You purchased the ideal pair of jeans. They’re the perfect fit, extremely comfy, and make you feel like a million dollars every time you put them on.
What is the issue?
They’ve been washed so many times that their deep dark indigo color has faded. And now they don’t appear to be the same. They don’t appear to be as attractive as they formerly did.
Don’t worry, I’ll take care of everything.
In this article, I’ll show you how to make your faded jeans look like new by dying them darker.
To put it another way, how do you bring life to faded jeans?
Table of Contents
What Will You Need?
To get started, you’ll need the following items:
- 2 buckets or two containers with a water of four to five gallons
- a black dye bottle
- a dye fixing agent
- a cup for measuring
- salt
- gloves
- tongs
You’ll also need some old towels or plastic to cover your desk, as well as clothes that you don’t mind being stained.
Why is Black Dye Used?
Now, I know what you’re thinking: I want dark blue jeans. They should be indigo. Why would I ever use black dye? Isn’t it better if I get navy or something like instead?
You’d think so, however navy dye will not darken the jeans sufficiently. It will only produce a bright blue color.
The jeans already have blue dye in them, and the black will just darken it back to the deep indigo.
It’s OK if you want a more prominent blue look. When you’re putting this together, just make sure you have one part navy dye to two parts black dye.
Know The Material
It’s now critical to understand what kind of material you’re working with in order to achieve the greatest results.
Some dyes, for example, can only be used on natural textiles like cotton or linen. Polyester and nylon are synthetic fabrics that employ a different sort of dye.
Although most jeans are made entirely of cotton, some do contain synthetic fibers such as spandex. If you have stretch jeans, keep in mind that this dye process will not darken them as much as it would if they were made entirely of cotton.
How to Color Faded Jeans
- To begin, fill the container with around 3 to 4 gallons of boiling water. Fill it no more than 70% of the way. You need to make place for your jeans.
- Remember, you’ll be putting on the jeans, and you don’t want the dye-splashed water spraying all over the place.
- To achieve the best results, use the hottest water your cloth can tolerate. Use water that is between 140 and 160 degrees Fahrenheit when washing cotton jeans.
- You won’t be able to get water this hot from your tap, so you’ll have to heat it on the stove or in a kettle. Always read the directions on the back of the dye you’re using before using it.
- Frequently, they will advise you exactly how much water to use. Three gallons is what I’m supposed to use in this circumstance.
- The usual guideline is that there should be enough water in the bucket for the jeans to be able to move freely while being submerged.
- Make sure you have your gloves on. While the majority of dyes aren’t dangerous, they can be a headache to wash.
- After that, mix in a cup of salt until it dissolves. This will make the color pop.
- Don’t forget to put a teaspoon of dish soap in there as well. This will encourage even death. If it’s a liquid, give it a good shake.
- In a single pair of jeans, four ounces of dye for three gallons of water is recommended for the dye I’m using.
- Before you put your jeans in the bath, make sure they’re damp. You will, in fact, get it wet. Why? Because it will make it easier for the fibers to absorb the dye.
- Immerse your jeans in the water, making sure they’re uniformly covered.
- Stir the jeans with tongs to guarantee even results with no splotches.
- For the first few minutes, it’s critical to stir slowly yet consistently.
- Continue stirring every 5 minutes over the next hour, allowing the jeans to soak in the dye.
- Now that you’ve put in the effort to dye your jeans, it’s critical to ensure that the color stays put.
- You’ll need 3 gallons of hot water to fill your second tub. It was around 140 degrees Fahrenheit this time.
- A dye fixative is going to be added. 4 ounces per 3 gallons of water, according to the brand I’m using.
- Toss the fixative into the water and thoroughly mix it in.
- Allow your newly colored jeans to soak in the fixative bath for around 20 minutes.
- You should stir them carefully every few minutes during this process.
- Let’s pull out your newly dyed jeans and rinse them after the 20 minutes has elapsed.
- Put the jeans in a sink, preferably one made of stainless steel, to avoid any color bleeding into the sink.
- To get rid of any extra dye, run cool water over the jeans for a few minutes after rinsing them.
- When it comes to rinsing your jeans, how long should you go? Rinse them thoroughly until the water runs clean, which should only take a few minutes.
If you’re staring at your jeans and thinking, “Oh, my god, they’re darker than I imagined,” what should you do?
Don’t be concerned. As they dry, they will brighten slightly.
We don’t want to ruin your other clothes, therefore this following step is critical.
We don’t want to dye clothing that wasn’t meant to be dyed. So you want to wash these jeans by themselves in the washing machine? They can be washed as usual with a moderate detergent and air dried.
If the jeans are still not dark enough for you, continue the process to darken them even more.
