Message: This is close to a FAQ but not exactly......i got some dance costumes from a company, gauzy cotton fabric, that needed to be re-dyed.  I soaked them briefly, then put into a washer with RIT dye (a mix of brown and green), did the dye, rinsed, then dried slightly (so they would not shrink).  well, they wore them and where they were perspiring it got darker.  So I told them to re-wash immediately b/c perhaps they needed a 2nd rinse? but supposedly that did not work.  I am perplexed.  Could it be that they had not washed the costumes before they gave them to me?

If it is possible that they did not wash the costumes before giving them to you, then the salt or other chemicals in the perspiration stains already in the costumes would certainly have caused problems, problems which become permanent when dye is applied. Always scour clothing before dyeing by prewashing it in hot (140°F) water, with detergent, plus extra soda ash or washing soda, for added cleaning power. All fabric must be totally clean before dyeing, in order to obtain acceptable results. Some used clothing is impossible to clean sufficiently to get good results.

In any case, I'm afraid that my best advice for problems dyeing with all-purpose dye (such as Rit or Tintex) is to throw the all-purpose dye dye out and use a fiber reactive dye instead. Even perfectly clean garments will often not produce fully dependable results with all-purpose dye.

Rit dye is an all-purpose dye, which is a mixture of a leveling acid dye (which is for wool or nylon, and just washes out of cotton) with direct dye, a poorly washfast dye for cotton. Some direct dyes are strongly affected by salt, which is of course a major component of perspiration. Other low-quality dyes are affected so much in color by pH that acidic perspiration will permanently alter their color.

I would recommend washing the costumes in hot water in the hopes of removing the stain and perhaps also the dye. I do not know whether or not this will solve the problem; in fact, I am not at all sure that the problem can be solved at this point.

Next time you wish to dye costumes, I recommend using a higher-quality dye. You cannot buy good dye at the grocery store, but any good crafts store will have it. Look for Tulip One Step Fashion Dye, or Jacquard Procion MX dye, or Dylon Machine Dye, Dylon Cold Water Dye, or Dylon Permanent Dye. Be sure to follow the instructions included with the dye. For more economical fiber reactive dyes (much cheaper per garment than Rit!), and a much wider choice of colors, order your dye from a good dye supplier such as PRO Chemical & Dye, Dharma Trading Company, Colorado Wholesale Dyes, etc. See "Sources for Dyeing Supplies Around the World".


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