How to renew faded black clothes

Most black clothes will eventually fade after many washes, leaving your closet full of dull gray clothes. Instead of buying new clothes to replace faded clothes, you can try using home remedies to restore the color of your clothes.

Table of Contents

Restore color with dye

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Determines whether the garment fabric is “receiving” the dye. Fabric dyes are most effective on natural fabrics such as cotton, linen and silk. Synthetic fabrics such as nylon and Rayon can also be dyed. There are some fabrics that don’t “receive” the dye such as 100% ppyester and Spandex fabrics. Avoid dyeing these fabrics.

Recommendation: Do not color clothes that are labeled “dry cleaning only”.
Different fabrics will absorb different dyes and the results will not be the same. If you are not sure when to dye a certain garment, you should try it first. ^{[1] X Research Source}

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Prepare the stained area. Cover the entire stained area with plastic or newspaper before starting. Be sure to have a sponge and paper towel ready to wipe it off if the dye spills out. Use plastic buckets, stainless steel buckets or stainless steel pots to mix dyes.

Do not use porcelain or fiberglass baths during the dyeing process as these materials will stain.
Rubber gloves should be worn during dyeing and washing. ^{[2] X Research Source}

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Pour very hot water into a bucket or stainless steel basin. ^{[3] X Research Source} The hotter the water, the darker the dye. Hot water reaching 60 degrees Celsius is the maximum temperature that can be used and produces the darkest black color. The amount of hot water must be enough to cover the clothes. ^{[4] X Research Sources}

If you want the darkest black but the tap water isn’t hot enough, you can use a stove, electric kettle, or microwave to heat the water.

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Dissolve the dye powder in very hot water in a separate container. Make sure to dissolve completely and use a chopstick or other hand tool that you don’t mind getting dirty to stir the mixture until the dye is evenly mixed. If using liquid dye, simply shake it well before pouring it into the bucket.

Check the dye packaging to make sure that enough dye is used for the amount of clothing to be dyed. The amount of dye needed will vary from product to product, so you need to refer to the packaging and measure the correct amount.

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Pour the mixture into the dye bath (bucket or basin). Make sure the mixture is evenly dissolved in the hot water. The amount of water should be enough so that you can easily stir the clothes in the dye bath. This way the clothes will be dyed evenly. ^{[5] X Research Sources}

Add 1 tablespoon of soapy water to the dye bath. This step stimulates the dyeing process. Make sure to mix the laundry soap into the dye bath until it dissolves evenly.
When dyeing cotton, Rayon, Ramie or linen fabrics, add 1 cup of table salt to the dye bath. This helps to increase the depth of the black.
When dyeing nylon, silk or wool fabrics, add 1 tablespoon of white vinegar to the dye bath to increase the intensity of the black. ^{[6] X Research Sources}

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Soak the clothes in the dye bath. The longer the soak, the darker the color of the clothes. Clothes need to be soaked in the tub for up to 1 hour. You need to constantly turn and agitate the garment during the soaking process.

Keep the hot water temperature constant if possible. Use a stove, microwave or electric kettle nearby to heat the water and pour more into the dye bath.
Another option is to use a large stainless steel pot to cook the dye water and keep the pot of water hot continuously over the fire ^{[7] X Research Source}
If you soak your clothes in hot (non-dyed) water for a few minutes before putting them in the dye bath, the clothes will flatten and soak up the dye more easily. ^{[8] X Research Sources}

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Take the clothes out of the sink and rinse them with warm water first. Warm water helps to remove the dye from the fabric surface more effectively. After rinsing with warm water, rinse with cold water. Continue rinsing until the water that comes out is no longer colored.

When removed from the dye bath, the garment will be wet and look darker than the final result.
Turn the clothes inside out and put them in the washing machine. ^{[9] X Research Source} Wash separately with warm water and mild detergent. Use a gentle wash.

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Air dry or tumble dry. You can use either method, but clothes that are air-dried will stay black, so drying is a better option. When the clothes are dry, they can be worn.

In the first 3 times of washing newly dyed clothes, you should wash them separately in cold water and gentle cycle with mild detergent, do not bleach.
You can then wash the dyed clothes with other undyed clothes of the same color, but be sure to always wash them in cold water and use a mild detergent. ^{[10] X Research Source}

Restore color with coffee

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Put the clothes in the washing machine. If you’re dyeing more than one garment, make sure they’re all the same color. Start with normal wash with cold water.

This method works best for cotton clothing, such as faded black t-shirts. For other fabrics, the effect is not as high.
If you want to restore the color of your clothes to a very deep black, coffee is less effective than black fabric dye. Coffee will only bring out a more natural black color.

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Brew a pot of very strong black coffee. The darker the coffee, the darker the black, so you need to be careful when making coffee. It requires 2 cups of coffee, so you can use a full-sized coffee maker, not a single-cup or small-sized machine.

If you like, you can use 2 cups of black tea instead of coffee and still have the same effect.
It doesn’t matter how it is brewed, as long as the coffee is fresh and dark in color. If you like to drink instant coffee, you can feel free to use this one. It is not required to make coffee with a machine.

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Pour 2 cups of freshly brewed coffee into the washing machine when the wash cycle begins. ^{[11] X Research Source} Close the lid of the washing machine and let the coffee and the washing machine do the work. Wait for the wash cycle to finish as usual.

If you’ve ever used a commercially available fabric dye to dye your clothes, you’ll find that this method smells a lot better during and after the dyeing process.
The coffee method is also non-toxic and you don’t have to worry about the coffee staining the washing machine drum.

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Dry clothes. Machine-dried clothes can become discolored, so you should always air dry black clothes after washing them to preserve their color. Dry clothes can be worn immediately.

Prevent fading of clothes

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Only wash black clothes when necessary. Clothes will fade a little with each wash, so the less you wash, the better. This is especially true for the most easily discolored denim.

To limit washing colored clothes, you should take off your clothes and let them dry naturally after wearing instead of washing them. Hang clothes on hangers and dry separately for about a day before putting them in the closet.
After wearing the clothes and letting it dry naturally 2-3 times, you can wash it.

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Sort clothes by color and weight before washing. Always wash black clothes together, or the color will spread and stain light clothes being washed together. In addition, you should also sort clothes by fabric and weight.

If washed with one made of thick fabrics, thin clothes may be damaged, and thick clothes will not be clean enough. ^{[12] X Trusted Source Consumer Reports Go to Source}

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Hand wash for delicate clothes and easily damaged fabrics. The washing machine’s spin is too strong for thin clothes. Thin clothes should be hand washed in cold water to preserve color and prevent damage.

If you really want to avoid washing your clothes by hand, you’re better off using a small mesh bag to store delicate clothes. Put thin clothes in a mesh bag before putting them in the washing machine. This will help reduce damage to delicate clothing.
If you’re not sure how to wash a particular piece of clothing, it’s a good idea to have it dry cleaned.

Steps

Restore color with dye

Restore color with coffee

Prevent fading of clothes

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