Grey – similar to beige, grey will neutrally offset any overdye color. Depending on the shade of grey you start with and the end result you’re after, this can look great with nearly any dye color. Pay attention to the type of pattern your fabric has before you decide whether it’s a good candidate for overdyeing. Printed fabrics – things like floral sheets or polka-dot dresses, are usually printed (or yarn-dyed) using a pigment dye that absorbs into the fabric. When you overdye this fabric, each existing, original color will mix with the overdye. For example, if your original fabric is pink with yellow flowers that have green leaves and you add it to a red dye bath – the fabric will become red (or reddish pink) with orange flowers and muddy brownish leaves. This may or may not be the result you’re going for, so think about how the dye will mix with each individual color before you commit to overdyeing. First, you’ll want to pay attention to fiber content. A cotton shirt that is made using a polyester thread will result in dye being absorbed differently. It’s likely that the polyester thread will retain the original color while the fabric itself absorbs the dye. Hoodies and t-shirts often have prints on them (we discussed this in the patterned fabric section above) so it’s best to test in an inconspicuous area to determine how the fabric, print, and dye is likely to interact. Usually, 1 pound of fabric requires 2/3 oz. bottle fabric dyes for cotton. The shade and depth of the color depend completely up to you, as these are results of the amount of pigments taken and the dyeing method, respectively. However, using twice the pigment suggested for the deepest, richest results. Just get the fabric alongside with other ingredients and boom! Excellent solid color with the vibrant long-lasting effect will definitely charm you. It’s very user friendly, although some of the users recommend reading the manual thoroughly beforehand to avoid any unexpected result.

If you haven't so much as thought about dipping your hands into a pot of dye since those Camp Mataponi art classes, not to worry—I tapped a real-life dye expertJohn Breining of NYC's Metro Dyeing to share his tips on how to dye clothes. How to dye your own clothes Create a paste of cold water and bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) and cover the area with the mixture. This technique is a great way to neutralise the bleach since baking soda is closer to PH 7 (neutral) and won’t react with the bleach. Don’t be surprised if you still see a stain when you brush off the dried mixture. With the dried, neutralised stain and no more excess bleach, you can start working to remove the stain entirely. Gloves and an apron are essential for protecting your hands and the clothes you're wearing. If you have a tie dye project in mind, make sure you have plenty of rubber bands, and cover your chosen work surface with a plastic drop sheet in case there are any spills!

Moreover, the dyeing procedure is very simple. Put the laundry to be dyed dry in the washing machine. Then place the cut bag with the fixing salt and the opened bottle with the paint on the laundry and start the washer at 40 degrees Celsius. It’s easy enough to understand that a red shirt in a blue dye bath will result in a purple shirt, but what happens if you’re not starting with a primary color, or when there’s not a clear mix available? Unfortunately, there’s no magical overdye color that will help you turn a pair of dark brown pants neon yellow. In general, overdyeing only allows you to go darker, not lighter, and you’re always going to be limited by the color of the garment or fabric you’re starting with. If you’re set on a lighter color, you can always pre-treat your fabric or garment with bleach to lighten it, but do keep in mind that bleach can damage fabric in large quantities so always test a swatch first! Always wash and rinse everything thoroughly with neutral soap to allow the dye to attach easily," advises Dye. "New fabrics are often treated with chemicals to protect against damage; even used fabrics can have traces of conditioner or dry cleaning chemicals which resist dyes. Dyeing is like decorating," she adds. "Preparing the surface to start with is tedious but well worth it for beautiful and long-lasting results." For dyestuffs, begin at home – with food waste. "Avocado skins and stones for pinks; used tea bags and coffee grinds for yellows; squash pumpkin skins for orange," says Behan. Use copper to give your end result a greenish tint. Make a copper bath with a few old pennies (from before 1982) in boiling water, or buy copper sulfate online. Copper is toxic to consume, so don't use a pot that you use for cooking and work in a well-ventilated area.

You might get disturbing noise from the machine as the plastic container hits the machine walls continuously. But it’s no harm to the coloring process. Fastness to different surrounding conditions could be a major fact while choosing best fabric dye because it’s very crucial where, when, and how you are using the dyed material as long as intensity and durability matters. As the pot can’t be further used for cooking, you can use boiled water placed in a plastic container. Some users also tried washers and wasn’t a bad outcome.

Conclusion

Remember, depending on what item of clothing you are dyeing and its current colour, you may need more than one box of dye. Thinking about fastness properties? Thanks to the manufacturers! The fiber-dye covalent bonds will provide outstanding color and wash fastness to dyed garments. You may require around 20g of dye to color 1lb of dry fabric.

You would like to use this dye to revitalize shabby dresses like a swimsuit, legging, scarf, cardigan, blouse, etc., or dye slow color changing yarn or want to have a different color while they are still new. In natural dyeing, Overdyeing is used to create colors with dyes that might interact badly with each other if they were mixed directly, and it’s also used to update colors that fade over time. Is it easy to overdye fabric and clothes? The ease of application of a particular dye largely depends on its properties; whether it is water-soluble or not, does it sublime during dyeing, what chemical assistants it requires, available forms and shades, and many more facts. If it involves the use of any harmful chemicals, we may have to avoid it. Substances that contain phenols and formaldehyde are often categorized as harmful chemicals since these are carcinogenic. Being a cold brand dye, these fiber reactive dyes enables different dyeing techniques like, ice dyeing, tub, and low water immersion dyeing, printing, etc. If you work according to the dyeing manual and exact the dye application, you are rewarded most of the time.

Complexities may arise while fabric dyeing using different pigments, fabrics, and techniques. Nowadays, people like it swift and without any hurdle. So, it’s pretty much a challenge for the good fabric dye manufacturers to shape them as much user-friendly as possible. For about 15 min, let the fabric be submerged. Then, stir usually for another 45 min before rinsing in cold water. You may run after washing in hot water. That’s it; your garment is now ready to be dried.