Name: Julia
Message: Help! I tried to hand dyed a pale pink silk patterned dress to black. It is machine washable on a gentle cycle.I dyed it in my kitchen sink using a hand dye, unfortunately the dress is now grey and looks dreadful. Is there anyway I can dye it to dark rich black? Thank you.

First wash out as much of the all-purpose dye as you can, using hot water, so you don't have to worry about it bleeding in the laundry later on. It is best to avoid the use of all-purpose dye.

Is the dress 100% silk? If it is polyester, you can't dye it.

I recommend buying "silk black" Procion MX dye, plus soda ash, from PRO Chemical & Dye, or for the best and richest blacks on silk, I recommend Lanaset black dye, from the same source; you must use mail-order to obtain these dyes. 

Another good form of dye to use, especially for blacks on cotton, is Dylon Permanent. This kind of dye is very expensive per pound of fabric, but for a single garment you need only buy two packets for each pound (weigh your dress first!) Follow the package instructions carefully. It produces a very good black if you buy enough packets for the weight of your garment.  You can buy this dye at some fabric stores, such as Joann's. 

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