Content

• To step
• Part 1 of 3: Preparing the jeans
• Part 2 of 3: Preparing the fabric dye
• Part 3 of 3: Dyeing your jeans
• Warnings
• Necessities

It is a shame to throw away comfortable jeans. If you have jeans that look faded, changing the color is one of the best ways to make the fabric look like new again. You can dye jeans in a light or dark wash black using fabric dye from the supermarket and boiling water.

To step

Part 1 of 3: Preparing the jeans

1. Remove the label if you want to keep it clean. If you like the brand label on your jeans and don't want to dye them, take it off with a seam ripper and sew it back on your pants later. The bleach and fabric dye will change the color and appearance of the label.
2. Turn out the jeans if they are not blue. Fill a bucket (or sink, bathtub, large saucepan, or other pot or container) half with bleach and half with water, and place it in a well-ventilated area. If the jeans are very light in color, use a solution with less bleach.
   • Remember, the more bleach you use, the more drastically the color will change. In addition, it can damage the denim fabric. High concentrations of bleach can weaken the fibers, which can make your jeans wear out faster and can make them look old and worn. (This can of course be positive or negative!)
   • Place the jeans in the bleach mixture and stir the fabric through the mixture for at least 5 minutes. Leave the jeans like that for one to two hours. Every 20 minutes, move the jeans through the mixture and watch the bleach make the fabric lighter and lighter.
   • The jeans do not need to be bleached perfectly white. In fact, the chances are that the fabric will never turn perfectly white. Your jeans will likely turn a yellowish color. That's fine!
   • Always wear large rubber gloves when working with bleach or fabric dye.
   • Rinse the jeans thoroughly in cold water or rinse once or twice in the washing machine using the rinsing program. Make sure that the jeans are completely rinsed and that they hardly smell of chlorine anymore.

Part 2 of 3: Preparing the fabric dye

1. Buy at least 240 milliliters of liquid black fabric paint. Fabric paint is cheap, easy to find and quite simple to use because it contains ingredients that make the paint soak into the fabric forever.
   • Read the instructions carefully. The painting process is clearly explained in the instructions, but it won't help you if you don't read them.
   • Depending on the size of your jeans, you may need more than one bottle or container. An 8 year old girl's jeans are of course smaller than her mother's jeans.
2. Prepare a workplace. Dyeing your jeans should be done in a place where you have very hot (almost boiling) water at hand. This should also be an area that is easy to clean should you spill the paint. The following places are a good choice:
   • Stove
   • Bathtub
   • Outside on a stove or an outdoor stove
   • Washing machine (the instructions for using a washing machine can be found on the packaging or bottle). Be aware that this can discolor the drum of the washing machine and that you will have to clean a lot afterwards. Otherwise you could accidentally dye your laundry later on. First ask permission from the owner and do not do this in a launderette.
3. Place newspapers or old towels in the area between your workplace and where your washing machine is located.
4. Use a large bucket or laundry basket to transport the wet jeans without dripping.
5. Fill a large stockpot three quarters full with water. Put the pan on the stove and bring the water to a boil.
6. Place a large bucket in your workplace. Make sure you can carry it to your washing machine fairly easily without water splashing over the rim.
7. Find a tool for stirring the paint mixture. Choose something that you will not use later to prepare food. This can be a wooden paint stir stick, a sturdy stick or a ruler.
8. Wet the jeans thoroughly with cold water while the water is boiling on the stove. Place the jeans near the bucket.
9. Pour the boiling water into the bucket, making sure the bucket is no more than three-quarters full. Be very careful when pouring the hot water into the bucket. Stay away from the bucket and pour it in slowly.
10. Pour the entire bottle of 240 milliliters of fabric dye into the bucket. Mix it well through the water with your spoon or stir stick.

Part 3 of 3: Dyeing your jeans

1. Put your jeans in the water. Use the stir stick to completely submerge the jeans in the water. Stir the fabric through the water for 10 minutes.
2. Set your kitchen timer or the alarm on your mobile phone to go off every five to 10 minutes. Every five to 10 minutes, stir the jeans in the water in circular motions to make sure the fabric is evenly dyed.
3. Leave the jeans in the hot water for an hour and stir the fabric through the water at equal intervals.
4. Pour the water into the sink or shower. If possible, choose a stainless steel sink. Do not try to run fabric paint into the tile joints.
5. Wring out the jeans and rinse with cold water. Take the jeans to your washing machine. Make sure your drenched jeans don't drip on the floor.
6. Set the washing machine to the rinse program and then spin the jeans. Do this twice and only use cold water. Then wash the pants with a cold wash program and a mild detergent.
   • If your washing machine doesn't have a rinse and spin cycle, rinse the jeans thoroughly with cold water in your shower or sink before washing them.
   • Make sure to clean the washing machine after dyeing. Otherwise, the next load will likely be a dirty purple color. If you're washing a large load of laundry and using bleach, you can clean the washing machine without scrubbing too much.
7. Let the jeans air dry the first few times. If you tumble dry the jeans, the color will fade more quickly over time. Of course you can also just repaint your pants if that is the case.

Warnings

• Your jeans probably won't turn a deep black, even if you dye them several times. Textile paint is not always that strong. So be realistic in your expectations.
• Wash your freshly dyed jeans separately or with a load of very dark laundry. During washing, the jeans will likely show off on other items of clothing.
• Bleaching and dyeing jeans can produce unexpected results, even for experienced people. Depending on the type of fibers, the old color of the pants, the amount of bleach and even the quality of the water, you can get different results. Fortunately, old-looking jeans are almost always in vogue.
• Be careful when wearing your freshly dyed jeans. The fabric may bleed on light upholstery even after the dye has completely set into the fabric. Rinse the jeans completely.
• Be careful when using bleach. Only use it in a well-ventilated area. Remember that bleach is a caustic substance, so keep it away from your skin and eyes. Bleach will also discolor and bleach fabrics if you spill it on it.
• Fabric paint naturally stains fabric. So when dyeing, wear old clothes that you don't mind staining. Remove all fabrics from your workplace, such as towels, bath mats and curtains.

Necessities

• Bleach (optional)
• Denim jeans
• Bucket
• Stockpot
• Water
• Kettle
• Black fabric paint
• Stir stick for paint or a large metal spoon
• Washing machine
• Rubber gloves