Rit All-Purpose Powder Dye, Black (42809)

*Jan. 17, 2017: They're starting to slightly fade, but only very slightly. Certainly not any more than a newly purchased pair. *Apr. 13, 2016: Still no issues with fading, they still look good. *Jan. 6, 2016: They still look good. I'll stress to wash them separately the first 3-5 times to avoid staining other clothes. I like how the jeans and shirts I dyed turned out. I should have taken a before picture, but I didn't plan on writing a review until after I finished. The jeans were very faded, almost white at the knees and some permanent dirt stains. I followed the instructions for the most part, but here's what I did, which allowed me to not have to use a cup of salt for each pair of jeans: 3 gallons of 150°F water in a bucket, mixed one cup of salt, 1 packet of navy blue and 1/2 packet of black. The instructions specify one packet per pound of fabric, since these jeans weigh 1.5 pounds, that's right on spec. I submerged the first pair of jeans in hot clean water first before placing into the dye solution as per Rit's instructions, but I didn't do that for the three subsequent pairs, I can't see any difference in the end result. I left the jeans in the dye for about 30 minutes each, mixing with gloved hands and sticks about every 10 minutes or so. Rit's instructions say to stir constantly for the first 20 minutes then occasionally for 10 minutes. I didn't do that, but the results were still very uniform. After I removed the first pair, I added another packet of navy blue and 1/2 packet of black and did the same for the third pair. I was worried that adding more dye to the existing dye not absorbed in the first pair of jeans would cause the second and third pair to be way darker, but that was not the case. For the fourth pair, I added nothing and the jeans came out very slightly lighter than the first three pairs. The fourth pair was also lined with flannel and weighed more. Consecutively, I dyed five faded black shirts (2.5 lbs). I used a bottle of liquid black combined with a 1/2 packet of black and dyed all five shirts at the same time with great results. The bottle of liquid is good for 2 lbs. of fabric. I find after reading others’ reviews that it’s important to keep the temperature of the solution to at least 140 degrees. I achieved that with my sous vide cooker in between pairs (immersed heating element with a circulator). Other methods I suggest would be a 4-5 gallon stock pot and a thermometer, or topping off with boiling water (which will dilute the salt and the dye, so may need to add more). After everything was dyed, I hung everything up outside for about 1/2 hour, then plunged the jeans then the shirts each into a 6 gallon bucket of clean water and rang them out. I then ran the jeans then shirts separately in a short cold water washing machine cycle and hung everything to dry. After wearing, I plan to put both the shirts and the jeans into their own laundry pile together and wash them all again by themselves to ensure the color has set. I forgot to add a squirt of dishwashing soap to the dye solution as Rit suggests. I imagine that would have further ensured penetration into the fabric by reducing the surface tension of the solution. Use rubber gloves. I did and I found out that one finger had a very small hole in it because that finger is now blue. I figured the two plastic buckets I used would be forever stained blue, but they weren’t. I’ll update in the future to report on how everything holds up to washing and wear. All in all, this represents over $300 of clothing when new, feels pretty good to be able to restore everything for about $15 worth of dye/salt and two hours of time (even less because I did other stuff while soaking and ignoring the 20 minute agitation)!

This turned out better than expected! I used the hot water method with a cup of salt and soaked for 30 minutes. Would use this fabric dye again!

Excellent dye! Restored my faded blue jeans to brand new.

This dye is a convenient option for refreshing or darkening fabrics at home. I used it on several cotton and polyester blends, and it produced a rich, deep black color that looks much more vibrant than I expected from a small packet. The powder dissolves easily in hot water, and application is straightforward. I followed the instructions carefully, and the results were mostly even, with good coverage on lighter fabrics. The color has held up well after multiple washes, fading minimally. The only reason I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 is that achieving completely uniform color on thicker fabrics or mixed-material items required a bit more attention. Stirring continuously and monitoring water temperature is essential; otherwise, minor uneven spots can occur. Also, the size is best suited for small to medium projects as larger items may need multiple packets. Overall, this dye is effective and convenient for home projects, small clothing updates, or restoring faded dark garments. Just follow the instructions carefully, and it delivers impressive results.

Did a good job dying clothes

Did not work , it did not stay when washed

I was worried the dye would come out too light or too cool but it was a beautiful warm yellow just as advertised. This box dyed a pair of (WHITE) jeans the perfect color

This supposed to be navy blue but it's not and just wasted my time and left a big mess, it took me more than two hours to clean The area was used to do this. Buy it if you planty of free time and huge area to work on it,and not being surprised if you see the bad results. Look at photo .these are supposed to be navy blue not whatever this color is! And yes I waited about two hours to get a dark blue.