Tie dye mess up?

Question

i just tie dyed some t shirts and they were prefect when we undid them but then i put them through the was once and the colors mixed and there is no more white. Is there any way to fix this at all? or are they done for...any tips if i have to do this all over again???

Answer 1

That's what usually happens if you tie-dye with Rit dye. Since the dye is only loosely attached to the fabric, it bleeds when you wash it, so the white areas turn pink or another color. Poor materials give you poor results.

You can remove a lot of the dye just by soaking and washing in hot water, because Rit dye washes out in hot water. It will leave a stain, though. You can remove most of the dyes with Rit Color Remover (which is an excellent product, unlike Rit dye), or just dye over them. Be sure to use only 100% natural fibers, or rayon, when you choose shirts to dye, and never try to dye anything that is stain-resistant or permanent-press.

To prevent the bleeding dye tragedy from happening again, buy the right kind of dye next time. You need a fiber reactive dye, such as Procion dye. It is easier to use than Rit dye, and it costs less per pound of fabric dyed, since there is so little dye in each box of Rit (it's mostly salt and detergent). However, the good dye is a little harder to find. You can't find Procion dye in the grocery store or pharmacy; you have to go to a crafts store or a sewing store. Sometimes you can find a good tie-dye kit at Target or Walmart.

When you're at the crafts store or sewing store, look for any brand of cold water dye. There are several good brands. Just don't get the Rit tie-dye kit, or the Magic Strings tie-dye kit, as both contain inferior dyes that will run when washed. Good brands of tie-dye kits include Jacquard, Dylon, Tulip, and Rainbow Rock. They contain excellent dyes that will last years in your clothing. You can also buy individual dyes, if you buy a good type; look for Tulip One Step Fashion Dye, or Jacquard Procion MX dye, or even Dylon Permanent dye (which is good fiber reactive dye, but the colors are not ideal for tie-dyeing). For really good prices on dye, and a hundred more color choices, mail-order from Dharma Trading Company in California, or PRO Chemical & Dye in Massachusetts.

The Procion dyes in any of these kits are much easier to use than Rit. Rit dye should be applied in boiling water, but Procion dyes are set with at room temperature washing soda, instead (also known as soda ash); no hating is needed. This means you don't have to spoil your good cooking pots. (You should never reuse a cooking pot for food after you've used it to dye with Rit or any other dye.)

When you have dyed shirts with Procion dye, or with any good brand of tie-dye kit, instead of Rit dye, you will be able to wash all of your shirts together in hot water without any fading, if you follow the directions on the package and allow the dye to react with the fabric overnight first.

Answer 2

Did you let them dry first?Then wash them? If the colors ran then you're sol. Start again or dye darker colors over top. This is a great way to revamp kids shirts that have stains on them.