Dyeing a piece of clothing is a great way to transform its entire look without having to alter anything. This is especially true for denim.
Denim is a beautiful and durable fabric that only gets better with time – the more you wear it, the more comfortable it gets. With jeans, it’s rare to be able to find a pair of jeans that fits comfortably and complements your body well.
But what if you find a pair of jeans that fits well but is in the wrong color? Or what if your beloved pair of jeans are stained or too faded?
Well, dyeing your jeans a darker color is a great solution to these problems. Dyeing a pair of jeans black can breathe new life into an old pair of jeans, and you can keep your favorite jeans in your closet a while longer. The best part is – if you have the right dye, this process is quite quick and easy.
What’s the best black dye for jeans? The best dye for jeans, black or not, depends on the material composition of the jeans. If a fabric is mostly natural, it will need a dye formulated for natural fibers; for a fabric that is at least 30% synthetic, a dye formulated for these fibers is best.
If you didn’t think dying jeans was possible or didn’t know how to dye a pair of jeans, let us walk you through the process in this article.
Can You Dye Jeans?
The short answer to this question is yes. Denim looks a bit intimidating at first – after all, it is a thick fabric that is quite durable and strong. However, with the right process and the right dye, you should be able to dye denim to any color that you want.
If you want to dye your denim, we do recommend picking a darker color, like black. It is much more difficult to dye denim something lighter like white and achieve a satisfactory result.
If you want lighter color jeans, you do have the option of bleaching your denim, but this process is definitely more complicated, requiring extra caution. Since bleach can turn disastrous and even dangerous if not treated right, we don’t recommend bleaching your jeans at home without taking proper precautions.
You can fade your jeans to a lighter color, however, if you simply don’t like how dark your jeans are.
What to Know Before Purchasing Dye For Jeans
Just as with dyeing any fabric, dyeing jeans safely isn’t difficult, but if you want satisfactory results, you will need to know a few things before getting started.
The first thing you need to know is the composition of your denim. You can usually find this information in the small fabric tag attached to the insides of your jeans, or if you’re buying new, you can usually find this information in the clothing tag.
Some jeans are made of 100 percent cotton, but other denim can be a cotton and polyester blend. The fiber content will affect how the dye will stick to the fabric.
Some dye is designed for certain types of fabric; for example, you can find dyes on the market that only works for synthetic fibers, which won’t work for cotton. Knowing the fiber content of your denim will help you pick out the best dye for your type of jeans, which will give you a better result.
The amount of dye you should purchase also depends on the weight of your jeans. If you have a scale, you should weigh your jeans to see how much dye to purchase. Since denim is a thick fabric, you should make sure to get enough dye to get a nice and even result.
The Best Black Dyes For Jeans
Let’s take a look at some of the best options for black fabric dye that are on the market:
| Rank | Product | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Rit Dye Purpose Liquid Dye | For natural fibers/blends (less than 30% synthetic0 |
| 2. | Rit DyeMore Liquid Dye | For synthetic fabrics/blends (30% or higher) |
| 3. | Dylon Machine Dye Pod, Intense Black | Dyeing clothes in washing-machine (all-in-1 pod) |
We’ll also explain the best uses of each in more detail below, so you can be sure to pick the best one.
1. Rit Dye 43327 Purpose Liquid Dye
Rit Dye is one of the most highly recommended when it comes to liquid dye. This type of dye works really well with jeans that are 100 percent cotton or a majority cotton blend.
If you are dying more than just jeans, this type of dye will work well with other types of natural fabric such as wool, as well as some synthetic materials like nylon.
The dye is so easy to use, so even if you are a complete beginner, you can certainly achieve great results (provided that you carefully follow the instructions for use). This type of dye is really great if you want to breathe new life into an old, faded pair of jeans or if you want to hide stains on your favorite jeans.
This dye comes in a wide range of fun colors, including, of course, black. The dye is quite strong, ensuring that you get a nice and even color that looks quite polished and professional. If this is your first time trying your hands at dyeing a denim garment, this is definitely a worthy option for you.
