Black tea works best for dyeing fabric because it has the deepest color. Teas that are light in color, such as white or green teas, don’t work as well. You can also use loose tea to dye your fabric if you prefer. However, keep in mind that the process is less messy if you use tea bags. The number of tea bags that you’ll need depends on how large the fabric you’re dyeing is and how dark you want the fabric to become. You need to use enough water to cover the fabric, so the more water that you use, the more tea bags you’ll likely need. In most cases, you can assume that you’ll need one tea bag for every cup or 237 milliliters (8 fl oz) of water that you’re using. Keep in mind that you’ll want to add extra bags if you want your fabric to be a darker color. [2] X Research source
In general, you’ll want to use 4 cups or 1 liter (0. 26 US gal) of water for every yard or meter of fabric that you’re dyeing. [3] X Research source Adding the salt to the water will help set the color in the fabric so it won’t come out as easily when you wash the items. Use 2 tablespoons of salt for every 4 cups or 1 liter (0. 26 US gal) of water that you’re using.
The longer that you allow the tea to soak, the more color will come out and the darker your dyed fabric will be. Keep checking on the water to see if you’re happy with the color before you add the fabric.
Tea dyeing will only work on natural fibers, such as cotton, silk, linen, and wool. It won’t work on synthetic fabric, such as polyester. While you should wring out the fabric before dyeing it, don’t allow it to dry completely.
It may help to swirl the fabric around with a wooden spoon or other stirring instrument to ensure that it rests at the bottom of the pot and completely under the water. Some areas of the fabric may start popping up in the water. Use other spoons or kitchen tools to hold the fabric down.
To ensure that the fabric is dyed a very noticeable color, you may want to soak in the tea overnight. It’s a good idea to gently stir or agitate the fabric in the tea bath every so often while it’s soaking. That will help ensure that it dyes evenly. You can lift the fabric out of the tea at regular intervals to see how dark it has become. However, be aware that the fabric will dry lighter than it appears when wet so you may need to continue soaking it longer than you might think.
If you’re bothered by the tea scent of the fabric, you may want to handwash it with laundry detergent meant for delicate items to remove the smell.
Depending on the type of fabric that you’re dyeing, you may want to throw the fabric in the dryer instead of air drying it.
Take the fabric type into account before ironing it. While durable fabrics such as cotton and linen hold up well to heat, a delicate material such as silk needs to be handled more gently. Heavy wool requires the steam setting. Consult the instruction manual for your iron to determine the best setting for your fabric.
