How to Dye Clothes

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: March 5, 2023 References

Transform an old clothing garment by dyeing it a bright, new hue. Choose an old, worn-in fabric with natural fibers and breathe new life into it with plant-based or store-bought dyes. White and light colors are easiest to dye, but you can also bleach colored fabrics and re-dye them. Using store-bought dyes is a quick and DIY project that can refresh your wardrobe in a few hours. While more labor-intensive, making your own plant-based dyes can also be a rewarding project and can create natural-looking colors.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Dyeing Clothes in the Washing Machine

1
Wash your clothes before dyeing them. Follow any instructions for pre-washing that come with your dye. Usually, you will need to put the clothes through the washing machine on a warm, gentle cycle using mild detergent.^{[1]
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- Make sure that all stains are removed before proceeding.
- You do not need to dry your clothes after washing them. They actually need to be wet for the dyeing process.
2
Fill your washing machine with hot water. Use the hottest water possible, as long as it is safe to use with the type of fabric you are dyeing. Set the washing machine to fill with enough water for a small load.^{[2]
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- If you fill the machine all the way, you will dilute the dye too much and end up with a faded garment.
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3
Pour the dye into the water as the washing machine fills. Do not add the clothes yet. By adding the dye to the machine as it fills with water, you do not need to stir it. The rapid flow of water into the basin will stir the dye in.^{[3]
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- Follow package instructions for how much dye to use. You will usually use a full package of powder dye or half a bottle of liquid dye.
4
Add a fixative to the dye bath. If you are dyeing cotton or linen, add 1 cup (273 g) of salt to the bath. If you are dyeing silk or nylon, add 1 cup (200 mL) of white vinegar to the bath.^{[4]
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- The fixative will help the dye adhere to the fibers.
5
Add your clothes to the washing machine and set it to a 30-minute cycle. Once your washing machine has finished filling, add your clothes. Reset the washing cycle so that it takes a full 30 minutes to complete. Set the machine to a longer cycle if you want to produce a stronger color.^{[5]
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Tip: The clothes should be wet before you add them to the washing machine dye bath. Otherwise, the color will not set correctly.
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Put the washing machine through another rinse cycle using warm water. Let the clothes go through a full rinse cycle in your washing machine to strain out some of the excess dye. Warm water will draw out the excess dye more readily than cold water.^{[6]
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7
Wash the clothes with detergent in a normal cycle. Wash the clothes in a normal cycle with cold water and mild detergent. The cold water will set the dye. Meanwhile, this wash cycle will clean the clothes after they have soaked in the dye bath and fixative.^{[7]
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- Do not wash any other clothes with the dyed garments.
- Dry the clothes in a dryer or by hanging them on a drying rack.
8
Run your empty machine through another wash cycle. After you remove your dyed clothes from the washing machine, run your machine through another wash cycle to rinse out any excess dye and prepare it for your next load of laundry.^{[8]
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- For best results, use hot water and 1 cup (250 ml) of bleach.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Using Store-Bought Dyes on the Stovetop

