How do i get black denim to take black RIT liquid dye ? i have tried twice & it's not getting any darker?

Question

How do i get black denim to take black RIT liquid dye ? i have tried twice & it's not getting any darker?

Answer 1

You will get better results if you use fiber reactive dye, instead of Rit. I recommend Dylon Permanent 12 Black, which you can find in a sewing store such as Joann's; use one packet for every half-pound of fabric. If you have four pounds of black denim, then you will need eight packets of Dylon Permanent dye. You can also do very well with Procion MX black mixtures.

In general, it is not difficult to get a good black with fiber reactive dye, if you use enough dye. You must use two to four times as much dye when dyeing black as any other color, because it is such a dark color. You cannot dye polyester blends or any fabric that has been treated to be stain-resistant or permanent press. You must follow a good recipe, using soda ash or another high pH chemical to set the dye. In the case of Dylon Permanent, dye, the high-pH chemical is already included in the dye mixture—just follow the instructions on the back of the dye packet—but other dyes such as Dylon Cold dye require added soda ash.

Rit dye tends to produce pale colors, so it is difficult to get a good black using Rit dye. It also fades quickly in the laundry. You will get much better results if you use a fiber reactive dye such as Dylon Permanent or Procion MX.

To use Rit dye, you must boil the fabric in the dye, and use several boxes of dye if you want a dark black. Even then, Rit dye is less permanent than a fiber reactive dye, and must be hand-washed separately in cool water. Rit dye is not a very good choice for dyeing cotton because it fades so quickly.

Answer 2

Water must be boiling hot!! Do you have an old canner? put the Rit dye in it on the cook top and turn on the heat. Get the pot boiling then put the black denim in and cook it about 15 minutes at simmer temperature. turn off heat and let cool. fish out the denim and rinse in washer with vinegar in the water.

Denim is not all navy blue or black. just the weft threads are blue or black or whatever color. The warp threads are white. This makes it hard to keep the dark colors in the fabric. Denim is woven on a 3-harness set up. Plain weave fabrics are woven on a 2-harness set up and fancy things like jacquard are 4- to 8-harness.

more info than you asked, but I was just reading how to warp loom to weave denim.

Answer 3

Black is hard for even the most experienced dyer to do with all the right tools.  I have been dying fabrics for about 5 years and I use cold water dyes (not Rit) and still can't get a good deep black.  The problem is typically getting the dye to set into the fabric.