- 1). Test a swatch of the fabric to see how it will take color. Cut off a 1-by-1-inch piece of fabric from a hidden area of the item. Mix 1 teaspoon of dye into 1 cup boiling water in a glass container. Place the fabric in the solution and stir gently. Let sit for at least 2 minutes. Take the fabric out and rinse it with cool water until the water runs clear.
- 2). Let the swatch dry and assess the color. If the color is what you want, continue dyeing. If it has absorbed no color, then the fabric you are working with isn't dyeable. If it is lighter than you envisioned but has some color, resoak in a new mixture of water and dye at 2-minute intervals until you achieve the shade you want. Mark down the number of times you resoaked in the dye solution.
- 3). Weigh the item you are dyeing. If it is 1/4 lb. to 1 lb., use 1 package of dye; for 1 to 11/2 lbs., use 2 packages; for 2 to 21/2 lbs., use 3 packages; for 3 to 6 lbs., use 4 packages. If you had to resoak your test swatch, multiply the number of dye packages to use by the number of times you had to resoak. For example, if you have a pillow cover weighing 1 lb. and you had to soak the swatch twice to get your desired color, multiply the 2 packages of dye needed by the 2 times you had to soak it for a total of 4 packages.
- 4). Fill your washing machine with hot water so that it will completely cover the item you are dyeing. Submerge the item you are dying in the hot water until it is completely wet. Remove it and set it aside.
- 5). Dissolve the dye packages in 2 cups hot water, then add the mixture to the washing machine. Let the washer agitate the water and dye for a minute or so. Add the wet item you are dyeing to the washing machine and set your machine for an extended wash cycle.
- 6). Adjust the washing machine cycle as needed so the item stays in the dye for at least 30 minutes. Then pause the washer and, wearing rubber gloves, remove the item from the machine. If the color is still too light, run through another 30-minute wash cycle and recheck when the cycle is complete. If the color is what you were expecting, place the item in a large sink or bathtub.
- 7). Rinse the item in cool water if it is a pastel or light color; for a darker color, rinse in warm water and use laundry soap formulated for delicate articles. Rinse until the water runs clear. Dry the item according to the manufacturer's instructions.
- 8). Run a hot wash cycle in your washer so that the water level is at its highest. Add 1 cup of bleach and your normal amount of laundry soap to clean the washer of dye and prepare it for normal laundry loads.
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