How To Set Tie Dye With Vinegar

Tie-dye is a fun way to express your creativity and have some fun. And if yous're similar virtually people, you want your necktie-dye t-shirts to stay vivid and vibrant for years to come. In this blog post, I'll teach you how to set tie-dye the correct fashion so that it doesn't fade in the wash. I'll too share some helpful tips and tricks that I've learned over the years and then that you become the best results.

Summertime is the perfect time to acquire how to tie-dye and have some fun! And subsequently spending all that time perfecting your tie-dye folding patterns, you'll want your tie-dye shirts to stay brilliant, bold, and beautiful.

How to Keep Tie Dye From Fading

The key to getting vibrant colors is setting the dye properly. If yous don't prepare the dye correctly, your colors volition fade over time, and your shirt volition look old and tired.

Then, how do you set tie-dye?

Spoiler alarm: vinegar is non the reply! Some people recommend setting tie-dye with white vinegar or salt to keep colors vivid, but that's just not necessary.

To help yous go the all-time results, I've put together a few tips on how to make sure your tie-dye looks not bad wash after wash.

Choose the right fabric dye
Choose the right cloth
Follow the proper procedure
Let the tie-dye prepare long enough
Rinse and wash the dyed items correctly

Read on to learn the best means to set tie-dye and keep your shirts looking vibrant for years to come!

Cull the Right Blazon of Dye

The nigh of import matter you can exercise to make sure your necktie-dye doesn't fade is to select high-quality dyes that won't wash out and fade over fourth dimension.

The best type of tie-dye to employ on cotton fiber textile is cobweb reactive dye. Cobweb-reactive dyes react with cotton fiber and other plant fibers to form a permanent chemical bond.

If you apply them correctly, fiber-reactive dyes are permanent – they won't fade, fifty-fifty after repeated washings. In full general, if you are using quality fiber reactive dyes for your projects, they will remain bright and beautiful, and you shouldn't have a problem with fading.

Best Types of Fiber Reactive Dyes

Hither are the types of fiber-reactive dyes that I recommend.

Procion MX dyes. This is the about popular type of dye for tie-dye enthusiasts and professionals. Procion MX dyes are colorfast, non-toxic, and very easy to use. Plus, they come in a huge range of colors. You can detect Procion dye kits from suppliers similar Jacquard or Dharma Trading Co.

Note: When you lot're working with Procion MX dyes, you'll need to pre-soak your textile in a soda ash solution before dying.

Tulip One-Step dyes. These necktie-dye kits are super like shooting fish in a barrel to apply, then they're an excellent pick for the occasional tie-dyer, younger kids, and necktie-dye parties. The Tulip dyes are formulated with soda ash already in the dye powder, so all y'all have to do is add h2o, shake and utilise. This eliminates the demand to pre-soak fabrics in a soda ash solution.

Don't use all-purpose dyes.

If you want bright, vibrant cotton shirts that won't fade in the launder, you lot should always use fiber-reactive dyes rather than all-purpose dyes.

All-purpose dyes, such equally Rit and other brands, do not work on cotton or other cellulose fibers at room temperature.

The common cold-h2o, eject-bottle tie-dye technique only works with fiber-reactive dyes. If you try it with all-purpose dyes, the colors volition pale and wash out over time.

Cull the Correct Material

The 2d most important step to getting brilliant tie-dye that won't fade is using the correct fabric.

For example, the best type of fabric to utilize with cobweb-reactive dye is 100% cotton or other cellulose fiber like rayon, linen, Tencel, or hemp. If you can't observe 100% cotton wool, look for at to the lowest degree a 70% cotton blend.

You tin can endeavour using a 50% cotton fifty% polyester blend, but the colors will be much paler. (It volition give you a nice pastel tie-dye expect, though, if that's what you're going for!)

Synthetic fibers similar polyester require a different type of dye altogether. If yous try to tie-dye 100% synthetic fiber with cobweb-reactive dyes, you won't get practiced results.

photo collage showing the steps to fold a white t-shirt into a rainbow spiral design

Follow the Necktie Dye Process

Here's a quick guide to tie-dying a t-shirt so that the colors stay vivid and don't fade. For complete instructions, read this step-by-stride guide to necktie-dye. And after that, yous'll want to check out this list of 17 means to fold necktie-dye.

Instructions

Here is how to tie-dye cotton fiber cloth with cobweb-reactive dyes (and optional soda ash pre-wash):

Prewash your fabric.
Wearing center protection and a mask, gear up a soda ash solution of 1 cup soda ash in one gallon of warm h2o. Pre-soak your fabric in a soda ash solution for at least 15 minutes.
Wearing rubber gloves, wring out the fabric until information technology'south just clammy. Tie or bind the material every bit desired.
Prepare the dye as instructed on the package. Apply the dye as desired.
Identify the dyed fabric in a plastic bag, or wrap it in plastic wrap to keep it from drying out. Let the fabric set in a warm room for at least 8 hours or overnight.
Remove the material from the plastic, and remove the rubber bands or ties. Rinse the fabric in common cold water several times until the water runs clear.
Wash the dyed fabric in hot water in your washing machine with Synthrapol or another laundry detergent, and hang dry.

