How to Dye a Dress

This article was co-authored by wikiHow staff writer, Sophia Latorre. Sophia Latorre is a Content Manager on the wikiHow team. Before joining wikiHow, Sophia worked as a technical editor and was published in six International Energy Agency (IEA) Wind Annual Reports. Now, she writes, edits, and reviews articles for the wikiHow Content Team, working to make the content as helpful as possible for readers worldwide. Sophia holds a BA in English from Colorado State University.

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Dyeing a dress can transform it from something you never wear to your new favorite garment. You can choose any color you wish, or even mix colors to create the perfect shade. Take care to protect yourself and your workspace from the dye, and clean up as soon as you are finished.

Part 1 of 2:

Getting Started

Keep in mind that natural fabrics, like cotton, wool, silk, and linen, are more easily dyed than synthetic fabrics, like nylon, polyester, and acrylic. [2] X Research source

Protect your workspace. Spread a drop cloth, plastic sheeting, or several layers of newspaper out on your workspace. Keep paper towels handy so you can immediately clean up any drips or spills. [3] X Research source

Wear old clothes and gloves. Choose clothes that you don’t mind getting dye on, or wear an apron over your clothes. Wear rubber gloves to keep the dye from soaking into your skin. [4] X Research source

Soak your dress in warm water. It’s important to completely wet your dress before attempting to dye it so that the dye will be absorbed evenly. Fill a bucket or bathtub with warm water and submerge your dress until the fabric is completely soaked. [5] X Research source

If your dress is made of wool, use warm rather than hot water to keep the fabric from felting. [7] X Research source

If you don’t have a stainless steel spoon, choose a wooden yardstick or other stirring implement that you don’t mind getting dye on.

Stir in ¼ cup (59 mL) of salt for cotton or linen garments. Add ¼ cup (59 mL) of any kind of salt to the bucket or sink for each gallon of water and stir the mixture thoroughly. Salt helps the dye adhere to the fabric. [9] X Research source

Add ¼ cup (59 mL) of vinegar for wool or silk garments. Stir in ¼ cup (59 mL) of vinegar to the bucket or sink for each gallon of water to help the fabric absorb the dye evenly and completely. [10] X Research source

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Part 2 of 2:

Coloring Your Dress

Submerge the dress in the dye. Carefully add your dress to the water and dye mixture, making sure that you don’t splash the dye out of the bucket or sink. Ensure all the fabric is completely submerged. [11] X Research source

Check the color of the fabric every 5 minutes or so. Some of the dye will rinse out, so let the fabric soak until it is a shade or two darker than desired.

Don’t rinse your dress in the shower or tub if it is made of porcelain because the dye may stain it.

Rinse your dress until the water runs clear. Begin with hot water and gradually move to cold water to help the dye set. Alternatively, you could use the rinse cycle of your washing machine to get the dye out. [14] X Research source

Hang the dress up to dry. Lay newspaper or a drop cloth under the dress to catch errant drips. Choose a plastic hanger so that any lingering dye doesn’t transfer to the hanger. Let the dress dry completely, and keep in mind that it will appear darker when wet. [15] X Research source

Clean your bucket or sink immediately. Now that your dress is dyed, you need to clean up your workspace. Rinse your bucket or sink with hot water, then scrub it clean using a sponge or rag and soapy water. If you let the dye sit in the sink or bucket instead of cleaning it immediately, it may stain the surface. [16] X Research source

Community Q&A

My new cotton dress has tiny spots from swimming pool chlorine in a small section on the skirt. Do I soak the whole dress in the dye or just that area?

Community Answer

You should probably soak that one area. This is easier to do if the spot is bigger, but it is possible with smaller spots as well.

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About This Article

Co-authored by:
wikiHow Staff Writer

61 votes – 88%
Co-authors: 6
Updated: March 7, 2023
Views: 107,835
Categories: Dyeing Clothes and Fabric | Dresses and Skirts

Dyeing a dress can change it from something you’d never wear to something you can’t stop wearing, and the process isn’t that difficult. Start by picking a dye that’s made for your specific fabric, since some dyes only work on natural or synthetic fabrics. When you’re ready to get to work, soak your dress in warm water so the dye will be evenly absorbed. Fill a bucket or stainless steel sink with hot water and add the recommended amount of dye. You’ll also want to add ¼ cup of salt for cotton or linen garments or ¼ cup vinegar for wool or silk clothing to help the dye adhere to the fabric. Once the dye bath is ready, submerge your dress in it for 10 to 25 minutes. Stir the mixture constantly to ensure that your dress is evenly dyed. When the dress is the shade you want, remove it from the dye and rinse is until the water runs clear. To learn how to machine wash your newly dyed dress, keep reading!

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