Please, please, please do not use a pay laundry and possibly be ruining the clothes of the next one, two, three and possibly four users after you!
If you have a large aluminum or other large non-porous kitchen sink just dye the article in the sink (or a non-porous bathtub). You can use a large spoon to keep stirring the water and fabric for even dyeing or wear rubber or plastic gloves. Then rinse well, soak in vinegar and water (to set the color), rinse again, soak in dish soap, rinse again and then put the article in your washing machine. If you don't have a non-porous sink or bathtub then use a large bucket or large plastic tub and use the same recipe.
NO, no, no, the dye will get into the little areas you dont think about and will give "shed" color to items over the next few washings afterward. If you do decide to use your washer be sure to run at least 3 empty loads( waste of water and power ) with 2 cups white vinager in the water, no soap but it can also stain any light plastic parts as well. Best solution is to either use a 5 gallon bucket and do it the "hippy way " lol or go to the local pay laundry, you will be glad you did!
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Request: Using RIT Dye in a Washing Machine
Archived on 09/16/2009
How do I dye 20 white kids t-shirts with orange RIT dye in my washing machine?
dk
Feedback:
RE: Using RIT Dye in a Washing Machine
I love using my washer to dye items. The only thing I do different is run the washer as soon as you finish with only water and bleach. Also use you manners and never dye using public coin washer. You would hate it if someone did it and your clothes picked up their dye, don't risk dying someone else's clothes. (11/12/2008)
By Randa
RE: Using RIT Dye in a Washing Machine
I always use RIT dye in my machine. I have never had any trouble with it coming out, or with it bleeding off the fabric. I also only use one package, but I always set my machine on low and never fill it too full. One pack is only suppose to dye a couple of things, so if you fill the tub full and stuff it with stuff to dye of course it won't dye well. Use salt and about a tablespoon of laundry soap. I use the longest wash cycle, and when it's almost done with the agitation part I reset it to agitate one more time. It's fun to make your own colors too, RIT has a chart with formulas for making more colors. (01/03/2009)
By lucine
RE: Using RIT Dye in a Washing Machine
It should work well in the washer, just follow the instructions RIT dye provides and the washer shouldn't stain. If you are doing 20 shirts at once you may want 2 or 3 packs of dye. (02/28/2009)
First run your items through a rinse cycle so they are wet and went through a spin cycle and take them out lay as side then follow the directions here that follow. Your dying color contrast will be stronger if your items are wet first when they go into the dye bath.
I have a top loader washer and I have dyed things for years using it both the powder kind and liquid type. The best way is to fill your machine with the hottest water, and the largest water fill line.
Then while it's sitting still hold your hand down close to the water slowly pour your dye around the water in a circle then close your lid just briefly let it agitate for a second or two then push in your knob to stop the machine then gently put your wet items back into the washer letting all the pieces be in there evenly proportioned. Then let it agitate again for about 5 minutes. Then let it set for a while so the color sets in your items then just follow through with the cycles as usual.
As soon as your done and take them out dry them to set in your color. and then immediately fill your wash with an empty hottest longest fullest line water level cycle and add bleach and soap to your cycle. It will clean your basin and will be good as normal.
Although I do not know if front end loaders do this method or not. You can also take them to the laundromat and follow the same exact method. Just use the hottest water possible and lift the lid so they can set for awhile in the dye then run through as usual.
Remember to get your weight in fabric right to match your number of dye solutions if not your items will be lighter than you want. Good luck. (02/04/2008)
I hope it's an older washer that you don't care about because Rit Dye could very easily ruin it PERMANENTLY. It can stain the inside & the color can come off the stained washer & on to clothes in the future. Sometimes you can just run a load of Bleach water through after dying to help remove the dye stains from the washer.
I've run Rit through my washer & it stained it. The bleach did help, but it never was the quite the same! Because the water wasn't quite hot enough, the dye didn't get as dark as I'd have like it to!
