Video:How to Remove Tie Dye Stains

Transcript:How to Remove Tie Dye Stains

Hi, I am Cheryal Loosmore for About.com. I am going to show you what to do if dye, from tie dye, stains objects. Tie dying material can be a fun way to express your creativity.

Supplies for Removing Tie Dye Stains

Keep the following supplies on hand in case you need to remove tie dye from objects.

• Sponges
• a clean cloth
• rubbing alcohol
• paper towels
• warm water
• ammonia laundry detergent
• and dish soap

Instructions for Removing Tie Dye Stains

You can protect surfaces by using plastic trash bags and/or newspaper. Use plastic buckets or stainless steel pots or sinks for the dye bath. Don't dye or rinse items in plastic or in a fiberglass sink they could stain. Clean containers and sinks immediately after dyeing by scrubbing with hot water and dish soap. Be sure to have sponges and paper towels on hand to wipe up spills immediately.

If dye gets on machine washable fabric, you can be a bit more aggressive. Put the stained clothing in a sink with very hot water, ½ cup of ammonia and ¼ cup dish soap. Let it soak for at least one hour. Then, rinse with cold water. Depending on the severity of the stain you can repeat this process if necessary.

More Instructions for Removing Tie Dye Stains

If the fabric has already been dried either by a machine dryer or line hanging, the dye stains have set, the stains will be significantly harder to remo ve. You will want to try and absorb some of the stain into a white cloth that you put underneath the stained material. Dab rubbing alcohol onto the stain with a sponge until it begins to bleed through to the cloth below. The rubbing alcohol causes the dye to loosen and should remove most or all of the dye.If the fabric or item is unwashable, you have fewer options. Try using a sponge and dab the stain with warm water until it loosens. If doing this causes the stain to bleed and spread, take 1 tablespoon of laundry detergent and mix with 1 tbsp of ammonia in 1 gallon of water. Sponge the area with this liquid until the stain lifts. After the dye is removed, thoroughly clean the area with warm water and allow to air dry.

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