can still dye them, but the color will fade faster!

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Choose cotton material to dye light colors that don’t mind fading over time. You can dye cotton clothing with food coloring, but the color won’t be as pronounced and fades quickly. However, if you want to dye a light color, cotton is the right choice. ^{[8] X Research Sources}

Apply salt to a cotton shirt before you start to let the color show up more clearly. There are a few ways you can still make the color stick to the fabric after dyeing the garment.

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Keep the stain clean by spreading out lots of old towels. Before you start the dyeing process, you need to spread out a little towel or fabric that you don’t mind staining. There is still a way to help you clean the stains left by food coloring, but you better avoid this situation. ^{[9] X Research Source}

You should wear old clothes and tie your hair before you start dyeing your clothes.

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Put 6-8 drops of food coloring in a bottle with 1 cup (240ml) of water. Use a separate plastic bottle for each color you want to mix, then pour 1 cup of water into each bottle and add at least 6 drops of food coloring – you can add more if you want a deeper color. Close the cap, shake the bottle and set aside for later use. ^{[10] X Research Source}

If your bottle doesn’t have a spray nozzle, prepare for the tie dye process by using a pin to poke a hole in the cap of each bottle after you’ve filled the bottle with water. This way, you can squeeze the water bottle and control the amount of dye water.

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Soak the garment in a mixture of water and vinegar in a 1:1 ratio for about 30 minutes. Put the clothes in a bowl and add water and vinegar until it’s enough to wet them. Depending on the size of the bowl, you need about 470-950ml of each liquid. ^{[11] X Research Source}

Soaking in water and vinegar helps clothes absorb dye better.

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Use elastic bands to tie clothes to create different patterns. After 30 minutes of soaking, you will wring the garment dry and prepare it for the tie dyeing process. Use elastic bands to tie clothes in different positions, or try these fun styles: ^{[12] X Research Source}

Rotate the outfit into a spiral and tie the elastic in an “x” shape to create a spiral pattern.
Roll the garment into a curl and tie multiple elastic bands along the roll to create a striped pattern.
Grab several small pieces on the clothes and tie the elastic to create a starburst pattern.
Create a random pattern by rolling up your outfit and tying the elastic wherever you want.

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Spray the dye in many places on the clothes. Usually, using one color for one section, and then another for the next, creates a harmoniously colored outfit. However, don’t be afraid to experiment by mixing colors or dyeing multiple colors on one spot!

You should wear gloves during this process as the dye will stick to your hands.
Don’t forget to dye both sides of the garment.
To make it easier to work, place the garment that has been tied with an elastic band in the tray so that the dye doesn’t flow everywhere.

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Place the garment in a zippered plastic bag for at least 8 hours. After you’ve poured the dye onto your clothes, you’ll put each color in a separate plastic bag and let it sit for at least 8 hours. ^{[13] X Research Source}

It’s okay if you keep the outfit in the bag for longer than 8 hours! You just need to make sure to stick to the minimum time period.

Make the color adhere to the fabric and preserve the clothes

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Soak the clothes in a bowl of cold water and table salt. Take the costume out of the plastic bag after 8 hours. Pour cold water into the basin and add 1-2 tablespoons (15-30g) of table salt to the water. Put the clothes in the basin and submerge them in the water. Clothes need to be soaked for about 5 minutes. ^{[14] X Research Source}

Here’s how to make the dye adhere to the fabric easily and quickly. See baking and microwave methods for how to make the color adhere better to the fabric.

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Use the microwave to make the fabric more visible. The heat in the microwave reacts with the dye making it lighter, and also helps the dye adhere to the fabric. You just need to put the bowl of salt water soaked in the wrapped clothes in the microwave. Punch a few holes in the foil and heat the bowl in the microwave for about 2 minutes. ^{[15] X Research Source}

Wait for the garment to cool before further processing, or use tongs to remove the garment from the bowl.

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Bake the garment in a mixture of water and citric acid so that the dye adheres to the fabric. Prepare half a tray of water and add ½ cup (120ml) of citric acid. Stir the citric acid to dissolve, then soak the clothes in the tray. Set the oven to 150°C and bake the clothes for about 30 minutes. Wait for the water and clothing to cool completely before you touch it with your hands. ^{[16] X Research Source}

You can buy citric acid at baking supply stores.

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Rinse clothes under cold running water until you see clear water. Regardless of which method you choose, always remember to rinse the dyed clothes with cold water. The water will still have some color at first, but will quickly become transparent, letting you know that the dye has adhered to the fabric and won’t wash off. ^{[17] X Research Source}

If you put your clothes in the microwave or oven, make sure they have cooled down before you do the rinse step to avoid burns.

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Hang clothes to dry instead of putting them in the dryer. The heat of the dryer can fade the dye on the first drying. Therefore, you should hang the clothes somewhere to dry naturally. ^{[18] X Research Sources}

Avoid spreading clothes on flat surfaces. The residual dye may adhere to that plane.

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Wash dyed clothes separately for the first 2-3 washes. Even though you’ve applied a method that makes the dye adhere to the garment, the dye can still wash off. Wash dyed clothes separately to make sure the dye doesn’t stick to other clothes. ^{[19] X Research Source}

If you’ve dyed multiple clothes the same color, you can wash them together.

Advice

You can dye a variety of clothes with food coloring! Socks, shirts, shorts, headbands, blazers, white or neutral tights are all good options.
If your hands are stained with food coloring, wipe the stain away with a clean cloth soaked in white vinegar. You can also make a paste from baking soda and water if white vinegar doesn’t work. ^{[21] X Research Source}

Things you need

Dye clothes with one color

Clothes to be dyed
Old towels
Large bowl or container
White Vinegar
Measuring cup
Food coloring
Water
Long handle spoon

Forced dyeing

Clothes to be dyed
Old towels
Large bowl or container
White Vinegar
Measuring cup
Food coloring
Water
Elastic
Plastic bag with zipper

Make the color adhere to the fabric and preserve the clothes

Salt
Citric acid (optional)
Baking tray (optional)
Latex gloves (optional)
Tongs

Steps

Dye clothes with one color

Forced dyeing

Make the color adhere to the fabric and preserve the clothes

Advice

Things you need

Dye clothes with one color

Forced dyeing

Make the color adhere to the fabric and preserve the clothes

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