OT: Trying to tie-dye... what'd I do wrong??

[moopdog]

We're making tie-dyed shirts for Disney, and started out great. I bought Golden Yellow and Royal Blue RIT dye, rubber bands & white tank tops. I did the blue end first then the yellow end, letting the colors mix in the middle a little bit for a small section of green. The colors turned out gorgeous... very bright and the pattern was so cool once we removed the rubber bands and rinsed with the hose.

BUT...

Once I rinsed them and then washed them with laundry deterget (as it states on the package) the colors are very muted, almost pastel, and hardly any contrast. I'm so bummed out. I even added "almost" a cup of salt to each batch to maintain color (also as stated on box).

The only thing I can figure is I didn't soak in dye long enough, but the box said to soak until you reach desired color up to 30 minutes. Well, the shirts "took" the color almost immediately, the longest I kept them in was 10-15 minutes. Is that the problem?

Need feeback. Thanks~~

 

[bethbuchall]

I've never used RIT dyes for tie dying. I've always used dyes specifically made for tie dying. If I recall, you do get more of a muted, faded look using RIT dyes.

Maybe someone else who has used the RIT dye can help you.

Sorry it didn't work out for you!

Beth

 

[marymrg]

I'm not an expert, but when I did them with a teacher at school recently, we used tie-dye dye and she told us to wash them in a little dish soap instead of laundry detergent the first time being washed.

 

[Local_Girl]

Moopdog,

I'm no expert, but we've done a little tie-dyeing. I understand that the RIT dye doesn't produce the vibrancy that other dyes do...and that's been the case in my experience. I've used RIT, but haven't tried to do tie-dye with it.

Like Bethbuchall mentioned, there are other dyes recommended for tie-dyeing. We used a powdered fiber reactive dye (you can do a google search for info) and followed the instructions carefully. I believe we didn't rinse the shirts for 24 hours--not sure, but I think that was the case. The suspense was awful! But after MANY washings, the t-shirts are still colorful, though slightly faded. Good luck!

 

[daemom]

If you want vibrant color, go to Wal-Mart or a craft store (Michael's) and buy the tie-dye kits that they sell (same brand Rainbow Rock). You need to use 100% cotton shirts for best color. The kits have a fixative in them that holds that bright color. The longer you leave it in the dye the better--we've left ours in the dye for a week! And make sure that you use more dye than you think you need--remember, you're soaking a lot of layers! We do this every summer with our kids and use them for everyday shirts and pjs! The kit costs a bit more than Rit dye, but IMHO it's really worth it! Good Luck!

 

[mousefansmom]

Last summer at my son's daycare, the kids made tie-dyed shirts. My son's was the only one that turned out (didn't fade and/or run together and turn gray). What I did differently than anyone else was that I soaked it in vinegar before washing it. I can't remember where I heard that, but it seemed to work. Good Luck!

Mousefansmom

We're making tie-dyed shirts for Disney, and started out great. I bought Golden Yellow and Royal Blue RIT dye, rubber bands & white tank tops. I did the blue end first then the yellow end, letting the colors mix in the middle a little bit for a small section of green. The colors turned out gorgeous... very bright and the pattern was so cool once we removed the rubber bands and rinsed with the hose.

BUT...

Once I rinsed them and then washed them with laundry deterget (as it states on the package) the colors are very muted, almost pastel, and hardly any contrast. I'm so bummed out. I even added "almost" a cup of salt to each batch to maintain color (also as stated on box).

The only thing I can figure is I didn't soak in dye long enough, but the box said to soak until you reach desired color up to 30 minutes. Well, the shirts "took" the color almost immediately, the longest I kept them in was 10-15 minutes. Is that the problem?

Need feeback. Thanks~~

 

[NotUrsula]

Rit doesn't work very well on cotton; it works best on animal fibers. You can use it on cotton, but the trick is that it has to be boiling hot when you do it, as in, dipping the sections of shirt into a pot of boiling dye with tongs. Major PITA, and super dangerous, too.

