how do you dye clothes?

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i have a black shirt that isn't black enough any more. is it easy?

Tracer Hand, Thursday, 17 May 2007 12:01 (nineteen years ago)

Get some black dye, follow instructions. Usually involves a big pot full of hot water simmering on the stove. Easy.

marianna lcl, Thursday, 17 May 2007 12:03 (nineteen years ago)

will i have to be extra careful about washing it, afterwards?

Tracer Hand, Thursday, 17 May 2007 12:05 (nineteen years ago)

I was terrified you were going to dye your purple leather trousers.

(Watch out with black dye, though, it can turn things a fugly shade of purple if you don't leave it in long enough.)

Masonic Boom, Thursday, 17 May 2007 12:05 (nineteen years ago)

i would guess that dying leather is a lot trickier for the home practitioner. but yeah i have no desire to dye my fabulous leather trousers.

Tracer Hand, Thursday, 17 May 2007 12:07 (nineteen years ago)

Kate's right.

And yeah, you should be careful about washing it afterwards, as in only wash it with other black coloured items. But it should be 'business as usual' after a couple of cycles.

marianna lcl, Thursday, 17 May 2007 12:08 (nineteen years ago)

Marianna OTM - but the first couple of washes try washing in cold water, which helps to fix the dye as well.

I tried to dye a pair of leather boots once! I got them from ugly tan to chocolate brown but they never did go true black.

Masonic Boom, Thursday, 17 May 2007 12:10 (nineteen years ago)

ah, "fixing" the dye, see this is the stuff i need to know.

i also have some white t-shirts that i would like to turn into red t-shirts. i don't want them to be some weak-ass red, though, i want them to be full on, deep, brilliant red. like #FF0000 kind of red. should i do two "coats"?

Tracer Hand, Thursday, 17 May 2007 12:11 (nineteen years ago)

It's easiest to dye things in the washing machine - empty the dye packet into the drum (do not allow it to get onto your fingers or they will be stained for ever!), add a load of table salt (which is what "fixes" the dye), put in damp clean clothes, and run a wash cycle. It works perfectly.

Afterwards, run a hot wash cycle on the washing machine with no clothes in it, just to make sure all the dye has been flushed out of it.

C J, Thursday, 17 May 2007 12:12 (nineteen years ago)

I prefer a nice #CC0000

onimo, Thursday, 17 May 2007 12:14 (nineteen years ago)

We beetroots and piss, maaan

Ed, Thursday, 17 May 2007 12:15 (nineteen years ago)

And we thought it was just your hair that smelled funny, Ed! ;-P

Masonic Boom, Thursday, 17 May 2007 12:16 (nineteen years ago)

wait, wait, tracer hand has purple leather trousers now?!?

the schef (adam schefter ha ha), Thursday, 17 May 2007 14:52 (nineteen years ago)

a lots changed recently

696, Thursday, 17 May 2007 14:54 (nineteen years ago)

i mean, i want no part of this, but i dont think its fair to ask me to keep quiet about things either

696, Thursday, 17 May 2007 14:55 (nineteen years ago)

You may mock, but The Hand is a style icon. Just you watch, Gareth, in a few months you'll be turning up all "ooh, look at my lovely leather trousers!" Except you'll have them in brown, natch.

Masonic Boom, Thursday, 17 May 2007 14:56 (nineteen years ago)

I love the describing of colors with hexadecimals.

Ms Misery, Thursday, 17 May 2007 14:57 (nineteen years ago)

I've used Dylon machine dye successfully a few times. It's pretty foolproof if you're dying cotton.

Madchen, Thursday, 17 May 2007 15:06 (nineteen years ago)


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