Name: Allison

Message: Hi, I have searched and searched, but to no avail! Can you please tell me how to wash my daughter's tie-dyed shirt? She dyed it at gym camp and the director told me I could just put it in the wash, however when I put it in the sink the color was still running right out of it. I am so frustrated and it was irresponsible of the camp to not provide adequate care since they have do this once a week all summer long. Thank you for your time, sincerely, Allison :)

Assuming that they used good tie-dye dyes and followed the correct procedure, the right thing to do is wash once in cool water (which you've already done in the sink), then wash two or three times in the hottest water available, preferably at least 140°F. It is fine to use a washing machine and dryer, but hand washing is also acceptable. After the dye is applied, it's a good rule to always wait at least overnight, keeping the dyed items in a warm place in order to allow the reaction to complete, before washing out for the first time.

The initial cool water washing removes any salt or other auxiliary chemicals, plus some of the unattached excess dye. Removing the last of the unattached excess dye works best with very hot water, and good fiber-reactive tie-dye dyes will not wash out at any temperature.

This procedure must never be used for Rit or Tintex dyes, by the way, but it is best to never use all-purpose dyes for tie-dyeing, anyway. Other brands of tie-dye kits, which contain fiber reactive dyes, produce much better results. If you need to wash a garment that has been dyed with Rit dye, be sure to always hand wash each one, separately from other garments, in cool water.

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