Call back: You lot only need to use the soda-ash presoak if yous're using the Procion MX dyes. If you're using the Tulip kits, you don't demand to exercise the presoak.

Permit's talk about a few of these steps in a niggling more detail – particularly how to prepare the tie-dye to prevent the dye from fading.

How to Set up Necktie Dye

In one case you take finished applying the dye, you need to permit it set up, or "process." The dye needs 3 things to react with the fabric and create a permanent chemical bond: fourth dimension, water, and rut.

How long does tie-dye need to sit down?

Let the dye fix on the material for a few hours – at least 8 hours, but preferably overnight. Longer setting times volition upshot in brighter, stronger colors. The amount of time required will depend on the ambient temperature.

How to speed upwards the setting process?

Let the tie-dye cloth prepare at temperatures over 70°F (21°C) for the best results. The dye reaction takes longer at cooler temperatures. And so if your room is besides cold and you lot don't wait long enough, yous may become pale, faded colors.

How to keep the dye from drying out?

For the reaction to take place, the fabric must stay moisture. To keep the fabric from drying out, you can place information technology in a nada-top plastic bag or wrap it in plastic wrap. (I always put my wrapped shirts in a bucket, merely in case they drip or leak.)

Some Colour Rinsing Out is Normal

Even if you're using loftier-quality dyes, you might see some dye rinsing out of your tie-dyed fabrics for the first couple washes. This is normal. Nigh dyes demand at least one long rinse in cool water (without detergent) followed by 2 washes in hot water (with detergent) to remove excess dye. This is merely the extra dye leaving the fabric.

The Right Way to Wash Necktie Dye

After you lot rinse the tie-dyed garment in cool h2o, you tin run it through a wash bicycle in your washing machine. Information technology'south a good idea to use a special detergent, chosen Synthrapol, to wash out excess dye and preclude the dye colors from mixing. (Synthrapol doesn't help set the dye – it just helps wash out the extra dye.)

You may need to wash the necktie-dyed garments separately for the beginning few washes. Merely later on that, you'll exist safe to launder them with your regular laundry.

Using Commercial Dye Fixative

In most cases, following the instructions above should be plenty to set the necktie-dye, keep it colorfast, and prevent it from fading in the wash.

That said, some commercial dye fixatives tin be used to set tie-dye. Retayne is a commonly used dye fixative that will prevent color haemorrhage during washing. You can notice Retayne in stores like Dharma Trading Company. Make certain to follow the instructions on the package.

close up photo of a rainbow crumpled tie dye fabric

Other Tricks to Set Tie Dye

You may take seen some other ideas about setting tie-dye with vinegar, baking soda, or salt. Let'southward talk most them.

Does vinegar assistance gear up tie-dye?

No, vinegar will non assist to set fiber-reactive dye on cotton cloth. Nor will not make the dye more than resistant to fading.

Contrary to pop belief, y'all do not need vinegar to set tie-dye on cotton. Unless your necktie-dye kit specifically tells you to use vinegar, you don't need it.

Note: Vinegar can help set up some acid dyes on animate being fibers similar silk or wool – but it's non necessary to set dye on cotton fiber fabrics.

Does table salt help prepare tie-dye?

No, washing tie-dyed items with table salt volition not help the dye prepare better. Salt is non a dye fixative and won't brand the dye more permanent or colorfast.

What about baking soda?

Baking soda is sometimes recommended as a substitute for soda ash; however, its effects are much weaker.

What will actually help set the necktie-dye?

The all-time manner to ready tie-dye is to let it procedure in a warm, moist surround for 8-24 hours.

The All-time Style to Keep Tie Dye From Fading

So, what practise you need to prevent dye from fading? Allow's sum up.

Kickoff, make sure to use the right type of necktie-dye for your fabric. To practice the common cold-h2o, squirt-bottle manner tie-dye, you'll desire to utilize cobweb-reactive dyes like Tulip or Procion MX dyes.
Second, use the right kind of material. For the brightest, most vibrant results, use cotton fabric.
And so, follow the right tie-dye process. Read the dye instructions to know if yous need to pre-soak the textile in a soda ash solution.
Next, let the necktie-dye set long enough! Continue your tied-dyed fabric wet and warm for at to the lowest degree 8 hours – or up to 24 hours – for the strongest colors.
Finally, rinse and launder the dyed items correctly. Some dye rinsing out is expected – merely if you follow the steps, yous should nonetheless get a colorfast outcome.

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pin image for how to set tie dye with a background of a rainbow spiral tie dye shirt

Sarah Stearns has helped thousands of makers find their next craft project with free patterns and step-by-step tutorials on her blog, sarahmaker.com. Read more.

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