Name: Kevin

Message: Hello
my name is Kevin and I was wondering.  After I dye let's say 10 shirts, can I wash them all together to remove excess dye?   or do I have to wash each shirt seperately?   Thanks!!

It depends on what kind of dye you are using.

If you are using Rit or another all-purpose dye (not recommended for high quality tie dyes), then each shirt must be hand washed separately in cool water.

In contrast, if you are using a good fiber reactive dye, such as Procion MX dye, which is the kind of dye found in most tie-dye kits other than Rit, then it is safe to wash them all together, assuming you have already allowed the dye to react with the fabric overnight at 70°F or above. (A cold place will not allow the dye reaction to complete.) 

After allowing plenty of time for the dye reaction to complete, you should wash your shirts once in cool water without detergent (though it's okay to use Synthrapol detergent if you happen to have that). This step removes the soda ash and any salts. After that, wash them twice with detergent in the hottest water available, at least 140°F. Hotter water really works better than warm water. If you need to conserve hot water, soaking in hot water is more efficient than just washing, for removing dye.

If you are using fiber reactive dyes and have allowed plenty of time in a warm place for the dyes to all react, then any transfer of dye from one shirt to another, which is called backstaining, can be washed out in sufficiently hot water. If, however, the dyes are still active when you wash them out, due to washing out too soon and/or not allowing a warm enough place for the dye reaction, backstaining can be permanent.

When I do a bunch of tie-dyes, I always wash them out together. I usually don't even rinse them out before putting them in the washing machine. I carefully cut the rubber bands right at the washing machine, using a child's pair of blunt-ended scissors.

Also see: 

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