How To Set Tie Dye Color

Necktie-dye is a fun way to limited your creativity and have some fun. And if yous're like about people, you want your tie-dye t-shirts to stay bright and vibrant for years to come. In this web log mail service, I'll teach you how to set tie-dye the correct way so that it doesn't fade in the wash. I'll also share some helpful tips and tricks that I've learned over the years so that you get the all-time results.

Summertime is the perfect time to acquire how to tie-dye and have some fun! And after spending all that fourth dimension perfecting your tie-dye folding patterns, you'll desire your tie-dye shirts to stay bright, assuming, and beautiful.

How to Go on Tie Dye From Fading

The primal to getting vibrant colors is setting the dye properly. If you don't set the dye correctly, your colors will fade over time, and your shirt will look former and tired.

And then, how practise you prepare necktie-dye?

Spoiler alert: vinegar is not the answer! Some people recommend setting tie-dye with white vinegar or salt to keep colors bright, simply that'southward merely not necessary.

To help you get the best results, I've put together a few tips on how to make sure your tie-dye looks smashing wash afterwards wash.

Choose the correct fabric dye
Cull the right material
Follow the proper process
Let the necktie-dye set long enough
Rinse and wash the dyed items correctly

Read on to learn the best ways to set tie-dye and proceed your shirts looking vibrant for years to come!

Choose the Right Type of Dye

The most of import thing y'all can practice to brand certain your tie-dye doesn't fade is to select high-quality dyes that won't launder out and fade over time.

The best type of tie-dye to use on cotton wool fabric is fiber reactive dye. Cobweb-reactive dyes react with cotton and other plant fibers to form a permanent chemical bail.

If you employ them correctly, fiber-reactive dyes are permanent – they won't fade, even after repeated washings. In general, if you lot are using quality cobweb reactive dyes for your projects, they will remain bright and cute, and y'all shouldn't have a problem with fading.

Best Types of Fiber Reactive Dyes

Here are the types of fiber-reactive dyes that I recommend.

Procion MX dyes. This is the about popular type of dye for tie-dye enthusiasts and professionals. Procion MX dyes are colorfast, non-toxic, and very easy to use. Plus, they come in a huge range of colors. You lot tin find Procion dye kits from suppliers like Jacquard or Dharma Trading Co.

Note: When y'all're working with Procion MX dyes, you'll need to pre-soak your fabric in a soda ash solution before dying.

Tulip One-Stride dyes. These tie-dye kits are super piece of cake to employ, so they're an splendid choice for the occasional necktie-dyer, younger kids, and necktie-dye parties. The Tulip dyes are formulated with soda ash already in the dye powder, so all you accept to do is add together h2o, milk shake and utilise. This eliminates the demand to pre-soak fabrics in a soda ash solution.

Don't use all-purpose dyes.

If y'all want bright, vibrant cotton fiber shirts that won't fade in the wash, you lot should ever use cobweb-reactive dyes rather than all-purpose dyes.

All-purpose dyes, such as Rit and other brands, do not work on cotton or other cellulose fibers at room temperature.

The common cold-water, squirt-bottle necktie-dye technique only works with fiber-reactive dyes. If you try it with all-purpose dyes, the colors volition pale and wash out over fourth dimension.

Choose the Correct Fabric

The second most important footstep to getting bright tie-dye that won't fade is using the right fabric.

For example, the best type of fabric to apply with cobweb-reactive dye is 100% cotton or other cellulose cobweb like rayon, linen, Tencel, or hemp. If you can't notice 100% cotton, expect for at least a 70% cotton blend.

You can attempt using a fifty% cotton fiber 50% polyester alloy, but the colors will be much paler. (It will give you a nice pastel tie-dye look, though, if that's what you're going for!)

Constructed fibers like polyester crave a different type of dye birthday. If y'all try to tie-dye 100% synthetic fiber with fiber-reactive dyes, you lot won't become skilful results.

photo collage showing the steps to fold a white t-shirt into a rainbow spiral design

Follow the Tie Dye Process

Hither's a quick guide to tie-dying a t-shirt so that the colors stay bright and don't fade. For consummate instructions, read this pace-past-step guide to tie-dye. And after that, you'll desire to check out this list of 17 means to fold necktie-dye.

Instructions

Hither is how to tie-dye cotton fabric with fiber-reactive dyes (and optional soda ash pre-wash):

Prewash your textile.
Wearing eye protection and a mask, gear up a soda ash solution of 1 cup soda ash in ane gallon of warm water. Pre-soak your cloth in a soda ash solution for at least 15 minutes.
Wearing safety gloves, wring out the material until it's just clammy. Tie or bind the material as desired.
Fix the dye as instructed on the packet. Apply the dye every bit desired.
Place the dyed fabric in a plastic bag, or wrap it in plastic wrap to go on it from drying out. Permit the cloth set in a warm room for at least 8 hours or overnight.
Remove the fabric from the plastic, and remove the rubber bands or ties. Rinse the fabric in cold water several times until the water runs clear.
Launder the dyed fabric in hot water in your washing automobile with Synthrapol or another laundry detergent, and hang dry out.

