Name: NATHAN
Message: how do you make the colors stay fast and not bleed when you wash them, cuz i just ruined 8 decent t-shirts, man i suck at this.

It's probably your materials. Let me guess, you're using Rit all-purpose dye, is that it?

What are your t-shirts made of? They should be 100% cotton, and most importantly, NOT treated to be stain-resistant.

You need to get some Procion MX type dye, some soda ash, some urea (optional), some plastic squirt bottles, and some disposable rubber gloves of some sort. Also a dust mask for when you mix up the dyes, so you don't breathe the dye powder. (The links in this paragraph all connect to the right product at Amazon.)

The easiest way to get everything you need is to buy a "tie dye kit." Do NOT buy the Rit brand tie-dye kit, because it contains only hot-water dyes: at room temperature, you can't do any good tie-dyeing with it, because it will just wash out. Maybe your local crafts store, or even Walmart, has a Jacquard brand tie-dye kit. Those are the best. (You can even order a Jacquard tie-dye kit from Amazon, unless they run out.) Tie-dye kits made by Dritz, Rainbow Rock, or Tulip are also okay. Or, you can mail-order a tie-dye kit with Procion MX type dyes from most of the different dye retailers list on my Sources for Dyeing Supplies page. (Bulk dyes from those suppliers can save you a lot of money, but you should start out with a good simple kit.)

The basic instructions are simple. Mix your Procion MX type dyes with water and urea. Put each color in a different plastic squeeze bottle. Take a bucket, mix one cup of soda ash with one gallon of water, and dump your tied or rubber-banded shirts into it. (Wash your shirts once before you ever use them.) After ten minutes, while wearing gloves, wring out excess moisture from the presoaked shirts. Squirt dye onto them until they are completely saturated with dye. Let them rest in a warm place (70 degrees or above, Fahrenheit) overnight, then wash the shirts once in cold water and twice in very hot water. Dry as usual and you're done.

You will find that proper materials make all the difference. If you get a Jacquard tie-dye kit and follow the instructions above, you can't go wrong. After just one success with the dyes, you can start working on your techniques.

See "How to Dye" and "How to Tie Dye". 

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