Black is a color that never goes out of style. This amazing color instantly slims the figure, making you look taller and leaner. Basic black clothes (like shirts, jeans, pants, shorts, hoodies) make great minimalist fashion pieces for everyday wear.
Unfortunately, black clothes can fade fast with constant washing and drying. If your black clothes are turning brown or gray, don’t worry! You won’t have to buy new clothes to get back that dark, rich color.
Fortunately, there are many inexpensive methods to revive discolored black clothes (with and without dye). In this post, I’ve gathered the best products and methods on how to restore faded black clothes.
This post gathers five easy methods to turn sun faded clothes black again. Whether you need to fix a faded spot on a black shirt or transform an entire piece, I’ve got several solutions to help you turn your black clothes back to normal.
Without further ado, here’s how to fix faded black clothes!
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Best Products To Fix + Prevent Faded Black Clothes
How To Restore Faded Black Clothes
- Black Liquid Dye
- Washing Machine Dye Pod In Black
- Permanent Black Fabric Marker
- Fabric Black Spray Paint
- Laundry Stain Remover For Black Clothes
1. Black Liquid Dye
Rit Back To Black Dye Kit | Amazon
Liquid dyes are an effective and inexpensive way to make faded black clothes look brand new. I recommend using an all-purpose liquid dye to easily revive discolored black shirts, jeans, pants, shorts, or hoodies regardless of the material. Although the dyeing process can be messy, liquid dyes give your clothes a rich and deep color.
To restore faded black clothes, I recommend using Rit’s Back To Black Kit. This kit comes with Rit’s Jet Black All-Purpose Dye, Rit’s ColorStay Dye Fixture, and a pair of gloves. This is an excellent inexpensive kit DIY for beginners. The included ColorStay Dye Fixture helps prevent your newly dyed clothes from fading and enhances the new color.
Here’s how to fix faded black clothes with a black liquid dye:
How To Restore Faded Black Clothes With Black Liquid Dye
For best results, follow the manufacturer’s instructions as directed. The below instructions are for Rit’s All Purpose Dye.
- Determine how much dye is needed for your clothes. As a general guideline, one liquid bottle dyes 2 pounds of dry fabric. Double the dye quantity to achieve a bolder color.
- Cover the work area with newspaper to prevent any spills or drips. Wear rubber gloves to protect your hands from getting stained.
- Fill a stainless steel pot with enough water for the fabric to move freely. Use about 3 gallons of water for every pound of fabric. Add 1 cup of salt to enhance the colors of fabrics containing cotton, rayon, ramie or linen. For fabrics with nylon, silk or wool, add 1 cup of vinegar. You can also add 1 teaspoon dish soap to help promote level dyeing.
- Cover pot and heat water on stove top to just below boiling (or around 200ºF). When water begins to simmer, pour the liquid dye into pot and mix well. Before soaking your clothes in the dye, wet the fabric and squeeze out any excess water. Place your clothes into the pot.
- Stir your clothes slowly and continuously. Leave your clothes in the pot for 10 to 60 minutes. When desired color is achieved, remove your clothes from pot. Squeeze out the excess dye.
- Rinse out your dyed clothes in warm water and then gradually cool water until rinse water begins to run clear. To finish, wash the clothes in warm water with a mild detergent, and then rinse and dry.
2. Washing Machine Dye Pod In Black
Washing machine dye pods make it super quick and easy to dye clothes at home. All you need to do is throw them in the wash with your faded clothes, and they instantly dye your black clothes back to normal!
If you have washing machine at home, this is an easy method to fix sun faded or worn out clothes. If your black clothes are turning brown or gray, I recommend using Dylon’s Machine Dye Pod In Intense Black to help restore a dark, rich black color to your clothes.
Although simpler to use than regular liquid dyes, dye pods can make your washing machine quite messy. After dyeing your clothes, clean your laundry machine thoroughly by wiping the inside down, running a cycle, and then wiping again. You can also add bleach during the cycle to help clean your washing machine.
Here’s how to restore faded black clothes with a washing machine dye pod:
How To Fix Faded Clothes With A Black Washing Machine Dye Pod
For best results, follow the manufacturer’s instructions as directed. The below instructions are for Dylon’s Machine Dye Pods.
- To start, wet the clothes until damp. Wear gloves.
- Unwrap the dye pod and throw it into the washing machine along with your wet clothes. Note that one pod dyes about 600 grams of fabric to full shade. Add more pods if needed.