1
Cover your workspace and wear rubber gloves and old clothes. Dyeing fabric can be messy business, and dyes can stain fabrics and surfaces other than the ones you want them to. To make the clean-up easier, cover your workspace with a plastic drop cloth or several layers of newspaper. Protect your skin from any harmful materials or stains by wearing gloves. Wear old clothes you don't mind staining.
- Keep sponges and paper towels nearby in case any dye spills as you work
2
Simmer a large stockpot full of water over medium heat. Fill a large stockpot three-quarters full with water. Make sure this is enough water to completely submerge your clothes. If not, you will have to work in batches. Bring the water to a simmer over medium heat.^{[9]
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Tip: Use a 2-gallon (8-L) stockpot for the best results.
3
Add a fixative of salt or white vinegar to the simmering water. Add the fixative directly to the dye bath. Use the right kind of fixative based on the type of fabric you are dyeing:^{[10]
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- For natural fibers, like cotton and silk, add 1 cup (273 g) of salt to the water as it comes to a boil.
- For synthetic fibers, like nylon, add 1 cup (250 mL) of white vinegar to the water.
4
Add the dye solution to the water. Stir the dye into the water until it is evenly dispersed. Follow the instructions provided on the package to determine the correct amount of dye to use. This differs based on whether you are using granular dye or liquid dye:^{[11]
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- If you are using a box of powder dye, you will usually pour the entire package into the simmering water.
- If you are using liquid dye, you will usually use half of the bottle.
5
Sink your item of clothing completely into the dye. Drop the clothing item into the dye bath until the entire garment is covered. Use a mixing spoon to press the fabric completely beneath the surface.
- Mix the garment around in the pot to make sure all the nooks and crannies get soaked by the dye.
6
Let the clothes simmer in the dye bath. Once the dye bath reaches a boil, reduce the heat to low and let it simmer for up to 1 hour. Keep the water at a low simmer.^{[12]
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- Stir the garment periodically to ensure even dyeing.
- Do not cover the stockpot.
7
Rinse the clothing in hot running water and wring out the clothes. Carefully remove the clothes from the hot dye bath using 2 spoons and lift it into a metal sink. Run hot water over your garment, gradually decreasing the temperature until the water is very cold and runs clear. Squeeze out any excess dye and water with your hands.
- Empty your dye bath in a metal sink to dispose of it.
- A lot of dye will come out as you rinse the fabric. This is normal.
- Using cold water at the end sets the dye in the fabric.
8
Hang the clothes out to air dry completely. Hang the clothes on a clothing line or drying rack until they are completely dry. Place an old towel or rag beneath the clothing to catch any dripping dye as the item dries.
- Do not dry in a drying machine.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Dyeing Clothes Naturally