PLUS: If you do dye in the wash the water is never hot enough to really do the trick! If I were you I'd dye on the stove top with BOILING water! AND: Rit Brand dye is not a good dye. In fact, I've dyed lots & lots of things (being a fiber artist).Rit is a "fugitive" dye; which means it not only fades in the sunshine, but your dyed item will get lighter each time you wash it (kind of like denim does).
Also, you should choose your dye based on the fiber content of what you're dying. For example, Rit won't dye synthetics very well, & wool/silk & other "protein" fibers need their own special type of dye. Rit is basically only good for Cotton & Rayon, & even with those "easy-to-dye" fabrics. Rit still sucks! It's a cheap, low-end dye. Sold to mainly to people who don't know where they can purchase a much higher quality dye for the same price as Rit!
Here's were you can purchase some really good dyes for the same price as Rit:
http://www.dharmatrading.com/html/eng/2934904-AA.shtml
FOR ANY DYE QUESTIONS:
Call these guys up they REALLY know all about dyes: (They have given me very good information over the phone OR with e-mail, Plus, they're super nice too!)
DHARMA TRADING CO..
Tel: (800) 542-5227 Toll-free from anywhere in the USA & Canada
Tel: (415) 456-7657 Everywhere else
http://www.dharmatrading.com/html/eng/208873-AA.shtml
SUNSHINE-Set DYE:
For those of you who want to dye Cotton, Viscose, Rayon, Linen or Raw Silk without any hassle, You can use InkoDye. It works with Sunshine instead of Heat! Just saturate or paint or tye-dye a design on your fabric, Then simply lay it out in the sunshine... And you'll have a permanent, bright, colorfully dyed piece in an hour or less! Super Fun for kids, & they can do this outside, so no mess or worry! Inkodye is a liquid vat dye (a very, very permanent type of dye). It can be set by ironing, steaming, baking, or my favorite, good 'ol sunlight. You can even stamp with it!
INKODYE:
http://www.dharmatrading.com/html/eng/1778-AA.shtml
MORE INKODYE PRODUCTS:
http://www.dharmatrading.com/cgi-bin/search.cgi?query=inkodye&quickjumpURL=&quickjumpURL2=
DYE STICKS:
Permanent dye in a pastel-like "crayon":
http://www.dharmatrading.com/html/eng/1617-AA.shtml?lnav=markers.html
Some feedback posters don't understand the difference between front load and top load washers. I had a front load washer and I know that it just wouldn't work to dye in it. The point of a front loader is that it uses less water.
Since the first line of advice in the Rit Dye website's instructions for washing machine dyeing is: "Fill machine with enough water for fabric to move freely", you know right off that you can't achieve this. Constant agitation in ample water determines your success in even coloring. Can't be done in a front loader.
Another misconception I noticed is that many consider Rit Dye to be an inferior product. In fact, Rit does not produce vivid color unless you use a lot of it. This, I learned in Fabric Science class at Fashion Institute of Technology, is because Rit contains a cocktail of dye molecules, some of which will bond to cotton or rayon, some to wool or silk, some to polyester or nylon, etc. (vegetable, protein and thermoplastic fibers).
This makes it an all-purpose product. It doesn't dye anything particularly vividly, but it dyes just about everything somewhat. So it does what it does well for what it is.
(07/08/2008)
I always turn all my jeans and pants inside out before putting in my washing machine. My question is: How safe is it to use RIT dyes in your washing machine? I've never done this. I would like to restore the color to some of my navy blue pants as they are still too good to wear but the color has faded somewhat.
Angel, I have used Rit dye in my washer many times; it's the easiest way to dye in my opinion. Just run your machine through a full cycle, with detergent and bleach, after you are done dying. I have never had any problems with the dye getting on my other clothes.
RE: Using RIT Dye In A Washing Machine
thriftyone (Guest Post)
I agree. Also, if you are using a dark color, I double the amount and use HOT water, letting it swish around in the washer longer than a normal cycle. I "restart" the cycle every 10 minutes or so (before it drains and rinses) and then finally double rinse.
