Name: Paige
Message: I read a question about dyeing cotton and you said to use Dylon dye "cold water".  I have a 100% cotton skirt, white.  I want to dye it black.  Will it turn a gray color or black?  I have dyed white things before trying to get black and they have turned out gray.  I'm sure you have gotten this question before, but I don't want to ruin my skirt.  I would greatly apperciate your help.  Thank you.

You will get a grey color if you do not use a large enough quantity of dye. You will also get grey instead of black if you try to dye garments that are not 100% cotton, or if there is a stain-resistant or permanent-press finish on the fabric, or if the water temperature is below 70°F (21°C), or if you do not add soda ash but the dye requires it, or if you use all-purpose dye.

Weigh your skirt on a kitchen scale. One packet of black "Dylon Permanent" dye is enough for only 8 ounces of fabric. (I found that in fact it did produce a very nice black when I used it for a half-pound of t-shirt.) One tin of "Dylon Cold" dye will be sufficient for only four ounces of fabric. If your skirt weighs two pounds, you will need four packets of "Dylon Permanent" black dye, or eight tins of "Dylon Cold" black dye. Obviously, a lightweight miniskirt will require much less dye than a long corduroy skirt. 

Dyeing black requires a large amount of dye, no matter what you are dyeing. As a general rule, you should use at least twice as much dye for black as for any other dark color, and four times as much dye as when you are dyeing a medium color. It won't hurt anything if you use twice as much dye as you need.

One more caution: the stitching on your skirt is almost certainly polyester, which means that it will not dye. The threads used to sew the skirt together will stay white. Will this be okay, or is it enough of a reason to avoid this project altogether? It all depends on the style of the skirt. Think about this before you decide whether or not to undertake this project.

Also note that you have to add soda ash to "Dylon Cold" dye, unless the package clearly says not to add anything. "Dylon Permanent" dye already contains soda ash or its equivalent, which is why it's such a big package for such a small amount of dye.

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