Q&A for How to Wash Tie Dyed Fabric

Do it again. If the colors wash out, then you are using poor dying techniques.

For salt, it depends on what kind of dye you are using, but vinegar will help set the dye.

Wash it by itself, but in hot water to ensure that all the extra dye is gone.

Soak the shirt in a large tub filled with cold water, then rinse it in the sink with hot water, wring it out well and let it air dry.

Not unless they were all washed individually first. Even then, it is risky.

It shouldn't be a problem to wait a few days. The longer your item sits, the deeper the dye will go. However, you won't want to wait too long. Dye colors may blend into dull colors, or the pattern may not be as crisp if you let the fabric sit for too long.

You might be safe, but then again, you might not. You'd be better off following the steps in the article.

A regular detergent means the one you use normally to wash all your clothes with.

They would most likely shrink in terms of size, but you can wash it in a washing machine and then just hang it somewhere to dry.

Hot water isn’t what is leaving your fabric pale. If it’s fading drastically, it’s either your dye or your technique. Some fiber reactive dyes will stay vibrant, but others will fade immensely.

Make sure you’ve soaked your fabric first in a soda ash mixture for at least 20 minutes. Make sure your fabric is a natural fiber such as cotton, rayon, viscose, etc. and make sure you are using procion fiber reactive dye. If you are doing all of these things and your dye is still not working, check to see if your dye is properly mixed and is not old or out of date.

Yes. This should not make a difference, just follow the same protocol.

If you soak your item in soda ash or some other kind of washing soda, the dye will adhere to the fabric better. Then it's recommended to leave it to process for up to 24 hours. The longer the better, but not any longer than a full day.

If you wash it on a cold cycle, then it is more likely to stay in, rather than on a warm cycle, which means it will be more likely to fade out.

Hand wash it in cold water. Then wring it and let it air dry. The washer makes colors fade so you are better off hand washing it anyway.

No, don't let it dry. It is important to wash it in the machine directly after rinsing. This is because washing it straight away will wash any dye off the white areas so these aren't discoloured. If you dry it first, the white areas could be discoloured by the loose dye from rinsing.