DYLON Hand Dye, Fabric Dye Sachet for Clothes, Soft Furnishings and Projects, 50 g - Intense Black

When the summer arrived and my blue shorts came out of the draw it was obvious that they had become faded over time and needed replacing. There didn’t seem to be any similar quality alternatives available (on line at the time or so it seemed) so I thought that perhaps they could be dyed instead. The shorts themselves were cotton based with white and blue inside banding and white pockets within . I opted to dye them dark blue to restore them to the original colour. Since I was familiar with the name DYLON it was the obvious choice and for six quid , new shorts it was a no brainer. The instructions are on the packet but essentially and ideally what you need is a large plastic storage box type receptacle, although a washing up bowl or your kitchen sink will do, 250 grams of ordinary table/cooking salt , rubber gloves and possibly if you don’t wear specs some form of eye protection.On dyeing day I prepared the plastic box filled it with the prescribed amount of warm water and stirred in the salt and colour dye as per instructions using a plastic kitchen utensil ( the one you use for turning eggs over). You have to pre soak the garment in plain water prior to immersing it in the mixture . Once immersed it is important to regularly stir the pot to make sure that there are no are pockets in the material and that all material is submerged. I found that placing one of those plastic draining board grids on top of the clothing helped to keep it down.After following all this procedure I eventually lifted out the shorts , rinsed them as instructed and then hung them up to dry. I now have new shorts and the good news is that because it doesn’t dye synthetic material, the waste band and pockets remained white as before.I was then left with a storage box full of dark blue water and decided to chance dyeing a pair of similar style beige trousers and see what happened . This left over liquid managed to turn them into a reasonable mid blue colour although the beige buttons and nylon stitching are a bit of a giveaway. However they have now been given a perfect undercoat and would probably go all the way to dark blue next time with a fresh brew.Disposing of the left over liquid is down to your own conscience, but the good news is that the storage box and the egg slice were unscathed.In conclusion you cannot dye every material or expect dramatic colour change or end up with the colour you expect.

Ordered this after reading reviews, instructions easy to follow, and material dyed well, very pleased with it

I definitely prefer the dye that you use in the washing machine, but this is effective once you can get over the inconvenience of doing it by hand!

Just made cloth one shade darker, also wasn't even everywhere. Followed instructions fully but results are so so. Maybe try the machine dye of same brand, that's much better than this.

Behold, the humble packet of fabric dye, a alchemical concoction promising to transmute the mundane into the magnificent. In this particular instance, the subject of its transformative powers was a pair of jeans, described by their online purveyor as "light blue," a descriptor that, upon arrival, proved to be about as accurate as a goblin's promise. "White" was a far more fitting epithet, and as we all know, trousers of such pristine, unblemished hue are simply not to be borne by anyone with a modicum of good sense or a tendency to interact with the real world. One might as well walk around with a target painted on one's posterior.Faced with this sartorial predicament, the only sensible course of action was a dip in the magical waters of dye. The available palette, it must be said, was not a symphony of delights. Indeed, it seemed to have been curated by someone with a profound appreciation for all things... well, dye-like. Yet, amidst the myriad shades, a beacon of hope, or at least the least offensive option, emerged: Sea Blue. One imagined vast, churning oceans, or perhaps a rather deep pond on a particularly cloudy day.And what a delightful surprise awaited! For when the deed was done, when the jeans had emerged from their chromatic baptism, they were not the brooding, intense "sea blue" one might have imagined from the picture. Oh no, the resulting tone was far more delicate, a whisper of a wave rather than a roaring tempest. It was, dare one say it, perfect. Lighter than anticipated, it transformed the erstwhile ghastly white into something truly, remarkably good. A testament, perhaps, to the often-unforeseen glories that can spring from a decision born of sheer necessity and a touch of desperation. These jeans, once a monument to misdescription, now sail forth with a newfound dignity.