Dyeing clothes at home - methods and technology

Choosing paint for dyeing clothes

We live in an age of abundance. The chemical industry offers such a rich assortment that it can be difficult to decide what paint to paint clothes with. It is simply not possible to define all types of dyes in one article. Therefore, we will limit ourselves to a list and a brief description of the main types of things used to paint things.

Aniline - recommended only for dyeing products made from natural fibers.
Oil ones are the most difficult to use, but with guaranteed and long-term results.
Acrylic - can be used not only for cotton, but also for silk fabrics.
Water-glycerin - used to obtain radical dark shades (for example, black or dark blue).

Required tools for application

The set of materials and tools will depend on the chosen dyeing technique. Here is a sample list of required accessories:

the dye itself;
pencil for contouring;
brushes of different thicknesses;
clean cloth;
palette;
frames, hoops;
stencils;
cotton swabs, disks;
paint thinner (or water).

What fabrics can be dyed?

In principle, you can dye any fabric with your own hands. But, of course, subject to certain conditions. However, you should know that not every fabric modulates color equally well. Thus, the intensity of staining may vary. It is important to note:

You should always refrain from dyeing synthetic fibers such as polyester.
Fabrics containing 60 percent or more natural fibers can be dyed easily and without problems. These include cotton, viscose, linen, satin, chintz, etc.
The seams of clothing are most often made of synthetic threads. They absorb color with difficulty or not at all and therefore, in most cases, retain their original color. There may be a clear contrast. Before you paint things, pay attention to this.

Dye selection

Before going to the store, you need to find out the material of the down jacket. For synthetic fibers, compounds made from chemical elements are suitable. First you need to purchase paint from a specialty store. You should not save on money and buy from unknown manufacturers.

Important! Dye purchased cheaply in the subway can ruin clothes.

High-quality compositions can be found in a regular art store. Acrylic is designed specifically for dyeing fabrics. The main advantage is the huge palette of shades. If a person has not found the right color, he can combine several colors. Dyes are also sold at hardware stores. Before purchasing, it is recommended to test the product on a small piece of similar material. Artificial dye is presented in the form:

powder;
crystals;
paste placed in a jar.

Hand dyeing clothes

In this case, use only textile dye intended specifically for hand dyeing.

Mix the paint in a large container with water and salt. When painting by hand, do not forget about gloves. Otherwise, paint your hands at the same time.
Now place the clothes in the water solution and give it a certain time to work. Depending on time, the color intensity becomes stronger or weaker.
Then all that remains is to wash the clothes in the machine with a mild detergent.

Dye selection

If you need to repaint your clothes, it is better to buy paint in advance. In this case, the savings will be unnecessary - a cheap dye can give a completely unexpected result. Therefore, it is better to make a choice in favor of a well-known manufacturer. Dyes that are distinguished by their quality and effectiveness can be found in an art store. It is better to choose acrylic for dyeing fabric. It is better to pay attention to a wide range of colors. If the desired color is not found, you can mix several shades to achieve the desired result.

Before purchasing, you can consult with the seller, who will tell you about the dye, its properties and effectiveness. In addition to the paint manufacturer, the original color of the down jacket also matters. You can often find a table with the end result on the packaging of coloring products. But this rule only applies to white clothes. If you need to repaint a colored jacket, you need to buy paint a shade darker.

How to dye things in the washing machine

This type of coloring is simple and clean in the truest sense of the word.

First of all, select textile paints of the desired tone.
First, the fabric must be weighed to calculate the required amount of dye. Information can usually be found on the back of the package or on an instruction leaflet.
Place the laundry in the washing machine and wash at 40° without detergent. Before doing this, open the paint bag and pour its contents into the detergent compartment.
Set the rinse mode, and then the spin cycle. Wait until the program finishes and then wash the freshly dyed clothes again, but with a small amount of detergent.

Down jacket care

Many people wonder how to paint a down jacket black or any other color when the product loses its original shade. That is why it is necessary to carefully and properly care for the item in order to prevent such situations.

In any case, no matter how carefully and neatly a down jacket is worn, it still needs special attention. The most important thing is that it does not lose moisture resistance, and that the fluff inside does not fall into clumps.

Wash

Now there are a lot of children and adults who are allergic to most washing powders. If you are one of these people, then pay attention to baby powders. Or check out our hypoallergenic powder ratings before purchasing.

Important! Even better, always use exclusively liquid detergent, then you won’t have to deal with stains.

Storage:

After the end of the cold season, you should not immediately put the down jacket in the far corner of the closet. Before doing this, be sure to wash it and dry it for some time at room temperature.
If you don’t want the item to wrinkle and lose its shape, you should put it away after fastening all the buttons and zippers using a hanger.
The keeper of the down jacket is only in the straightened form.
Never use plastic bags.

