Taking Care of Newly Dyed Shirts
- Let The Dye Marinate — Don’t wash your shirt for at least 24 hours after dying it. Leave your newly dyed piece of clothing in the plastic bag overnight. The longer you wait, the more time the dye will have to set into the fabric.
- Wash it On Its Own -- When you’re ready to wash, put it in the washing machine by itself or with other tie-dyed shirts in similar colors. Wash using the hot water setting and mild detergent.
- Dry on High Heat — Dry in your dryer on high heat. Leave it in for a full cycle. The heat helps set the color and prevents it from fading during future washes.
- Wash with Care — The next few times you wash your tie-dyed shirts, you may want to wash them separately just in case any of the color continues to bleed. Turn your shirt inside out prior to putting it in the washer. This can help reduce the amount of fading on the outside of the shirt. Wash using cold water as this helps prevent dyes from bleeding and be sure to use a gentle detergent that is formulated to work in cold water.
- Wash On the Gentle Cycle — Avoid washing your tie-dyed shirt with heavy items like jeans. Heavy items can cause friction in the wash which can make other fabrics fade. Consider using short or gentle wash cycles to minimize friction.
- Don’t Give it the Chance to Bleed — Don’t leave your wet shirts in the washing machine for too long after the cycle has completed. This can give colors time to bleed out. When possible, dry on a clothesline indoors or in the shade since sunlight fades bright colors. Laying them flat to dry works, too. Avoid drying in the dryer after the first washing, if possible.
