Dyeing your old jeans is a great way to extend the life of your garment. It’s also way more sustainable than buying new. And it’s great way to refresh your black jeans if they are faded, like mine. Once you do your first dye project, you’ll be hooked. It’s way easier than you think it will be. Even if you’ve never journeyed into the wonderful world of tie-dye as a kid, you can figure this one out.

Supplies for Dyeing Your Jeans Black

• Jeans
• All-Purpose Clothing Dye (I’ve had good experiences with RIT dye)*
• Very hot water (almost boiling)
• A metal spoon for stirring
• Gloves and paper towels for cleanup
• Salt
• Dish soap
• Bleach (optional but helpful, if things get messy)

You’ll want to always read and follow the dye manufacturer’s instructions since they may vary by brand. There are several different methods that you can use, but I prefer the stove top method. In my experience, if you want super deep colors (like black), this method works best.

*Note: If your jeans are more than 35% polyester, you’ll want to use a dye for synthetics. The normal, all-purpose dye will not work well. Believe me, I’ve tried.

How to dye video tutorial

If you’re more of a video-learner, I have dyed all kinds of clothing all kinds of colors. The video below shows how I recently dyed a dress.

Steps for Dyeing your Jeans Black

Step 1: Pre-wash and prep the item

First, remove any stains. This will help you to achieve a uniform color when dyeing. If there are harsh stains on the item like bleach stains, the dye may not be uniform. If you want to completely change the color (for example going dark blue to red), you may want to try a color remover first. This isn’t usually a problem for black dye though because it’s so dark.

Next, wash in warm, soapy water. Do not use any fabric softeners. There’s no need to dry.

Step 2: Prep the area & yourself

Working with black dye can be messy. Make sure you have paper towels on hand for quick wipe-ups. I also have white countertops and I keep bleach handy to ensure the dye doesn’t permanently stain my counters. (Be sure your countertops can withstand bleach before using.)

I also wear clothes I don’t mind messing up and gloves.

Step 3: Fill pot & turn on stove

Fill a large pot with 3 gallons of hot water. I have bought a large pot from the thrift store for just this reason. You need enough room in the pot for the jeans to move easily. Then turn on the heat and get it up to just below boiling (about 200 degrees F).

Step 4: Add dye and additions

When water reaches temperature, add dye, one cup of salt (for color enhancement) and 1 teaspoon of dish soap to help the dye level. Mix well. Keep at this temperature for the duration of the dye.

Step 5: Add jeans to the dye bath & stir, stir, stir!

If jeans are dry, wet them and add them to the dye bath. Stir slowly and continuously! This is the most important part. You want to make sure there are no creases and each bit of the jeans is receiving an equal bath. If one part is sticking out of the bath for too long, you can get an uneven dye. Keep stirring until color is achieved. For jeans, this takes about 30 minutes. Keep in mind the jeans will look darker when wet.

Step 6: When color is achieved, remove from bath.

Remove from bath and rinse with cool water until the water runs clear. Wash on cold as you normally would. You can wash the jeans in its own load or you could wash with other dark clothing. If you wash with light clothes, you run the risk of dye coming off onto the clothes. This shouldn’t happen after your first wash.

Tips for Keeping Your Black Jeans Black

• Jeans don’t have to be washed after each wear. In fact, you can wear your jeans up to 10 times before washing.
• Wash jeans inside out to minimize abrasion and fading.
• Wash on cold. This is good for the environment and will keep your jeans dark longer.
• Air dry