How to Dye Your Socks Pink

Repurpose hand-me-down baby socks with pink dye.
... Photodisc/Photodisc/Getty Images

Whether your socks are worn in or brand new, chances are they are one of the least interesting elements of your wardrobe. Spicing up your footwear with pink socks can be expensive if you purchase them from specialty shops or from a department store -- even then, you may not find socks in the particular shade of pink you want. You can give your own white socks a modern pink makeover with a simple, do-it-yourself dye bath.

Cover your hands with plastic or rubber gloves to guard against potential spills.

Fill a large pot with 3 gallons of hot water per pound of socks or 2 cups of water in a saucepan for a single pair of socks. Heat the water on a stove until just before it begins to boil. Turn the stove off as soon as the water begins to simmer.

Add 1 tablespoon of laundry detergent into the pot of simmering water to help give the socks an even coloration. Stir the water with a spoon until the detergent is dissolved.

Fill a bowl with 2 cups of hot water and stir in one-half package of powdered or one-half bottle of liquid fabric dye for a pound of socks. Stir the solution with a plastic spoon until the dye is completely dissolved. Mix the 2 cups of pre-heated water with 2 tablespoons of pink dye thoroughly in a bucket if you're dyeing a single pair of socks.

Place your white socks in a clean sink and soak them thoroughly in hot running water. If you're starting with colored socks, wash them with a color remover beforehand to weaken the manufacturer's dye and then rinse them in hot water. Roll each sock and press the excess water out of the material.

Fill your sink with the 3 gallons of preheated water and the bowl of dye solution if you are dyeing socks in bulk. Stir the solution with a plastic spoon until well mixed.

Unroll your socks and put all of them into the hot dye bath, ensuring that they remain submerged for the duration of the bath. Stir bulk socks continuously for 10 to 30 minutes or until the fibers have absorbed the pigment. Soak a single pair of socks in the bucket of dye for 15 minutes.

Drain the sink and rinse it with hot water. Adjust the tap water to a cool temperature.

Douse the socks with the running water to release the loose dye liquids until it runs clear when passing through the socks.

Wash the socks in warm water with a mild laundry detergent. Dry the socks in an electric dryer, on a clothes line or by laying them flat on a clean covered surface.

Clean your workspace with chlorine beach and hot water to avoid permanent stains.

  • Never leave a burning stove unattended.
  • Add 1 cup of salt to the dye solution when dyeing cotton socks in bulk or 1 cup white vinegar for nylons or wool socks to make them vibrant pink. Reduce the salt or vinegar to 1 tablespoon when dyeing individual socks.

Chance Henson earned a B.A. in English literature and a writing minor from Lamar University. While interning at the "University Press" newspaper and "UP Beat" magazine he received an award for news feature writing from the Texas Intercollegiate Press Association. Henson went on to serve as content editor for "CUSH Magazine," eventually leaving to pursue the development of an online secular humanist educational publication.

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