How Long To Let Tie Dye Sit Before Rinsing

You’ve created a cool design to tie dye, added fun dye colors, and put the project in a bag, so the dye doesn’t leak everywhere. Now what? One of the questions that comes up frequently in tie dyeing is ‘How long do you let tie dye sit after dyeing to produce the best results?’. It is hard to have patience to wait to see the unique and beautiful pattern appear, however, it is worth the wait!

So let’s walk through why we put tie dye projects into plastic bags (there’s more to it than just being clean), what it takes to ‘cure’ the dye, and why waiting for the end results to worth it.


How Long To Let Tie Dye Sit Before Rinsing

The dye curing process

Before we answer the “How Long” question, let’s quickly review how dye bonds to fabric, so you understand the ‘Why?’. The process of allowing the dye to bond with the fabric is commonly called curing or setting. It uses moisture, time, and heat and all three are important to successfully curing your tie dyed item.

Moisture

1. Dye starts in a powder form. You add water to the powder to activate it. Because the water (moisture) is critical to the activation process and your project is now wet with active dye, you want to keep your project as wet for as long as possible.

Time

2. Chemical processes can take time to complete and tie dyeing is no different. Let the dye sit for minimally 6-8 hours and up to 24 hours max, so the process can complete and bonding with the fabric can occur. This will help produce the brightest colors. If rinsed out too early, the colors will be faded and the pattern will be harder to make out.

Heat

3. Last, but not least is heat and it’s rarely mentioned when we talk about tie dyeing projects. Why? Because most items are presumably sitting in a room that is around 70 degrees Fahrenheit. At 70-ish degrees, it takes 6-8 and up to 24 hours to cure. The warmer the temperature, the quicker the dye will cure and the cooler the temp, the slower the dye will take to cure.

Why Put Tie Dyed items In A Bag?

When you finish adding dye to your tie dyed item, place it gently in a plastic bag and seal it shut. For most projects like shirts, socks and hats I like to use ziploc bags as they are easy to seal. For larger projects I use trash bags and knot them shut. Placing the project in a bag serves 3 purposes:

  • It keeps the dye contained in the bag, so there is no mess on tables, clothing, etc.
  • It allows you to move the project to an ideal temperature location for the dye to cure
  • It seals in the moisture from the dye

How Long Does It Take For Tie Dye To Dry?

Since this question has come up numerous times, I wanted to address it as it pertains to the topic of dye curing. When most people ask ‘How long does it take for tie dye to dry?’ I think they really mean ‘How long does tie dye take to cure?’ which we are discussing in detail here. To answer the actual question, however, you do NOT want the tie dye to dry, which is why you place the item in the bag. It needs that moisture to cure the dye and once the fabric has dried, the curing process stops which can also leave you with unpleasant splotches of color.

Does it matter how tie dye is stored in the bag?

Besides placing your project in a bag in a warm room, you NEED to pay attention to how the project is laid out in the bag. When you added the dye to your project it should have been laid on a flat surface. That helps to create the pattern (both with the tying of the fabric and application of dye in particular areas). The tie dye project should be laid in the bag in the same way it was dyed. If not, the excess dye is allowed to move to other areas where it wasn’t intended, muddying up the pattern and colors.

Tie dyed shirt placed in plastic bag in same way it was dyed
Tie Dyed Shirt Placed/Laid In Plastic Bag In The Same Way It Was Dyed

What happens if you leave tie dye for too long?

If you leave the dye in the item longer than 24 hours, dark, odd splotches of color can appear where the fabric has begun to dry. The bonding process is also completed, so there is no benefit to keeping the shirt in the dye for longer.

Curing Time For Ice Dyeing

One note about ice dyeing. Since the moisture is very cold (from ice), it will take longer to cure. After the ice has melted, seal the project in a plastic bag and put it in a warm area to speed up the curing time. If you can wait, I would suggest waiting for about 24 hours before washing for best results.

The Ideal Curing Time For Tie Dye

To wrap up, for the best tie dye results, let your projects cure for 6-8 hours and up to 24 hours max in a warm room (about 70 degrees F) and in a sealed plastic bag.

If you don’t have the patience to wait that long, there is a new technique out there that heats items in a microwave. Due to the high heat, it is supposed to cure the dye in a matter of minutes rather than hours. I have not tried this yet, but Tulip offers a very user-friendly kit if you would prefer not to wait to see your creation.

Happy Tie Dyeing!

Similar Posts