If you want to darken a light-colored fabric or darken the color of faded jeans, just use black textile dye. This dye can give a bright, like new color to the fabric.
Step
Part 1 of 3: Making a Dye Solution
Step 1. Use a black textile dye that is specifically made for the type of fabric you have
You can use most types of dye if the fabric is made of fibers such as cotton, linen, silk, or wool. However, if the fabric is made of synthetic materials such as polyester, spandex, and acrylic, you should look for a special fabric dye for synthetics because non-synthetic fabric dyes may not work for synthetics.
Step 2. Fill a large basin with boiling water
Use a large basin or bucket. Make sure the container is large enough to hold the fabric to be dyed. Then, fill the container with water until the cloth is completely submerged. Use boiling water for best results. However, if boiling water is not available, you can still dye the fabric using hot water from the tap.
If you have a stove and a large pot, you can make a cloth soaking water on the stove over low heat. The color of the fabric will appear darker if you use hot water during the dyeing process
Step 3. Pour the fabric dye powder into a container of water
Read the label on the back of the dye packet to check how much dye to use. Keep in mind that the more textile dyes you use, the darker the fabric will be. If you want the fabric to look dark or even perfectly black, you can use the entire packet of textile dye. After that, stir the water with a spoon.
You can buy black textile dye online or at your local fabric store
Step 4. Add salt water to the dye solution if you want to make the fabric look lighter
Use 59 ml of salt water for every 5 kg of fabric you want to dye. Then, stir until all the salt water is mixed with the soaking water.
For example, if you dyed 3 kg of fabric, you would use 350 ml of salt water
Part 2 of 3: Coloring Fabrics
Step 1. Put the cloth in the soaking water
Make sure the cloth is completely submerged in the water. Press the cloth with a long metal tool such as a spatula or spoon to remove any air bubbles trapped there.
Step 2. Occasionally, stir the cloth in the soaking water with a metal utensil
Turn the cloth over in the container while you stir it around. Also, open the folds of the fabric with the tool you are holding so that all parts of the fabric will be exposed to the dye.
Step 3. Let the fabric soak in the dye water for 30-60 minutes
The longer the cloth soaks, the darker the final color will be. Make sure you soak the fabric for at least 30 minutes to allow the dye to adhere well to the fabric.
Step 4. Drain the soaking water into a sink or drain
After all the dye water has been drained, leave the cloth in the sink or tub. Do not dispose of leftover soaking water outside the sink or outside the drains.
Part 3 of 3: Rinsing and Washing the Fabric
Step 1. Apply a dye fixative solution before rinsing the fabric to maintain the color
This solution will make the color stay on the fabric longer, so the end result will look brighter. If you want to use this solution, spray the liquid all over the fabric to give it a good coat. After that, let the solution infuse by waiting for 20 minutes.
You can buy a fabric dye fixative online or at a local fabric store
Step 2. Wash the remaining dye from the fabric with hot water first
Wash the cloth in the sink or in the tub where you stored the cloth previously. Unfold the cloth so that the entire surface is exposed to running water.
Step 3. Rinse the cloth with cold water until the water is clear
Make sure you wait until the running water is clear to make sure that there is no more textile dye residue on the fabric. When the water looks clear, stop rinsing and squeeze the water out of the cloth.
Step 4. Wash the fabric using the washing machine and then let the fabric dry by itself
Do not mix recently dyed fabrics with other clothes for washing. This is to avoid color fading on other fabrics. After the first wash, the fabric can be washed with other clothes.