Better to use cold-water fiber-reactive dye.

 

[ajksmom]

If you want bright, non-fading colors use Procion dye. I have shirts that are just as bright as when I made them 10 years ago!!! It's available from www.dharmatrading.com. and locally I can buy small quantities from ACMoore. I'm not sure when your trip is but if you have time order the catalog from dharma, it's free and has the instructions and "recipe" for tie-dying that work great. Ordering from dharma is fine, quite quick and easy. Shipping does add up a little because of the weight of the soda ash (fixer) and urea but never "breaks the bank".
A few other notes -
If you want really bright colors you've got to go with 100% cotton shirts. Otherwise you'll get more of a pastel look. Both Hanes and Fruit of the Loom shirts dye well.
Save a lot of the plastic grocery bags. After you apply the dye wrap the shirts in the bags and let sit for 24 hours. Don't let the print on the bags touch the fabric, sometimes it transfers.
If you live in a very dry climate buy urea to add to the dye, it helps keep the dye wet longer. If it's humid where you live you can skip the urea.

You can PM me if you have any other ?'s.

 

[marymrg]

I believe we didn't rinse the shirts for 24 hours--not sure, but I think that was the case.

Oh, you're right. I left them wrapped in newspaper, in a plastic bag in my laundry tub for 24-48 hours. Maybe that was the critical element.

 

[disneygals]

some other tips...you should wash the shirt first, if new. I always leave the shirts in much longer than specified and as hard as it is to wait, I wait until the shirts are completely dry before removing rubber bands and don't rinse, just fluff in the dryer. Soaking in salt water AFTER also holds color. Pre-soaking in vinegar sounds good, never tried that.

 

[idofabric]

Rit dye is made to dye all fiber, but works better on some then others. I have even dyed white plastic buttons and poly satin ribbon with good results. I did however use a lot of heat.Ribbons in the oven at the lowest setting for an hour wrapped in tin foil to keep moist. To dye the buttons I microwaved the dye/butons in an old glass canning jar ( to test the color fastness I then used pure bleach and set some of the buttons in the window in the jar- they didn't lose a lot of color, but they did start to dislove in few days!)

Allways wash cloth/shirts first , in the hotest water the fabric will stand to remove any fabric finishes and allow the dye to soak into the fiber, and do NOT use a fabric softner.
Salt can sometime help to make some colors more permant. Add to the dye color.
Dye wet shirts/cloth. This allows more even color dist. and even color.
Always let the shirts/cloth sit for at least several hours, and up to 48 - after that some dyes will mildew- that can give some very nice colors after you wash, but doesn't sound like it is what you want for this trip!
Wash out excess dye in water that has had white vinegar added to remove the extra dye. Sometimes this helps with color retention. I rince in the drive way several times and then wash at least 2x's before drying.
Different color dyes are made of different chemicals. Some do better if the dye is warm even if it says "Cold water dye" This is usuall true for tourquise blue, some greens, some blacks,and some purples. A few reds.Also if you do this outside the warmth/coldness of the day can effect the end results.
As another post said DarmaTrading has great products. Including shirts that are PFD- Prepared For Dying- and great info. Also you get a price break when you order more items- 12 of any cotton clothing, or silk, or ?
I have ordered from them for years and they are very quick! They are in N.Bay Calif, so call them per the web site # .
Best of luck.

 

[cujochurch]

You need to use 100% cotton shirts. I did the same thing for out last vacation. DH shirt was a 50 - 50 blend. The rest of us had 100% cotton. DH came out pastel and muted and ours were very brillant. The same dye and technique was used. Hope this helps.

 

[DebMcDonald]

I've always soaked my shirts first in soda ash, then tye-dyed with a T-dye kit and let it sit on the shirts for 24 hours afterwards. Longer, won't hurt. The soda ash, I feel makes a big difference.