1
Cover your workspace with newspaper or a drop cloth. Natural dyes can stain your clothes and work surfaces just as much as chemical dyes. Make cleanup easier and avoid stains by covering your workspace.
- Wear clothes you don't mind getting dirty or put on a smock.
2
Scour the clothes you want to dye using detergent or soda ash. For protein-based fibers, like cashmere, wool, and silk, soak the garment in mild dishwashing detergent and warm water (cool water for wool). For cellulose-based fibers like cotton, linen, and hemp, soak the garment in soda ash and warm water. Soak the clothes for at least 1-2 hours, or up to 4 hours. Keep them on the stove over a low heat.^{[13]
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- You can make soda ash by putting baking soda in the oven at 200 °F (93 °C) for 1 hour.
Note: Exact ratios aren't important, as long as the fabric isn't crowded in the water and there is enough soap or soda ash to clean it.
3
Soak the clothes in a mordant for 20 minutes. A mordant is a mixture of a mineral and water that allows the dye to adhere to the fibers. Soak the clothes for about 20 minutes in a stockpot full of water and mordant at a low simmer, then turn off the heat and allow the clothes and water to cool. Use different mordants depending on the result you want:^{[14]
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- Alum is the most readily available mordant. You can find it in some supermarkets, craft stores, or online. Use ¹⁄₄ pound (0.11 kg) of alum in a warm water bath for every 1 pound (0.45 kg) of material you want to dye. Using too much alum can make the fibers sticky.
- Iron is an effective mordant but will darken the end result with a brownish tint. Use iron for earth tone results. To create an iron bath, boil a few old nails in a large pot of water.
- 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.
- Use a small amount of tin for clear, color-fast results. Use a very small amount, and as with copper, don't use a pot that you will make food in and work in a well-ventilated area.
4
Let the clothes soak in a fixative for 1 hour. Dye fixatives allow your clothes to absorb the dye more readily and prevent the dye from washing out later. The best type of fixative will depend on the type of dye you are using:^{[15]
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- When dyeing with berries, prepare a salt fixative. Combine 1/2 cup (136.5 g) of salt with 8 cups (2 L) of cold water.
- When making dye from other plants, prepare a vinegar fixative. Combine 1 part white vinegar with 4 parts cold water.
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Rinse the clothes in cool water before dyeing them. Rinse out the excess fixative and mordant by placing the clothes under cool running water. Rinse until the water runs clear.^{[16]
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- Your clothes need to be wet in order to dye, so they can go straight from rinsing into a dye bath.
6
Gather ripe plant materials to make natural dyes. To get the best colors, fruit needs to be fully ripe, nuts need to be mature, flowers should be in full bloom and near the end of their life cycle. Seeds, leaves, and stems can be harvested as soon as they grow in. Combine materials to make a stronger color, or a mixed color:^{[17]
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- Create orange dye with onion skin, carrot roots, butternut seed husks, or gold lichen.
- Create brown dye using dandelion roots, oak bark, walnut husks and hulls, tea bags, coffee, acorns, or goldenrod shoots.
- Make pink dye using strawberries, cherries, red raspberries, or grand fir bark.
- Create blue-purple dye with dogwood bark, red cabbage, lavender elderberries, purple mulberries, cornflower petals, blueberries, purple grapes, or purple iris.
- Make a red-brown dye using elderberries, red onion skin, pomegranates, beets, bamboo, or dried hibiscus flowers.
- Form a gray to black dye using blackberries, walnut hulls, oak galls, or butternut hulls.
- Make a red-purple dye with daylilies, huckleberries, or basil.
- Go for a green dye by using artichokes, sorrel roots, spinach leaves, Black-eyed Susans, snapdragons, lilac flowers, grass, or yarrow flowers.
- Make yellow dye using bay leaves, alfalfa seeds, marigold blossoms, St. John's Wort, dandelion flowers, daffodil flower heads, paprika, or turmeric.
7
Cut the plant material and put it in a large stockpot with water. Cut the plant material into small pieces using a kitchen knife. Transfer it to a large stockpot. For every 1 part plant material, use 2 parts water.^{[18]
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- The stockpot should be about twice as large as the clothes you plan to dye. You may have to work in batches if you plan to dye a lot of clothes.
8
Let the plant material simmer for at least 1 hour or overnight. The stockpot should be full of enough water to completely submerge the clothes you want to dye. To create the strongest dye, leave the plant material in the water overnight without heat. Or, leave the mixture simmering for 1-4 hours while you keep an eye on it.^{[19]
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- The longer you leave the mixture simmering, the stronger the dye will be.
9
Strain the plant material out of the dye. Pour the mixture through a colander to remove the plant material from the liquid. Transfer the liquid back into your dyeing stockpot.^{[20]
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10
Simmer the clothes in the dye for 1-8 hours. Place your wet clothes in the dye bath and simmer them over medium heat until the desired color is achieved. Stir the clothes occasionally to dye them evenly. Remember that the clothes will dry lighter than the color you see in the bath.^{[21]
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- At minimum, you will need to let the clothes sit in the dye bath for 1 hour. This will result in a light dye.
- For a rich shade, let the clothes sit in the dye bath 8 hours or overnight.
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Rinse dyed fabric in cold water. To get rid of excess dye, rinse the clothes in cold water. Rinse them until the water runs clear.^{[22]
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- Dry your clothes using a dryer or by drying them in the sun.

Community Q&A

Question

Can I use coffee to dye clothes?

Community Answer

Yes, but you must leave the clothes in for a little bit. Start by bleaching the garment fully white, and then keep it submerged for an hour. Take it out and see if you're satisfied with the color.
Question

How do I dye a beige linen dress black?

Community Answer

You should be able to use regular black fabric dye. The only thing to worry about would be if it has a zipper or accents like buttons, as they will likely not dye. (Or they might only partially stain and look odd, but that's less likely, depending on the materials they're made of.) If you're looking for natural options, you might try walnuts, iris roots, or carob pods. Do a little research on Google to find the proper technique for using these.
Question

If my cotton is a light pumpkin color and I want it to be dull light tan, what color dye should I use?

Community Answer

Try to find a dye powder that best matches your ideal shade. You may have to use a darker tan to completely override the orange color. If nothing else works, you could completely bleach the shirt and then use tan dye powder.

Warnings

When using chemical dyes, check the package for specific instructions and allergy information. Chemical dyes are usually safe, but some can contain elements that pose a slight allergy risk that you should be aware of.^{[23]
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