Why don't my clothes get dark enough when I dye them in the washer?
By Dayle Branson from Memphis, TN
I've tried this and found the water in the washer didn't get hot enough and didn't stay in the machine long enough (rinse cycle kicks in after 10 or 15 minutes) for dark results. You also need several packages when using the washer.
I got way better results by using a bucket with very hot water and hand stirring and leaving the cloth in for a longer time, until I was satisfied with the result (Or you shut the machine off before it goes into the rinsing cycle, until the dye is dark enough ). Hope this helps.
I agree that there are probably 2 things wrong.
1. You need more dye in the washer because there is probably more water there - even on the lowest setting than 1 box or bottle of dye requires.
2. The dye doesn't stay in the washer long enough.
To correct this, set a timer for slightly less time than the longest wash cycle. For example, if your longest cycle is 15 minutes, set the timer for 12 minutes.
Then the timer goes off, turn the washer off and reset it back to 15 minutes. You might have to do this 3 or 4 times.
Just be sure to reset it each time before the washer starts to drain.
ThriftyFun is one of the longest running frugal living communities on the Internet. These are archives of older discussions.
Can I dye a sweatshirt with RIT dye in a front loading washing machine?
How do I dye 20 white kids t-shirts with orange RIT dye in my washing machine?