- Run a full cycle on the washing machine.
- After the cycle has ended, add your regular laundry detergent into the laundry machine. Run another full cycle.
- If the color is not deep enough, repeat steps 2 to 4.
3. Permanent Black Fabric Marker
If you only need to fix a small faded spot on a black shirt (like a bleach spot), it’s not necessary to re-dye the entire shirt. Instead, try using a permanent black fabric marker to touch up discolored sections on your clothes.
For permanent results, I recommend using Sharpie’s Rub-A-Dub Fine Permanent Laundry Marker In Black. This is a great product to revive accidentally bleached black jeans, pants, shorts, and hoodies without dyes. Best of all, the ink doesn’t fade with frequent washing and drying!
Here’s a quick step-by-step on how to fix faded black clothes with a permanent black fabric marker:
How To Make A Faded Spot On Black Clothes Black Again With A Permanent Black Fabric Marker
- On pre-washed clothes, draw over the faded spots until they are completely covered.
- Allow the ink to completely dry. Use more ink as needed.
4. Black Fabric Spray Paint
Tulip ColorShot Instant Fabric Color In Black | Amazon
Looking for another tip on how to restore faded black clothes without dyes? Try using a black fabric spray paint to quickly recolor faded black clothes.
For professional looking results, I recommend using Tulip’s ColorShot Instant Fabric Color In Black. This is a super fast drying fabric paint that is soft to the touch once dried. You can use it to completely recolor clothes or just use it touch up stained spots on black clothes.
How To Use Black Fabric Spray Paint To Restore Faded Black Clothes
- Before painting, make sure your clothes are clean and dry (do not use fabric softener). Cover your work surface. If you don’t want the paint to bleed through the clothes, place wax paper between layers of fabric.
- Shake the spray paint for 1 minute. Hold the can 6 to 8 inches from the fabric and spray the clothes in smooth, even strokes.
- If you want to do more coats, allow each coat to completely dry before adding more paint. Wait 24 hours before washing.
5. Laundry Stain Remover For Black Clothes
It is important to take care of black clothes to prevent it from fading and turning brown or gray. Although the above solutions are great methods on how to fix faded black clothes, it cheaper to prevent fading in the first place. Here’s my tip: use a laundry stain remover or detergent made for black clothes while washing your clothes.
Try using a product like OxiClean’s Dark Protect Liquid Laundry Booster to keep black clothes black longer. Note that this product won’t be able to restore already faded black clothes. It will, however, prevent fading and keep your clothes looking new longer.
How To Make Black Clothes Last Longer With A Laundry Stain Remover For Black Fabrics
For best results, follow the manufacturer’s instructions as directed. The below instructions are for OxiClean’s Dark Protect Liquid Laundry Booster.
- To Use In The Wash: Add the laundry stain remover into the washing machine drum before adding laundry.
- To Pretreat Clothes: Before washing, gently rub the stain remover directly onto the stained area.
Summarized: How To Restore Faded Black Clothes
In this post, I’ve gathered the best methods on how to restore faded black clothes back to its original color. Here are all the recommended products from this post in one convenient list:
- Rit Back To Black Dye Kit
- Dylon Machine Dye Pod In Intense Black
- Sharpie Rub-A-Dub Fine Permanent Laundry Marker In Black
- Tulip ColorShot Instant Fabric Color In Black
- OxiClean Dark Protect Liquid Laundry Booster
Conclusion
Black will always be in. This versatile color easily pairs with other colors in your wardrobe and makes any person look instantly sophisticated and elegant. I love how black clothes can flatter every skin tone and body type.
Unfortunately, black clothes can fade easily, turning brown or gray after several washes. Thankfully, it’s possible to revive sun faded clothes at home. In this post, I’ve gathered several methods on how to fix faded black clothes with and without dye.
To preserve the rich color of black clothes, I recommend using OxiClean’s Dark Protect Liquid Laundry Booster for every wash. This will help prevent washed out, discolored clothes and keep your fabrics black longer. If you only have a small faded spot your clothes, you won’t need to re-dye the whole thing. A permanent black laundry marker or fabric spray paint will quickly turn your slightly faded clothes back to normal.
I hope this post gave you some helpful tips on how to restore faded black clothes. Using the right products and methods, it is totally possible to make black shirts, jeans, pants, shorts, or hoodies black again. Good luck!
