How I Use Overdyeing to Fix Stains and Refresh My Clothes

There’s this little method I use to fix stains and refresh my clothes. It’s overdyeing, which is the method of dyeing over fabric that already has color or a print. 

I’ve also used it to change colors or brighten faded clothes. And throughout the years, I’ve dyedmany pieces in my wardrobe. 

I’ll tell you more about it and my process for using it for the best results. You might want to use it on some of your garments.

Overdyeing Clothes to Fix Stains

Let me start with the cotton dress that I made and just loved. After spending all that time sewing it, I wore my dress one time.

Someone at work ran into me with a bold-tipped marker. It was a dark color against the white part of the fabric.

This would have bothered me less if the dress wasn’t handmade.

I tried every cure, from soaking it to using stain removers. The stain would not budge, making it hard to remove. 

So, I could wear the dress with the big, ugly mark or figure out how to cover it up. I knew that overdyeing could fix this.

Well, the fabric already had a floral print on it. That means it already had dye.

Putting another dye over it would color over the print. Hence, the term overdyeing clothes.

The dye would also color over the big, bold flower designs. I could make the design pop out, or calm it down.

If the design has a similar color to the dye, overdyeing would reduce the contrast. The design won’t pop out as much.

I had to cover the stain, so I chose a darker color. So, I went with turquoise since I had all the colors in my stash.

Rit’s All-Purpose Dyes come in many colors that you can mix. I combined Aquamarine, Evening Blue, Gray, Yellow, and Blue.

Overdyeing to Fix Colors

This technique is amazing for fixing colors and brightening them. Whenever I have a faded garment and put dye on it, it looks brand new!

I’ve also changed the color of my clothes with fabric dye. Just know if your clothes already have color, overdyeing is not the same as mixing paint colors.

For example, if you start out with a yellow shirt, if you overdye it with blue, it may not turn green. It may turn out dark blue.

The outcome will depend on the fabric you’re starting with and how much dye you add.

If you have a cream-color shirt and add purple. You will get purple.

If you have a pastel purple and overdye with purple, you will get purple too. But they may be two different shades.

When starting to use dye, you’ll want to test it out. So if you have cheap T-shirts you don’t care about, you can use them.

I’ve used fabric dye so many times, I can tell what the results will be. But I still test it.

How I Overdye Clothes

I follow the directions on the bottle for a typical dye. Adding salt and vinegar to the dye bath also helps the fabric absorb the color. 

I usually don’t measure anything, and this is my usual process. I pour a little of this and that to get the color. 

You can find color charts online that tell you what to mix to achieve a certain color. 

It’s important to test the color and fabric before throwing it in. So I dip scrap fabric in the dye bath before tossing my garment in. 

Cotton, linen, rayon, and denim are great because they’ll absorb the dye well. I might soak my garment for up to 60 minutes, mixing it every few minutes. 

Then I hand-wash it in cold water several times before throwing it in the washer. Sometimes it takes a while to remove the excess dye.

Voila! The new color appears, and perhaps it’ll look like a whole new garment. 

Notes on Dyeing Clothes

You must be careful when dyeing fitted clothes. If your garment is oversized, you don’t have to worry too much about shrinkage.

Dying requires dipping fabric into a hot dye bath so that the color will stick. If the water is too hot, the garment could shrink. 

The bodice of my floral dress had elastic at the top. Elastic stretches out and even melts if it’s too hot. 

The instructions call for hot water in the dye bath, but I made mine very warm.

Be sure to choose the fabric dye that suits your fabric. There is dye for natural fabrics and synthetic fabrics.

Since cotton is a natural fabric, I used the all-purpose dye. I’ve also dyed synthetic fabrics, but the outcome was different.

Notes on Overdyeing Clothes

Chances are, your clothes were sewn together with polyester thread. I use it to sew my clothes.

Note that if you dye a cotton dress like I did, the polyester thread may not absorb the dye. The original white thread shows, but it’s not too noticeable. 

Also, I have fabric allergies, and textile dyes bother me. I always dye my fabrics outside.

You’ll want to choose a well-ventilated area. I always wear a mask and eye protection too. 

Final Thoughts

This method works wonders for me, as I can cover stains with dye. I’ve also freshened up faded pieces, and the clothes came out looking new again. 

And I’m all for making my old garments wearable and fun again. Half the fun is waiting to see what colors the end result is going to be! 

More Sewing Projects

I have other related posts on my blog. You might want to check them out. 

• You can see more details about my cotton dress and how I made it.

• Speaking of which, I dyed another knit dress of mine.

• Would you like to fix a small hole in your clothes without sewing? 

• Let me show you how to wash your handmade clothes, so they continue to look new. 

• Would you like to make a mini travel sewing kit for quick fixes on the go?

I’d love to hear about your sewing projects!

Originally published: September 19, 2024