Make sure your pants are thoroughly WET before you put them in so the color is absorbed evenly. Good luck! I use it all the time.
RE: Using RIT Dye In A Washing Machine
debbie (Guest Post)
I use rit dye all the time, especially to re-darken a perfect pair of black cotton pants. I have even used it to repair or re-color a cotton sweater that I accidentally got bleach on the first time I washed it. I just over-dyed it one shade darker. I agree with the comments on using two packages for dark colors, using hot water and pre-wetting. I would add that to dye safely you must also follow the directions exactly, and wear old clothes while dying because the powder gets everywhere. I have a special measuring cup and spoon I use just for mixing the dye. Another thing is to keep a small damp rag and diluted bleach ready before hand in case you do drip dye or powder on the counter or floor.
I always dye things in my washer, just run it afterwards, empty of course, with two cups of bleach. Comes out nice and clean.
RE: Using RIT Dye In A Washing Machine
Claudia (Guest Post)
I dyed a tablecloth recently. Just be sure to run an empty cycle before doing a load after you dye. I didn't even add detergent... just the full-cycle rinse did the trick.
RE: Using RIT Dye In A Washing Machine
Angela (Guest Post)
Don't use Rit dye. It's no good. It won't hurt your machine, but it will fade out of your clothes and run onto other clothes in the laundry. Use some decent fiber reactive dye, instead. Do a web search for "Procion MX dye" and buy it by mail. Jacquard is a good brand.
It doesn't matter what kind of dye you use if you have polyester, though. You can't dye polyester with Rit or with better dye.
RE: Using RIT Dye In A Washing Machine
Christa (Guest Post)
I used it in my washer once. The package says to do a load with out any laundry with hot water and bleach to clean the dye... it didn't work so well for me. (b)But the RIT itself works great!(/b)
I'm using RIT dye for the first time. Is it completely washing machine safe? I want to use my mother's machine and she is understandably nervous about damage or staining. I don't want to stain her bathtub either. Are there any other methods for RIT dying a lot of linen/cotton fabric (I'm going for a dark brown)?
Moondog from Tusla, OK
Answers:
RE: Using RIT Dye In A Washing Machine
I always use RIT dye and it works great. Like others have said, just follow the directions and run an empty load w/bleach and water only. The tip of using two envelopes for darker colors, too, is a good one.
I understand your mom's doubt, though.---so, if you'd like her to just feel better, you can do the same thing in a large pot on the stove. (directions are on the inside of the RIT box) ;-) (04/11/2006)
I have used Rit dye in machines since the 70's
( i was very YOUNG then) but it has always worked
follow the directions make sure your clothes are
WET when you put them in to dye and yes use
2 packs for lots of clothes and add the salt
it recommends for the color to stay longer.
Machines clean up fine with bleach water mix.
Have fun. My hubby was shocked before when he
saw me do this he thought I would ruin machine
clothes now he asks me to do it.
(04/11/2006)
I've used Rit for years and had good results. You just can't dye something polyester as it just won't take. Anyway, The very top edge of the washer basket is stained because even tho I cleaned it afterwards as directed, the water level didn't go that high. I also got some staining on the top of the agitator and on the softener dispenser. I really don't care tho as who's gonna see it? I could probably take something and get it off if I really wanted to go to the trouble. I don't see why you couldn't use a very large bucket to do the dying. It depends on how much you are trying to dye tho. I recently dyed some older hand-knit dishcloths in a very pretty green to match my new kitchen decor. They were country blue and took the dye very well and now it's like I have new dishcloths! I'd had the dye sitting around for years probably so I got rid of it plus got some almost new dishcloths at the same time. Dying can give new life to something old! (04/13/2006)
I've never had any problems using Rit in the washing machine--and as for bleeding onto other clothing, just be sure to wash the item with similar colors (blue with blue/black, for instance). (08/13/2007)
