How to Dye Jeans Black

A comfortable pair of jeans is a terrible thing to waste. If you have a pair that has lost its luster, one of the best ways to renew denim is to change the color. You can dye light or dark wash denim to black using supermarket dye and a boiling water.

Steps

Prepping the Jeans

Remove the tags. If you like the brand tag on the jeans and don’t want it dyed as well, you should use a seam ripper to rip up the tag, remove it, and then sew it down later. The bleach and dye will change the color and look of the tag.^[1]

Bleach the jeans if they are a different color other than blue. Fill a bucket with half bleach and half water and place it in a well-ventilated area. Use a less-concentrated bleach solution if the jeans are very light.
- Remember that the larger the ratio of bleach, the more destructive it will be to your denim.
- Place the jeans inside the bleach mixture and leave it for one to two hours. Stir them around every 20 minutes, as the bleach makes them lighter than lighter.
- They don’t need to be perfectly white. They can be a yellowish color, and the black dye will still work well.
- Always use large rubber gloves when working with bleach or dye.
- Rinse the jeans thoroughly in cold water or put them through a rinse cycle in your washing machine.^[2]

Set up a dying station. Bleaching is best done outside, but dying should be done in a place with a water source and oven nearby. Choose the kitchen or a bathroom and remove all textiles before you begin.

Lay down newspapers in any place between your kitchen, bathroom and washing machine area. Find a large bucket or box to transport the wet jeans without dripping.

Prepping the Dye

Purchase an eight oz. (237ml) bottle of liquid Rit dye in black. Rit dye is affordable and fairly easy to use, since it comes pre-mixed with setting agents. Read the instructions carefully.

Fill a large stockpot three-fourths full of water. Set it on the stove and bring it to a boil.

Place a large bucket in your dying area. Make sure that you can transport it to your washing machine fairly easily without slopping. Grab a metal spoon that you no longer use for food or a wooden paint stir stick.

Wet your jeans thoroughly in cool water while the water boils on the stove. Set them near the bucket.

Pour the boiling water into the bucket, making sure it is no more than three-fourths full. Be very careful when pouring hot water. Try to stay back and siphon it slowly.

Add your entire eight oz. (237ml) bottle of dye. Mix it well with your spoon or stir stick.

Dying Your Jeans

Add your jeans to the water. Use the stir stick to submerge them entirely. Stir them for 10 minutes.

Set your kitchen or phone timer to go off every five to 10 minutes. Stir the jeans every five to 10 minutes in a circular motion to ensure an even dye job.

Leave them in the hot water for one hour, stirring at regular intervals.

Dump the water out into a sink or shower. Choose a stainless steel sink if possible. Try not to get any dye onto your grout.

Squeeze the jeans out and rinse them off with cold water. Carry them to your washing machine. Watch out for drips from the soaked jeans.

Run the jeans in a rinse and spin cycle on cold. Do this twice. Then, wash them on cold with mild laundry detergent.^[3]
- If you don’t have a rinse and spin cycle, rinse them thoroughly with cold water in your shower or utility sink before washing.
- Turn them inside out to preserve more dye.