Rescuing pink tights

[Katymac]

DD has lots of pink ballet tights for college - they have no snags or ladders but they are grey, very very grey

 

I have put them all in a bucket of vanish - but how do I make they a decent colour again?

 

So far we have suggested beetroot or permanent red ink (but just a drop or two)

 

So how long do they soak for or should I add bleach too? I wondered about washing soda?

 

 

Can you tell I am lost?

[taxi4ballet]

Do you have any bright red/pink leotards? The colour always seems to run out of those so it might be worth washing them and the tights together?

[Anon2]

Or wash with a cheap red sheet from Adsa. They seem to bleed colour forever.

[Jan McNulty]

Cochineal?  Can you still get it?

[Katymac]

I have red food colouring

 

My red/pink towels are all well washed because of it - she has a new (to her) pink leotard I'll try

[taxi4ballet]

The thing about using a food colouring as a dye is that you will need to somehow fix the dye in the fabric. Apparently pink/red dyes don't 'take' very well. I did some Googling last year when my dd had pink leotards that we washed by hand, and the water was bright pink afterwards every time.

 

Another suggestion - dye them all black instead, and buy new pink ones

[Jan McNulty]

I always found (being a "red" person) that if colour bled from a new item of clothing over something else, it never bled from the article it coloured!

[Katymac]

Seems a bit moot really as after the summer DD's legs will be so dark they will look ridiculous!!

 

But pink needs to be 'pink' sadly

[invisiblecircus]

Are the tights nylon? If so, they need a different kind of dye than cotton would.

 

I've never tried dying them but I'm wondering if some sort of machine dye would do the trick. If you can't get a light enough pink, maybe use a quarter dose.

[Katymac]

They have soaked overnight in vanish - some improvement

They are now in colour run remover

 

If I can get them light enough and not a shade of grey/brown then I won't bother about making them too pink but the grey has to go!!

 

Yes the normal dye is for natural fibres, so it would need to be a polyester dye (which is more expensive )

[annaliesey]

Adding a lot of salt might help the colour to fix

[Katymac]

They are in the washing machine now

 

They have been soaked in Vanish, then colour run remover then washing soda (remembering to rinse well in between as miing chemicals is never a good idea)

 

& they look remarkably pink, considering they have had no dye added - I may just leave them as they are with a new pair for exams/assessments?

[southerndancemum]

A friend of mine suggested soaking in bowl of water / bicarb of soda... I've never tried it tho.

[Katymac]

Well I have ten good pairs, one excellent pair & one pair that disintegrated!!

 

Not a bad return on a mornings work

 

Individually I think each method wouldn't have worked but in sequence they were successful!

[alison]

Congratulations, Katymac! Such dedication

[aileen]

Yes, you are definitely a domestic goddess, Katymac. I feel that I am lacking in comparison. I probably would have just told my daughter to put up with the grey tights.

[SwaybackSapphire]

I wish DD would wear the lovely pink ones, she prefers the washed out looking ones. Gaynor Minden do a Russian Pink stirrup type tights which to me look like they have been in the washing for a year, but DD loves them!

[Picturesinthefirelight]

My dd complained some of her tights were too pink & wanted me to bleach them!

[OnlyDance]

Congrats katymac on your mission complete! 

 

I'm also loving the dd's that like the washed out look!!

[wildflowers]

I feel inspired to try your methods Katymac! We have lots of grey tights which are perfectly wearable bar the colour. Summer project to add to the list ????

[Katymac]

TBH the chocie was get them clean or buy new ones - I don't think you understand the shades of grey involved

 

& for those that like washed out - these would be approved of......def a pale shade of pink (but at least not beige or grey)

 

& finally domestic goddess I am not!! DH does all the washing, ironing & cleaning in this household   - I just step in for the more tricky situations

 

 

 

If I did it again I think I'd start with the washing soda - it had the most effect imo & the others might not be necessary - but it is strong and I think it is what made that one pair disintergrate

[Fiz]

50 shades of grey, KatyMac?

[Katymac]

Can't imagine what 50 shades of pink would read like!!

[Huddsballetmum]

Wish my DD's tights lasted long enough to go grey.  We seem to have lots of pink pairs - all with big ladders or holes in