Rinse the clothes in cool water before dyeing them. Rinse out the excess fixative and mordant by placing the clothes under cool running water. Rinse until the water runs clear. [16] X Research source Before you start, be sure to follow these basic tips for removing a dye stain, regardless of your clothing’s fabric. You’ll find specific instructions for treating different types of clothes listed later on in this article.

Depending on how your polyester was treated in the first place, you can use a color remover to essentially strip the fabric of color to create a blank canvas that you can dye a different color later on. If your fabric has been printed or painted on, the color remover won’t be able to remove that either. Separating clothes by colour before washing them. Read our article on how to do laundry for more guidance on this. Polyester and cotton are often blended to create a softer and more comfortable material. If the polyester is less than 35%, you should not use disperse dye to dye this poly-cotton blend and can instead opt for other types of dye that work with natural fibers. For some colors, you will have to do a little bit of color mixing before achieving your desired result. But you can totally experiment and have fun with this process to achieve a brand new look for your fabric!

How to choose the right dye color when overdyeing:

This liquid dye is easy to use, requires no mixing, and will give you great results on 100% cotton fabric. Fill your washing machine with hot water. Use the hottest water possible, as long as it is safe to use with the type of fabric you are dyeing. Set the washing machine to fill with enough water for a small load. [2] X Research source Some polyester fabrics are blended with nylon or spandex to increase their elasticity. These materials can’t withstand high temperatures and can’t be used with disperse dyes, which are usually heat-set. Add a fixative of salt or white vinegar to the simmering water. Add the fixative directly to the dye bath. Use the right kind of fixative based on the type of fabric you are dyeing: [10] X Research source

Use copper to give your end result a greenish tint. Make a copper bath with a few old pennies (from before 1982) in boiling water, or buy copper sulfate online. Copper is toxic to consume, so don't use a pot that you use for cooking and work in a well-ventilated area. Let the clothes soak in a fixative for 1 hour. Dye fixatives allow your clothes to absorb the dye more readily and prevent the dye from washing out later. The best type of fixative will depend on the type of dye you are using: [15] X Research source Pay attention to the type of pattern your fabric has before you decide whether it’s a good candidate for overdyeing. Printed fabrics – things like floral sheets or polka-dot dresses, are usually printed (or yarn-dyed) using a pigment dye that absorbs into the fabric. When you overdye this fabric, each existing, original color will mix with the overdye. For example, if your original fabric is pink with yellow flowers that have green leaves and you add it to a red dye bath – the fabric will become red (or reddish pink) with orange flowers and muddy brownish leaves. This may or may not be the result you’re going for, so think about how the dye will mix with each individual color before you commit to overdyeing. You've (hopefully) managed to lift the stains with your colour run remover or home remedy treatment, but you probably aren't in a hurry to do the whole thing again after your next laundry load. Here's how to prevent colour bleeding next time!Yellow – a great base for green (when combined with blue) or orange (when combined with red). Lighter yellows can also occasionally be ‘overpowered’ with enough blue dye to create a slightly greenish-tinted dark navy blue, for example, although this isn’t always possible.