Dyeing Fabric in washing machine

soontobeskalak · November 2011

Hi crafty ladies,

I need to die a pair of pants (black) and I want to do it in the washing machine. Can you give me any tips or advise. Also I am worried about turning the inside of the machine black....seeing as it is not my machine (live in an apartment)

TIA!

cmeon_the_water · November 2011

What material are the pants made of, and have you already purchased dye? Communal washing machine- or a private one in your apartment? What is the current color of the pants?

soontobeskalak · November 2011

cmeon_the_water:
What material are the pants made of, and have you already purchased dye? Communal washing machine- or a private one in your apartment? What is the current color of the pants?

The pants are Polyester and Rayon, they are the 1 and only pair of maternity pants that I have right now and when I washed them the 2nd time they faded really badly. I already have Rit Dye and it will be in a private machine. The pants are black, just need to be re-done.

adhdfashion · November 2011

You can dye them in a big pan on the stove. Stainless steel pot and giant plastic spoon.

cmeon_the_water · November 2011

soontobeskalak:
cmeon_the_water:
What material are the pants made of, and have you already purchased dye? Communal washing machine- or a private one in your apartment? What is the current color of the pants?

The pants are Polyester and Rayon, they are the 1 and only pair of maternity pants that I have right now and when I washed them the 2nd time they faded really badly. I already have Rit Dye and it will be in a private machine. The pants are black, just need to be re-done.

Bad news- polyester is a b!tch and a half to dye well at home. RIT won't touch fabric that has a high poly count- and the washing machine method will be a joke with high poly fabric, anyway.

The rayon will accept dye beautifully. RIT would be about my last choice for it- but, it will get the job done if there's a high rayon count to the fabric, and nothing goes wacky with the un-dyeable poly portion of the fabric. I would still go with a stove-top method, though.

So, there you have it- sorry I didn't have happier news! You're welcome to ignore me and flush the dye down the drain by sticking them in the washing machine- it shouldn't have any effect on the machine if you follow the directions, run a clean-up cycle and wipe up spills- but, do be sure to use a fixative on the pants afterward. And to be safe, only wash them with like colors, because RIT leaches dye for cycle after cycle.

Did you buy your pants from somewhere decent (not that evil Motherhood chain) that will honor a return on them for fading after the first wash? I guess that would be MY recommendation.

soontobeskalak · November 2011

cmeon_the_water:
soontobeskalak:

cmeon_the_water:
What material are the pants made of, and have you already purchased dye? Communal washing machine- or a private one in your apartment? What is the current color of the pants?

The pants are Polyester and Rayon, they are the 1 and only pair of maternity pants that I have right now and when I washed them the 2nd time they faded really badly. I already have Rit Dye and it will be in a private machine. The pants are black, just need to be re-done.

Bad news- polyester is a b!tch and a half to dye well at home. RIT won't touch fabric that has a high poly count- and the washing machine method will be a joke with high poly fabric, anyway.

The rayon will accept dye beautifully. RIT would be about my last choice for it- but, it will get the job done if there's a high rayon count to the fabric, and nothing goes wacky with the un-dyeable poly portion of the fabric. I would still go with a stove-top method, though.

So, there you have it- sorry I didn't have happier news! You're welcome to ignore me and flush the dye down the drain by sticking them in the washing machine- it shouldn't have any effect on the machine if you follow the directions, run a clean-up cycle and wipe up spills- but, do be sure to use a fixative on the pants afterward. And to be safe, only wash them with like colors, because RIT leaches dye for cycle after cycle.

Did you buy your pants from somewhere decent (not that evil Motherhood chain) that will honor a return on them for fading after the first wash? I guess that would be MY recommendation.

Thanks for your help!

Dyeing Fabric in washing machine

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