How To Dye Your Clothes Black

By Matt Oden | Comments | Ink and Dye Stains → Clothing

Whether just looking to bring new purpose to an old t-shirt or to cover up an unsightly stain that simply refuses to come out, knowing the best methods of how to dye your clothes black, you’ll soon have what looks like brand new additions to your wardrobe! There are several methods and numerous products on the market, so it is vital that you select the right type of methods and products that will work for the fabric you are dyeing.

Some types of materials should not be dyed at home, like silk and wool products. Adding potentially corrosive dyes may just be more than the delicate fibers of these fabrics can handle. So how then do you ensure you are purchasing the right dye for your garment? Make sure that you carefully read the tags on the garments so you know if you are working with cotton or perhaps a cotton blend. Then match it up with the label on one of the more popular clothing dyes on the market.

What You Will Need Before You Start

Clothing dye
Disposable gloves
Large plastic spoon or stainless steel tongs
Plastic garbage bags or newspaper
Plastic bucket

How To Dye Your Clothes Black – Getting Prepared

There are several important steps to be aware of when you are working to best understand how to dye your clothes black. With the right steps and the proper preparation, you’ll be able to ensure the entire process goes smoothly. Remember that if you don’t follow the proper steps then you may just wind up with permanent stains in places where you simply don’t want them!

Ensure that the clothing is in a good state or repair. If there are any minor rips or tears, then you should mend them before applying the color to the clothing.
Some people find that completely removing the buttons is an effective means of ensuring that the black dye gets into every nook and cranny. The original buttons can be sewn back on, or new buttons can be added for an entirely new look to the garment.
Make sure that the item of clothing is completely free from any dirt and debris that could hamper the coloring process. This means that you need to remove sticky stains and at least ensure that the garment has been run through the washing machine.
Always wear disposable gloves when working with clothing dye, and take care to protect the area where you are working. Either with several layers of newspaper or with plastic garbage bags.

How To Dye Your Jeans Black

Jeans can sometimes be a bit tricky to dye because of the sheer density of the fabric. There are several clothing dye products that are specifically for thicker fabrics like the cotton denim so try to find these kinds of dyes.

Ensure that you have prepared the jeans and your workspace as per the above directions.
Fill the plastic bucket with hot water and add the clothing dye to the water.
Carefully lower the jeans into the water, ensuring that you get them completely saturated.
The length of time that you need to wait will vary depending on the type of clothing dye that you are using, but it is typically no longer than an hour.
Every fifteen minutes or so, carefully stir the jeans in the water using the tongs or large plastic serving spoon. Be sure not to splash any of the dark water on yourself!
Donning your gloves, carefully wring the jeans out in the bucket and rinse thoroughly under cool water in the sink.
Expect some color run off. The jeans, however, should still remain a nice rich black color.

Launder as per the instructions on the clothing dye box and the care tag on the garment itself. Just be sure to launder the newly dyed garment on its own. You may need to wait for the garment to dry naturally before you run it through the laundry so that you can be assured that the colors have set.

Some people prefer to dye their clothes in the kitchen or laundry room sink, but just be sure you aren’t dealing with a porous type material in your sink and countertops otherwise you may wind up with a permanent black dye stain.

How To Dye Your Polyester Clothes Black

What You Will Need Before You Start

Disperse dye
2 large stainless steel pots, at least 5 gallons
Disposable gloves
Old t-shirt or apron
White vinegar
Large plastic spoon or stir-stick
Soda ash

Polyester can be somewhat temperamental when it comes to dyes, but with the right steps you can learn how to dye your clothes black, even if they are polyester or a polyester blend. The method used to dye polyester is called immersion dyeing and it typically involves using constant high heat during the dyeing process. Polyester is incredibly resistant to staining, which makes it a great choice for your shirt but not necessarily a great choice if you are trying to figure out how to dye your clothes black.

Wash the garment on the hottest setting that your washing machine will permit. Add a teaspoon of soda ash to the machine when you are running it through the machine. This will effectively remove all dirt and grime from the fabric, allowing it to be better dyed.
Dilute the dye using boiling water, or as following the instructions on the package it came in.
Add at least 2 gallons of boiling water to the large stainless steel pot and add the diluted dye, along with half a cup of white vinegar.
Put the still-damp garment into the pot and allow the pot to come to a boil. Stir constantly.
Once the pot has maintained a rolling boil for a few minutes, lower the temperature and allow it to simmer steadily for at least half an hour.
Stir the garment around in the dark water every ten minutes to ensure the dye gets where it needs to go.
While the garment is simmering in its dye bath, fill another pot up with hot water and bring it to a nice simmering boil.
After 30 to 45 minutes, carefully remove the dyed garment from the other pot and place it into the fresh water pot.
Stir it for up to fifteen minutes and then remove carefully.
Rinse thoroughly using hot water and smell the fabric. If it still smells strongly of the clothing dye then put it into another boiling water bath. Some people like to add a few drops of an ingredient called Synthrapol as it will help to set the dye and also get rid of the ghastly smell.
Once the smell is gone you can air-dry the garment and then launder as per usual.

Once you know how to dye your clothes black you’ll never have to toss out a badly faded shirt again! Simply give it a new lease on life with a nice change in color. Consider experimenting with other dyes and colors that will make you feel as though you have an entirely new wardrobe.