Dying fabric in a bucket?
by
Mybe
+3
I want to dye a sheet black to use as garden cloth, I don't have a way to dye it on the stove or in the washer. I wondered if, since I don't care how perfect the dye job is, would I be able to just put it in a plastic bucket with hot or cold tap water and have it dye the fabric. I had these old sheets and the dye already and I don't see why they won't work instead of spending the money for garden cloth? Can anyone give me an idea of if this will work.
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I would certainly give it a try. Since you have the stuff already, give it a whirl and follow the dye instructions as closely as you can. Go for it!
When you say 'garden cloth' do you mean something to suppress weeds, like what one might put under mulch or walkways that will have stone or brick pavers? OR a temporary way to kill weeds by blocking sunlight? If it's the 2nd reason, I don't think the bed sheet fabric is tightly woven enough to completely block sunlight. MY mother laid out black plastic for this and was confused when it really did nothing after two weeks. I peeked under, and there was still so much light coming through the black plastic that the plants stayed exactly the same. If you are trying to block sunlight, the cover must be 100% opaque, like holding it up over your head on a bright day and seeing if you can see through it. My mom had to cover her troubled spot with another 5 layers of the black plastic she had bought in order to completely darken it to kill the plants... As for the dyeing, I've done it in many containers, just be sure that the fabric is wet before putting it in the dye bath (bucket, etc). I've even seen people dye things in the big plastic storage tote box thingies. NOT a bathtub, honestly! In the washing machine is usually fine as long as you immediately follow it with a log, hard, hot wash cycle with soap and lots of bleach. Even then, I'd only wash darks for the next few loads..For black, I would add double the amount of dye called for if you want it a strong, dark, even black color...
Of course it will! Go Girl! Don those gloves, lay down that plastic, fill that bucket with dye & stir away! Make sure you lift it several times to get all the fabric dyed, then, if you have a 'clothes line' [now that's rarely seen these days...lol] hang it to dry. Have Fun & don't be afraid to experiment!
The dye should work but usingmold sheets as a "garden cloth" might not. Depends what you have in mind to use it for. Have Fun.
You can dye in a bucket or a sink world well. I would say for a sheet if possible can you use your washing machine?
don't have a washer,