Name: Lori
Great website. Very informative. I would appreciate any help.
I have several pair of black pants that have faded from lots of washing. I would like to dye them back to a rich black. The fabric is 90% cotton and 10% spandex. I can not use HOT water or they won't fit me! Also the manufacturers label says to wash in cold water. Any suggestions? Thank you, Lori

The perfect answer to your problem is cold-water fiber reactive dye. (Note that the definition of 'cold' in the textile world includes temperatures up to 95 degrees Fahrenheit - 35 C. - or even higher.)

A very nice cold water black dye is Cibacron F, which you can buy from ProChem under the brand name of Sabracron F. See "Sabracron F/Cibacron F Reactive Dyes". There are links to instructions at the bottom of the page; I recommend "Home Washing Machine Dyeing", for your purposes. Avoid using the hot water suggested there for washing out excess dye, of course; it works better than cold water, but I'm sure you're rather have less efficient dye washout, with temperatures that are kinder to your clothing.

Other types of "cold" water dye include Procion MX and Drimarene K, which will work fine, but the Cibacron F line has a better black.