Tie dye is fading and bleeding when rinsing out the excess dye. please help!?

Question

i am using some RIT dye and also some of the Jaquard dye i got in a kit. i don't know what i am doing wrong that the colors fade so drastically when i rinse them after letting them sit for 24 hours. the colors also bleed into one another when i am rinsing them. how can i prevent the bleeding and fading while rinsing out the excess dye from the shirts. i have read some answers on here that say to soak them in vinegar and salt. how long should they soak in the vinegar solution? how much vinegar? and also should i rinse them first and then soak them in vinegar or soak in vinegar first then rinse? or if i soak them in vinegar do i have to rinse them at all before washing?

any suggestions are appreciated. Thanks in advance for all the help.

Answer 1

Vinegar will not set dye on cotton. It will even prevent the Jacquard dye from bonding to the fiber. That might be the cause of your problem.

Rit dye is not very washfast. It works best if you boil the fabric in the Rit dye for half an hour or longer. Even then, it fades quickly in the wash and should be hand washed in cold water only. It will fade some no matter what you do, though, unless you mail-order a special commercial dye fixative called Retayne.

Jacquard Procion MX dye is extremely long-lasting if you apply it correctly. You must follow the instructions included in the kit, which tell you to presoak the cotton fabric in soda ash or washing soda, then apply the dye, then allow the dye to react with the fabric overnight. Wash out the excess unattached dye the next day. If you are dyeing cotton and following the instructions, the dye that remains will last for years.

If you are dyeing synthetic fibers such as polyester, those dyes will not work. Neither of those dyes will stick to polyester at all. You have to use the right kind of dye if you want it to stick. You cannot buy polyester dyes in your local store.

Answer 2

Allow your tie-dyed items to dry thoroughly before you rinse them, and hang them on the line outside to dry.  Then rinse in lots of cold water, until it runs clear.  Your final soak should be in cold water with vinegar and salt added to help set the colour.  About 1/2 hr. should do it.  Again, hang outside to dry in the sun, and  always wash your hand dyed items separately in cold water. I use this method with great results.

Answer 3

when using RIT dye you need to use HOT water and add salt to the water. you will always have a little fading and bleeding.  when you mix the dye I believe it is a cup of salt to half a bottle of dye and 3 gallons of hot water.  after dying let it set for several hours and then rinse in cold water - then wash.