How to Make a Rit Dye Bolder
Rit is a brand of all-purpose dye available in both liquid and powder versions. Intended to work on all fabrics, Rit is a combination of acid dyes and direct dyes. Acid dyes are made for animal fibers like wool, cashmere and mohair, while direct dyes are a substitute for fiber-reactive dyes and are made for plant fibers like cotton. Because Rit is meant to dye a wide variety of fabrics, it is harder achieve the bold results you would get if you used straight acid or fiber-reactive dyes. Proper dyeing techniques can help improve Rit's brightness.
Things You'll Need
- Natural fabric
- 2 packages or 1 bottle Rit dye
- Glass jar
- Plastic spoon
- 1 cup salt
- Large cooking pot
Instructions
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Use only light-colored natural fibers when you dye with Rit. White, 100% cotton, wool, linen or silk work best, though you can also dye blends of these fabrics that contain nylon, rayon and acetate. Blended fabrics will not be as bright, and Rit will not work on polyester or acrylic.
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Wash the item by hand in a sink full of warm water. Add 2 tablespoons of laundry detergent. Squeeze the suds through the fabric. Leave it wet, but do not rinse.
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Fill a glass jar with 2 cups of very hot water. Add two packages of powdered Rit or one bottle of liquid Rit. Stir the water until all the dye is dissolved.
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Boil 3 gallons of water in a large cooking pot for every 1 pound of wet fabric. Reduce the heat to a simmer and pour in the dissolved dye. Add 1 tablespoon of laundry detergent and 1 cup of salt to the dye bath if you are dyeing cotton or other plant fibers.
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Leave the fabric in the simmering dye bath for one hour, stirring occasionally to distribute the dye evenly.
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Pour the entire dye bath, including the fabric, into the sink. Rinse the fabric with warm water for five minutes. Wash the fabric in warm water, either by hand or in the machine. Hang the fabric to dry.
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Tips & Warnings
Do not use the same pot for dyeing that you use for cooking. Reserve a pot especially for dye.
