Don’t know if this is the right community for this, but I have some nice linen and cotton button down shirts that range from minorly (unevenly) yellowed to rather noticeably so. I’m currently trying to sun bleach them, but if some of them are too far gone, I’ve heard that dyeing shirts can breathe new life into them. What exactly would be the best way to go about that?

  • ettedh [they/them]@hexbear.netEnglish
    2·
    20 days ago

    Dyeing can definitely bring some clothes back, if you are okay with them being darker.

    There are two ways to go about this:

    1. The standard way. You buy a dye, such as black or navy, from a store, usually a crafts store or big-box store.
    2. The natural way. You use the same process, but with a natural substance For example, crops with tannins, like tea or coffee, will give a shirt a nice, cream-brown color, although a little more uneven.

    You fill a large basin with hot water and salt, and then add your dye and shirt, depending on the weight of the clothing. Then, you wring it out and let it dry, and wash it until the water runs clear.

    As far as bleaching, you would have to research that. It seems to be more perilous than dyeing.