Recall: You lot simply need to use the soda-ash presoak if you're using the Procion MX dyes. If y'all're using the Tulip kits, you don't need to practise the presoak.

Allow's talk nearly a few of these steps in a little more particular – especially how to set the tie-dye to prevent the dye from fading.

How to Set Tie Dye

In one case you take finished applying the dye, you need to permit it set, or "process." The dye needs three things to react with the material and create a permanent chemical bail: time, h2o, and heat.

How long does necktie-dye need to sit?

Let the dye set up on the fabric for a few hours – at to the lowest degree 8 hours, but preferably overnight. Longer setting times will outcome in brighter, stronger colors. The amount of time required will depend on the ambient temperature.

How to speed up the setting procedure?

Allow the tie-dye fabric set at temperatures over 70°F (21°C) for the best results. The dye reaction takes longer at cooler temperatures. So if your room is too cold and you lot don't expect long enough, you may become stake, faded colors.

How to keep the dye from drying out?

For the reaction to take place, the material must stay wet. To keep the textile from drying out, yous can place information technology in a nada-top plastic bag or wrap information technology in plastic wrap. (I always put my wrapped shirts in a bucket, merely in case they drip or leak.)

Some Color Rinsing Out is Normal

Even if yous're using high-quality dyes, y'all might run into some dye rinsing out of your tie-dyed fabrics for the beginning couple washes. This is normal. Most dyes need at least i long rinse in absurd h2o (without detergent) followed by ii washes in hot h2o (with detergent) to remove excess dye. This is just the extra dye leaving the cloth.

The Correct Way to Launder Tie Dye

After you rinse the tie-dyed garment in cool water, you lot can run it through a wash bike in your washing motorcar. It's a good idea to utilise a special detergent, called Synthrapol, to launder out excess dye and prevent the dye colors from mixing. (Synthrapol doesn't help prepare the dye – information technology merely helps launder out the extra dye.)

You may need to launder the necktie-dyed garments separately for the first few washes. But later on that, you'll be safe to wash them with your regular laundry.

Using Commercial Dye Fixative

In most cases, following the instructions above should be enough to set the tie-dye, keep it colorfast, and prevent it from fading in the wash.

That said, some commercial dye fixatives tin be used to set tie-dye. Retayne is a unremarkably used dye fixative that volition prevent color bleeding during washing. Y'all can detect Retayne in stores similar Dharma Trading Visitor. Make sure to follow the instructions on the bundle.

close up photo of a rainbow crumpled tie dye fabric

Other Tricks to Set Tie Dye

You may have seen some other ideas about setting necktie-dye with vinegar, baking soda, or salt. Allow's talk nearly them.

Does vinegar help set tie-dye?

No, vinegar will not assist to gear up cobweb-reactive dye on cotton fabric. Nor will not make the dye more resistant to fading.

Contrary to pop conventionalities, you do non need vinegar to prepare tie-dye on cotton. Unless your necktie-dye kit specifically tells you to apply vinegar, you lot don't need information technology.

Note: Vinegar tin can aid fix some acid dyes on animate being fibers like silk or wool – but information technology's not necessary to fix dye on cotton fabrics.

Does salt aid set necktie-dye?

No, washing necktie-dyed items with table table salt will not help the dye set better. Salt is non a dye fixative and won't brand the dye more permanent or colorfast.

What about baking soda?

Baking soda is sometimes recommended as a substitute for soda ash; however, its effects are much weaker.

What will actually help set the tie-dye?

The best way to set tie-dye is to let it process in a warm, moist surround for eight-24 hours.

The Best Mode to Keep Necktie Dye From Fading

And then, what practise you demand to preclude dye from fading? Let'due south sum upwardly.

Starting time, make sure to apply the right blazon of necktie-dye for your fabric. To do the cold-water, squirt-canteen style tie-dye, you'll desire to use fiber-reactive dyes similar Tulip or Procion MX dyes.
2d, use the right kind of fabric. For the brightest, nigh vibrant results, apply cotton cloth.
Then, follow the right necktie-dye process. Read the dye instructions to know if you demand to pre-soak the cloth in a soda ash solution.
Next, 50et the tie-dye set long enough! Keep your tied-dyed material wet and warm for at least eight hours – or up to 24 hours – for the strongest colors.
Finally, rinse and wash the dyed items correctly. Some dye rinsing out is expected – but if you follow the steps, y'all should still become a colorfast result.

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pin image for how to set tie dye with a background of a rainbow spiral tie dye shirt

Sarah Stearns has helped thousands of makers notice their next craft project with free patterns and step-past-step tutorials on her weblog, sarahmaker.com. Read more.

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