Shibori is a beautiful form of wearable art that originated in Japan. Jumputan, in Indonesia, Bandhani, in India, Mudmee, in Thailand… all these are variations on the tie-and-dye. This psychedelic art can be used to jazz up an ordinary shirt. You must know how to wash your tie-dye shirt for the first time.
The first wash of a tie-dye shirt begins with a quick rinse, followed by soaking in a mixture of vinegar and water. Then, wash it with hot water using detergent and let it dry. After a few gentle washes, it is ready to be cleaned along with other clothing.
How to wash tie dye shirts for the first time: A step-by-step guideline
You must be very careful when washing tie-dye shirts or any other clothing. It would be best if you learned the correct way to wash tie-dye shirts for the first time. It’s surprisingly easy. The steps you take both before and after washing are equally important if you’re looking for vibrant and long-lasting colors and patterns.
Let ‘Er Steep
The washing of a tie-dye shirt does not include steeping. The colors need to develop. Let the shirt that has just been dyed rest in an airtight or sealed plastic bag. For cotton, the resting period is between 8 and 24 hours. The resting time for polyester shirts after soaking them in a dye bath can vary from 30 minutes to 4 hours, depending on the type of dye.
The Baptismal Rinse
The first rinse is to remove the loose dye. Use the rinse cycle in your washing machine after holding the shirt under the running water. Use only cold water for cotton. For polyester, however, you should start with warm and then gradually lower the temperature. If you don’t wish to dye your hands, use gloves and tongs.
Set All Colors
Why try to chase colors around in your mind when you can put them on your shirt and wear them? For cotton shirts, place the shirt into a pail with 2 cups of vinegar and a gallon or so of cold water. Let it sit for 30 minutes. Synthrapol is needed for polyester shirts instead of vinegar. This will help the dye adhere to the fabric.
Detergent is the new “Bye-bye dye”
Detergent? Will it remove the colors? At this point, your shirt has some dye still stuck to the fibers. Use a little mild detergent to remove the excess paint so it won’t bleed. This step should be done with hot water to allow the color to set.
Repeat to a Masterpiece
You may need to repeat this step after you have completed the first wash. After each wash, I recommend you take note of the color of the water. You can tell if the water is murky because there’s extra dye on your shirt. Continue until the water is clear. Don’t let it soak, or the colors will be damaged.
High and Dry
How to dry a tie-dye shirt? Remove the sweater from the detergent and hang it up in a warm place. Avoid direct sunlight, as it can fade colors. Check if the dye requires a certain heat level for it to set. You may need to select the dryer to a specific temperature in this case.
To ensure that the shirt lasts a long time, you will need to take care when washing a tie-dye. Let the shirt dry alone during the first few washings. The shirt will be ready for cleaning with other clothing. Once the excess dye has been removed, rinse with cold water.
Hand washing vs. Machine Washing Tie-Dye Shirts
Should you wash your tie-and-dye shirt by hand or in the washing machine? Both methods have advantages and disadvantages. Compare the two plans.
Washing tie-dye shirts in the washer is convenient and easy. The washer will take care of everything, from cleaning to drying your shirts without staining them. You can also control the temperature of both the water and the dryer.
The process of hand-washing tie-dyed clothes is messy and requires gloves and tongs. It uses less water. The clothes are also treated with more care. The shirt can be wrung out or squeezed, but too much of either can damage the fabric.
Turning the shirt inside out can reduce friction in the washer. To minimize the harsh movements, it is best to use the gentle cycle on your washing machine. Hand washing is best for tie-dye shirts.
How to wash tie-dye shirts: Cotton Fabric or Polyester Fabric
Cotton and polyester respond differently to different dyes. Cotton is an extremely absorbent fabric. Polyester is not. Cotton can take water-soluble dyes that need to rest 8-24 hours before they set. However, polyester needs acrylic paint or dispersed color, which can take up to 240 minutes along with heat before washing.
Cotton shirts need to be soaked in a solution of vinegar and water after the first wash with cold water. This will set the color. If you are using polyester, then you will need to use Synrapol in place of vinegar as the soaking solution, following the first wash with warm and cold waters.
It’s best to wash the polyester shirt in cold water, but you can use hot water if necessary. You will notice that water becomes murky when rinsing and washing. This is more noticeable with cotton than polyester.
How to rinse tie-dye shirts without them bleeding
After dyeing the shirt, you will need to rinse it twice. The first rinse is done immediately after the fabric has been soaked in dye. This helps to prevent the excess paint from sticking to the fibers of the material. This gives you vibrant colors and sharp edges instead of dull shades and blunt patterns.
It’s best to wash cotton shirts with cold water for the first time. For polyester, however, it is better to begin with warm or hot water because the previous dyeing process likely involved a boiling dye solution! Switch to cold water. This will help to lock in the color and remove the excess dye.
The next step, which is usually overlooked, is a soak. The dye color will adhere better to polyester shirts if you use synthrapol instead of vinegar solution. Use cold water to seal the paint and stop it from bleeding.
