Tie dye info!

Tie Dye Preparation

Please come to school prepared to tie-dye on Friday, May 17th.  

1.  Wear old clothes!!!  The dye will stain what you are wearing as well as what you bring.

2.  Bring rubber gloves!!!  The dye will stain your skin too.  We will have latex gloves available for students who may not have rubber gloves; however, rubber gloves work the best.  

3.  Bring a T-shirt. 100% cotton is best since the dye only sticks to cotton fibers, not polyester fibers. Pre-wash all new items to remove all starches and preservatives; avoid fabric softeners and drier sheets.  For additional affordable ideas check www.dharmatrading.comcatalogue.  Each student should write his or her first and last name on the inside tag or collar.  

4.  Bring a large, plastic Ziploc bag AND a plastic grocery sack to carry your dyed items home. Each student should write his or her first and last name on BOTH bags. You don’t want dye leaking and staining your car, counter, etc.  Putting the bags in an ice cream bucket, dish pan, or plastic shopping bag is also a safety precaution during transport.  (Washing instructions will be sent home with students on the day they dye shirts.)  

5.  Come open minded, and be ready to have fun with color!!!

Tie Dye Rinse and Wash Instructions

Complete these instructions at home 24 hours after dying shirts on the 17th.

1) After tie-dye shirts are completed, put items in plastic bags and let sit for about 24 hours.  Most of the chemical reaction is completed after the first hour but this allows the dyes to become thoroughly integrated with the fabric.

2) Wear gloves and work over a sink to open the bag, remove the items, and rinse with running water. Rinse until the color coming out of the items is pretty dilute.

3) Wash items alone on hot with just a little laundry detergent and an extra rinse cycle (preferably using hot or warm water for rinse cycles). Wash the same way again.

4) Dry items on hot to heat set the colors.

5) Enjoy using items. Wash them with other colored clothes or separately for the first two or three washings, after which the colors don’t bleed.