With this dye, you can be certain of the results when you first start dyeing your jeans, and the colors will last a long time. You will have a pair of black jeans that look new and will stay in your closet for years to come.
2. Rit DyeMore Liquid Dye
This dye is another liquid dye option from Rit, but it is specifically designed for synthetic fabric like polyester, acrylic, acetate, and nylon. If your jeans have a 35% or more synthetic composition, this dye is highly recommended.
Other types of dye may not work well with synthetic fabric, resulting in blotchy and uneven colors. Fortunately, you can avoid that problem with Rit DyeMore Liquid Dye, which works better with the properties of synthetic fabric to give you a nice and even result.
One thing you have to pay attention to when working with this dye is that you have to keep the water hot the entire time when your jeans are submerged in water. That means that you will have to use a large pot to dye your jeans and keep the pot on a stovetop in low heat to keep the water warm (not boiling) for at least 20 minutes.
Because of this requirement, you will need to be extra careful when handling the jeans so that you don’t burn yourself. However, the result should be just as good as Rit’s All-Purpose Dye, giving you a “new” pair of black jeans with colors that last for a long time.
3. Dylon Machine Dye Pod, Intense Black
If you want a low-maintenance option, opt for this Dylon Dye Pod, which works with your washing machine. You simply have to pop the dye pod and jeans in the washing machine, run a cycle, and then you should have a completely dyed garment when the cycle is finished.
Although you may doubt the results of this dye pod, the result can be absolutely spectacular. First of all, the dye pot won’t turn your washing machine black; it is designed to be safe for a washing machine. Secondly, you may doubt whether the colors will show up at all, but these dye pods will surely surprise you!
One dye pod is designed to work with two pairs of jeans, and you will find that the colors show up quite evenly after just one cycle. The colors are quite long-lasting, so you don’t have to worry about quality.
One thing that you should note is that these dye pods only work well with natural fibers like cotton and linen, so we recommend using them if your jeans are 100 percent cotton or at least more than 70% cotton. The colors won’t show up for synthetic fabric. So make sure you read the tags on your jeans before purchasing these dye pods.
Overall, we absolutely recommend these dye pods because of how easy they are to use. You don’t have to face any hassle at all to get the desired look!
How to Dye Jeans
As we said above, you will need a dye that is compatible with the material your jeans are made of. Once you have the right kind of dye, there’s one other thing you should do to prepare.
Whether your jeans are new or old, before you get started on the dyeing process, you should wash your jeans. Denim is processed with some chemicals, which may affect how the dye will stick to the fabric. Washing the jeans before dyeing them will help remove any chemical residue and help the dye perform better.
Once your jeans are clean and you have purchased the right dye, here is how to dye those jeans:
Step 1
Make sure that your jeans are thoroughly wet but not dripping water so that you don’t dilute the dye mixture.
Step 2
Mix the dye according to your specific dye’s instructions. Most dyes require hot water.
Make sure to use enough water (at least 3 gallons) so that your jeans can be totally submerged in the water. You can use more dye for a darker color or less dye for a lighter color.
Step 3
Submerge your jeans in the dye mixture, making sure that the dye can reach every corner of your jeans so that the colors turn out even.
Leave in the mixture for at least 20 minutes. The amount of time you leave the jeans to sit in the dye will affect the color; so leave them in longer for a darker color or take them out a little early for a lighter look.
Keep in mind that fabric often looks darker when wet than when dry, so you can always leave your jeans in for a while longer if you want a darker result.
Step 4
Remove the jeans from the mixture and rinse thoroughly with cold water. After that, you can pop your jeans into the washing machine with a mild detergent. When dry, it should have a brand new color!
Keep in mind that dyed jeans should be washed separately or with similar color garments (black jeans with black clothing). The dye may bleed and damage your other clothes if you don’t, especially for the first couple of washes.
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