Quick Drying Instructions for Tie-dye

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Things You'll Need

  • Dyed clothing

  • Plastic bags

  • Clothespins

  • Clothesline

Sun dry your tie-dye.

Tie-dyeing attracts many kinds of people. Children love it because the results are brightly colored and something they can show off as self-made. Teens and adults like it because it offers a way to renew old and faded clothing or jazz up white sheets, socks and even light-wash jeans. When tie-dying, it can take a long time to dry each item in the dryer separately, and if the clothing is not rinsed properly, the dyes can color the inside of your dryer and stain other clothing. There is a way to dry all of your tie-dyed items at the same time with no ill effects.

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Step 1

Use some kind of fixative in your dye. Light-colored vinegar or salt are the simplest and cheapest fixatives; use equal parts vinegar and water in your dye or add ½ cup of salt to each quart of water you use for your dye.

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Step 2

Cure and rinse your shirts according to package directions. If the items do not cure in plastic bags for at lest 24 hours, your colors will run and fade when you dry and later wash them. Rinsing them properly also helps keep the colors from running.

Step 3

Place the shirts back inside plastic bags and carry them outside. Open the bags one at a time and clip each item to the clothesline. Clip shirts by the shoulders, pants by the bottoms of the legs, and toss sheets tent-like over the clothes lines before pinning them in place.

Step 4

Allow the items to dry in the bright sun for most of the day. The sun will dry everything quickly without fading or staining your dryer.

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