Important! Also, do not use boxes and chests as storage places.

Rules for caring for outerwear with fur

If your down jacket has fur, then you need to follow some rules and care tips so that it serves you for a long time:

Try to keep the fur away from heavy moisture, such as rain.
Under no circumstances should you wash it together with your down jacket. Be sure to unfasten first. Otherwise, when washed, the fur will lose a large amount of its lint, as well as its original properties - it will not be able to warm as before.
If you need a thorough cleaning or need to restore the shine of the pile, use the suitable fur cleaning products we suggested in a separate article at the link.

Dyeing clothes using natural means

If you prefer to use natural products when dyeing clothes, then the following ingredients are what you need!

Turmeric: The spice makes your clothes shine bright yellow.
Spinach: Adds a touch of soft greens.
Blackberry: Depending on the base tone, it turns out red or pink.
Sea buckthorn: bright orange.
Wormwood plus alum: lemon.
Beetroot: from rich burgundy to soft pink.
Henna: from red to red.
Coffee, tea: from beige and cream to brown.

In order to prepare a dye from natural ingredients, first grind the raw materials and simmer them over low heat for half an hour. Approximate ratio: 200 grams per liter of water. Then you will need to strain through several layers of gauze - the natural paint is ready!

Dyeing clothes using mordant

Of course, you first need to thoroughly wash contaminated clothes so that no stains remain on them.

Next, boil the item to be painted for one to two hours with water and mordant (a chemical preparation that fixes the paint in the fiber structure). The optimal amount is one teaspoon of mordant per liter of water. Boil over low heat to allow the color to penetrate deeper into the fibers.
Then let the fabric simmer until it reaches the desired color. Stir again and again - this is necessary for a uniform result.
Finally, to remove excess color, rinse your freshly dyed clothes in the washing machine.

Dyeing clothes black

The technology for dyeing fabric black is practically no different from other shades.

So, let's prepare the coloring composition. Mix warm water with your chosen dye. The dosage is determined in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions.
Immerse the thoroughly washed and dried item in the solution so that it completely covers the fabric.
Over the course of half an hour, turn the product over several times, trying to lay it out as evenly as possible, without creases or folds.
Once the fabric has acquired an intense black color, proceed to rinsing. To do this, pour vinegar into clean cold water at the rate of 2 tablespoons per 5 liters of water. Rinse thoroughly and hang to dry.
If a product made of wool or silk fabric is dyed, it is better to add 25% vinegar essence to the rinsing water rather than vinegar.

Attention! You should not paint several products at once - only one at a time. Otherwise, there is a high probability of some areas not being painted.

General information

But whatever the fabric - natural, synthetic, the general recommendations are as follows:
The item of clothing must be cleanly washed and free of stains, otherwise the paint may not adhere to the spot where they are located. And this area will stand out unfavorably on clothing.
Weigh the product. For high-quality dyeing, the proportions of the dye composition must be strictly observed, which are determined based on the weight parameters of the clothing.
While dyeing, remove buttons and decorative elements from the item.
Choose options for the resulting shade that are close to the original, and not contrasting; the coloring matter can cope with such a fundamental task.
Make a trial version - dye a piece of fabric similar to the material of the item.
Use protective gloves when working with the dye.
Strictly follow the instructions on the paint packaging. Measuring the weight and duration of paint “by eye” is tantamount to failure.

How to paint things blue

The easiest way to paint is with blue – this is a classic and quite effective method. But it should be noted that for this purpose, even if you are dyeing blue clothes, only water-soluble compounds are suitable.

Wash and rinse thoroughly the item to be repainted.
Prepare a concentrated blue solution. Proceed in full accordance with the instructions.
Pour the resulting solution into water and stir until smooth.
Immerse the product in the container and straighten it completely.
To get a soft blue color, 10 minutes is enough. For a deeper tone it will take 1.5 hours. Denim fabric, depending on its density, will require at least two hours to be completely dyed. (Read more about how to dye jeans at home in our article).

Preliminary procedures

Before you start dyeing your coat, you need to assess the risks and make a firm decision whether it is worth doing. If there is no way out, then you need to act according to certain instructions. First of all, you need to determine the composition of the fabric, because it determines the quality of the work carried out in the future:

Natural fibers - they can be dyed any color.
Synthetic fabrics - this procedure is not suitable for them, since it is impossible to achieve the desired result.
Combined - the shade of the dyed coat will be slightly lighter than expected.

Important! Unscrupulous manufacturers may lie and indicate information on the tag that is not true. In order not to spoil the item, you need to do the procedure in a small and inconspicuous area.

As for the choice of color, experts do not recommend bold experiments, leaving the coat in approximately the same color as it was originally. It is best to choose a color several shades darker, so that the experiment will end successfully and the item will delight you with its attractive appearance.