Name: Sarah

Message: Hello my name is Sarah. I have a couple of questions. I have some shirts that are black, and they're fading pretty badly. I want to try and dye them back, but they have white decals. Will the dye ruin the decals? Also, I want to try the wash and dye. Is that something that would work?

White decals or screen prints will be unaffected by the right dye.

Do not use all-purpose dye, because it requires heat, and because heating some plastics with all-purpose dye will result in their taking up dye. Also, all-purpose dye gives poor results which wash out quickly and are never very dark. Another product to avoid is fabric paint, such as Tumble Dye, because it is not as good as a good dye, and because it will cover up the white designs on your shirts.

The right kind of dye to use is cool water fiber reactive dye, such as Procion MX dye. It is easiest and most economical to purchase this dye by mail-order from a company such as PRO Chemical & Dye. (See my Sources for Dyeing Supplies page for links to this and other suppliers around the world.) You will also need soda ash (sodium carbonate) and ordinary non-iodized salt.

Dyeing in the washing machine is an excellent way to get perfectly smooth solid results with fiber reactive dye. For instructions, see "How can I dye clothing or fabric in the washing machine?".

Whenever you dye anything black, be sure to always use two to four times as much dye as is recommended. Black requires a lot more dye than any other color does.

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