Lady Dye - Fabric Dye - Hot Water Dye - T-Shirt Dye Bundle - Brights

Get prepared

• Although all our dyes are non-toxic, care should always be taken when handling any chemicals​
• Avoid prolonged inhalation of dye powder, as this can cause an allergic reaction in some people
• If you are concerned about the appearance of your hands, wear latex gloves for protection against temporary skin staining
• Read and stick to the instructions
• Make sure you have all of the required equipment before you start, and enough time to complete the process
• Please make sure that your washing machine:
• Can​ heat to 90°C
• Is NOT a twin tub or single tub
• ROTATES AUTOMATICALLY during heating to ensure even dyeing
• If it does not rotate automatically, interrupt the cycle periodically and turn the switch to rotate
• After a few rotations, resume the heating stage​

Prepare the fabric

• Identify the fabric type before dyeing
• Natural fabrics dye best (cotton is the best); other fabrics give mixed results
• Poly-cotton mixtures give reduced shades and can result in blotchy results
• Synthetic and acrylic fabrics cannot be successfully dyed in the home (these require very high temperature and pressure conditions not attainable in the home)
• Silk can be dyed under specific conditions (you will have to use an acidic agent, like vinegar)
• Wool can be dyed, but we do not recommend it, as the high temperatures often cause shrinkage and shape loss of the garment​

Weigh the fabric before dyeing it

• The weight of the fabric determines how much dye you should use
• Each pack of Lady Dye fabric dye is designed to dye 250g of dry fabric to the shade indicated on the pack
• Varying the amount of dye to fabric ratio will make for lighter or darker shades (i.e. 1 pack of Lady Dye fabric dye to less than 250g of dry fabric will result in darker shades, whereas 1 pack of Lady Dye fabric dye to more than 250g of dry fabric will result in lighter shades)
• If your garment weighs less than 250g, use a proportional amount of dye and water (e.g. if your garments weighs 125g, use half the pack of dye and half the amount of water. See Weighing Table for more detail)​

Get the fabric ready for dyeing

• Wash all fabric before dyeing (any impurities will affect the dyeing process); this is true for both brand new and old fabrics
• The closer to white the fabric, the better (Lady Dye Colour Remover or a bleach and water solution are recommended)
• Prepare the solutions
• Make up the dye solution
• Boil 1 litre of water for every sachet of Lady Dye fabric dye
• Dissolve the dye powder in the water you have just boiled (making a paste with some of the water first helps)
• Strain the solution through a cloth into another container large enough to contain your fabric AND the dye bath solution (a large pot is best). Please note that the cloth that you strain the solution through will be discoloured by the process, so a clean, old cloth is best)
• This solution is now what we call the Dye Solution

Make up the salt solution

• Boil another 1 litre of water for every sachet of Lady Dye fabric dye used
• Dissolve 4 tablespoons (60ml) of salt for every sachet of Lady Dye fabric dye used; make sure the salt dissolves completely
• Dye the fabric
• Dye the garment
• Strain the dye solution through a cloth into a jug
• Pour this directly into the washing machine drum
• Pour the salt solution directly into washing machine drum as well 
• Run through the longest and hottest cycle. DO NOT INCLUDE A PREWASH
• When the cycle is complete, dry your fabric before fixing the colour

​Fix the colour

• Wet your fabric
• Place your fabric into the washing machine drum
• Re-program and run the washing machine at 40°C
• Dissolve the sachet of fixative in 250ml of warm water
• Add this fixative solution through the detergent chamber of the washing machine while the machine is running
• Run for 15 minutes
• Rinse and spin-dry 

HOT WATER HANDWASH

• Get prepared
• Although all our dyes are non-toxic, care should always be taken when handling any chemicals​
• Avoid prolonged inhalation of dye powder, as this can cause an allergic reaction in some people
• If you are concerned about the appearance of your hands, wear latex gloves for protection against temporary skin staining
• Read and stick to the instructions
• Make sure you have all of the required equipment before you start, and enough time to complete the process

Prepare the fabric

• Identify the fabric type before dyeing
• Natural fabrics dye best (cotton is the best); other fabrics give mixed results
• Poly-cotton mixtures give reduced shades and can result in blotchy results
• Synthetic and acrylic fabrics cannot be successfully dyed in the home (these require very high temperature and pressure conditions not attainable in the home)
• Silk can be dyed under specific conditions (you will have to use an acidic agent, like vinegar)
• Wool can be dyed, but we do not recommend it, as the high temperatures often cause shrinkage and shape loss of the garment

Weigh the fabric before dyeing it

• The weight of the fabric determines how much dye you should use
• Each pack of Lady Dye fabric dye is designed to dye 250g of dry fabric to the shade indicated on the pack
• Varying the amount of dye to fabric ratio will make for lighter or darker shades (i.e. 1 pack of Lady Dye fabric dye to less than 250g of dry fabric will result in darker shades, whereas 1 pack of Lady Dye fabric dye to more than 250g of dry fabric will result in lighter shades)
• If your garment weighs less than 250g, use a proportional amount of dye and water (e.g. if your garments weighs 125g, use half the pack of dye and half the amount of water. See Weighing Table for more detail)

Get the fabric ready for dyeing

• Wash all fabric before dyeing (any impurities will affect the dyeing process); this is true for both brand new and old fabrics
• The closer to white the fabric, the better (Lady Dye Colour Remover or a bleach and water solution are recommended as a pre-treatment)

Prepare the dye bath

• Make up the dye solution
• Boil 1 litre of water for every sachet of Lady Dye fabric dye
• Dissolve the dye powder in the water you have just boiled (making a paste with some of the water first helps)
• Strain the solution through a cloth into another container large enough to contain your fabric AND the dye bath solution (a large pot is best). Please note that the cloth that you strain the solution through will be discoloured by the process, so a clean, old cloth is best)
• This solution is now what we call the Dye Solution

Make up the salt solution

• Boil another 1 liter of water for every sachet of Lady Dye fabric dye used
• Dissolve 4 tablespoons (60ml) of salt for every sachet of Lady Dye fabric dye used; make sure the salt dissolves completely

Make up the dye bath

• Add the dye solution to the salt solution
• Add enough cold water to cover the article to be dyed (up to a maximum of 3 litres per sachet of Lady Dye fabric dye)
• Well done - your dye bath is now ready!

Dye the fabric

• Dye the garment
• Wet your fabric
• Immerse the garment in the dye bath
• Put the dye bath onto the stove and slowly bring it to a boil
• Move the fabric around continuously so that the dye can penetrate all the folds and creases (it also ensure an even distribution of heat, and thus colouration)
• Keep the garment fully submerged for the duration of the dyeing process
• Once boiling, reduce heat and allow the fabric to simmer for at least 15 minutes
• Remove from the heat and allow to cool for another 15 minutes
• Rinse under a cold tap until the water runs clear (this removes excess dye)
• Allow the garment to dry (so that you can check the shade before you fix the dye)

Fix the colour

• Wait for your garment to dry
• Dissolve the fixative (provided in the Lady Dye box) in 4 to 5 litres of warm water (40°C); this is called the fixative solution
• Wet the garment
• Immerse the wet garment into the fixative solution and agitate
• Leave to soak for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally
• Dry the garment