Finished Friday: Dyeing Clothes in a Washing Machine {come link up your finished projects, too}

This project started last week with Emahry’s “new” purple pants. Actually it began long before that when Emahry received two pairs of khakis in perfect condition. Yes, your basic tan-beige, go-with-everything khakis.

The only problem was that Emahry is not a tan-beige, go-with-everything kind of girl. In fact she’s a bright purple, bold pink, ruffles, rhinestone, spinning dresses type of girl.

And I started to notice that she never chose those khakis to wear. Never. Instead she rotated through the same three pairs of pants; purple cords, pale pink pants with Minnie Mouse on the leg, and bright red velour cargo pants.

Then, one day she woke up taller and the purple and pink pants no longer fit. So the jeans started getting put in the rotation, but only because one pair has colorful embroidered butterflies on the pockets and the back pockets of the other pair are adorned with fake rhinestones.

So, when I found some Rit dye marked down I decided to go for it! I decided to start with the purple and see how it turned out.

Well…

Hello, purpley goodness!

Let’s just say that these pants are definitely in the wardrobe rotation now! This is one happy little girl!


So, this week I broke out the other pair for a pink transformation.

Dyeing fabric in the washing machine is easy peasy. Here’s how:

(Of course you want to read the directions on the packaging, but this is what I did.)

Set the washer to the highest water recommended for the fabric you’re using (hot). Set the water to the lowest amount you can in order to cover your pieces without diluting the dye (small). You also want the longest wash setting to get the most saturated color.

If you’re looking for a lighter finished color you can use less dye or more water. The Rit website has a color chart to help you decide how much you need. Remember the original color of the garment will affect the finished color.

Start the washer. While the washer is filling, add the dye.

Thoroughly wet the article of clothing you want to dye. The tub is a great place to do this. I used my handy dandy diaper sprayer, but you can just use the tub faucet.

Make sure you turn the clothing over and get it evenly soaked.

Now add it to the washing machine and close the lid. If you want a very dark color you can open the lid during the agitation stage and let the garment soak for a little longer. For both the purple and the pink, I just let the longest cycle run straight through.

After the dyeing cycle is finished, remove the newly dyed clothes and rinse them thoroughly with cold water until the water runs clean. I used my diaper sprayer again, but the faucet or shower would work, too. (I also threw in some of Eliya’s white training pants in the last few minutes to give her some girly undies.)

Remember that everything will be lighter once it runs through the washer and dryer.

Now, simply wash the dyed clothing in warm water with mild detergent and then dry them in the dryer.

Ta-da! 
I kind of feel like I’m in the 80s, but my little girl is as happy as can be!

You’ll want to wash newly dyed fabrics by themselves for the first few washes just to make sure you don’t have any bleeding problems.

You may also want to follow the directions in the Rit packaging on how to clean your washer immediately after you dye your garments. I didn’t really notice a lot of staining so I just ran a short wash cycle with a little detergent and the hot water set at the largest load capacity.

Today's Questions: Have you ever dyed a piece of clothing? Have we inspired you to give life to unworn, boring (or stained) pieces by dyeing them?

I'm trying to hold myself accountable to finish some of the projects on my to do list by posting each Friday about a project I've completed.

Would you like to join in? Link up to your own projects below.

1. Link to your project post, not your blog's home page, so we can find it easily.
2. Let us know what project you are sharing in your title, for example: Spring Wreath
3. We'd love it if your post links back here so that your readers can come join the fun. Feel free to copy & paste our Finished Friday Button into your post. (Just copy the text in the box below the button, click on the "Edit HTML" tab for your post and paste it there.)

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