Dyeing towels with Dylon

[Berrybakecake1]

I'm wanting to dye DD's white towels with Dylon either in a bright pink or purple. Has anyone had success with the machine dye.
I've read the packet so I know it's pretty straight forward but before I potentially ruin the towels I need recommendations.
I've tried everything to keep the towels nice a white but they really are starting to look grubby and I'm getting embarrassed to peg them out. There's 2 bath towels and 2 hand towels and would preferably like to dye them together.
Any advice or previous experience is greatly appreciated tia.

Yes - I've done it. It works - have dyed heavy bathmats too. Make sure you use enough dye. You'll need 2 packs or more probably.

Yes, I've done it before and it works really well.

I've done it with great results.
Pale lemon towels going grey now sunny yellow.

The thread is possibly synthetic and won't take dye.
Don't try to dye too much at once. Better to split load but do same in each load ie one bath plus one hand otherwise intensity may vary.

I don't follow the instructions! I have a machine that will let you open door up to a certain water level. I dissolve the dye in jug of warm water. (wear gloves, glass jug) then pour it into drum with salt. Start machine and let it fill slightly and mix. Stop machine add WET towels, turn back on.

Always do a post dye clean as per instructions

Yes, it's fab and towelling takes the dye really well. Bear in mind that the more fabric you dye at once, the less vibrant/intense the colour will be. But if you're only dyeing over white then the change will be lovely and dramatic anyway!

I'm jealous now! I love dyeing stuff! I love watching the machine while it's all going round. I normally can't resist chucking in a tired tea-towel or a couple of pairs of old knickers or something like that!

Bear in mind too (though probably won't apply to towels) that the dye won't stick to polyester stitching. So if you dye a yellow top with polyester stitching red, the stitching will still be yellow afterwards. I never mind that, as I think the contrast stitching looks quite cool.

It's worth making sure that your machine hasn't got too much gunk round door and seals before you dye. This gunk can take dye then drop in back into subsequent wash loads
(bitter voice of experience after dyeing stained white jeans navy....)

I did this and it came out blotchy. I used 4 boxes of dye in two loads of towels so it was plenty. I used dark grey dye on very pale washed out towels and although they are grey they have blue and red streaks in. I contacted Dylon and sent photos but they didn't do anything. I won't be using it again! Really it's just as cheap to buy a towel as a box of dye but I was trying to be environmentally friendly.

The coloured streaks are bits of dye that didn't dissolve. I've had the same problem.
This is why I pre dissolve the dye before adding it.

Thanks for your replies everyone
No gunk around the seal as it's a new washer but I am a little worried about washing a normal load afterwards so I will definitely be doing a empty wash. The towels are 100%cotton so I'm hoping for good results.
Going to use this one (eek very nervous)

Should I still add salt to it as I know with the hand dye you have to add salt I know this one says you don't but would any of you still recommend it.

The last time I used machine dye, I had to use salt but that looks like a new formulation

Not done towels, so wouldn't know, but have used Dylon woth salt added and you don't need to add an salt. I once waited to dye something until I got some salt, and then read the instructions which said I didn't need to add any doh!

I have had a lot of success with dye using dylon.
In fact some of my towels were dyed when we were first married - in 1999 and they are still a really good colour.

The formulation has changed over the years so it is effective at 40 degrees, but I think if you can do it hotter it last better.

One caution - always weigh the dry towels and use the correct amount of dye, otherwise you won't get the right colour.

I have died loads of stuff (clothes, sofa covers etc) and never had a problem with streaks. I wonder if the machine was too full? Better to do 2 loads.

OK taken the risk and the towels are currently in the wash. It's all looking pretty even at the moment. I followed the instructions this time with it been the 1st time only done the 2 bath towels. I dry weighed them 1st and they were in the correct weight limit. Seems so easy with the pod. 40° cotton wash them remove the pod and same wash again but with detergent... keeping my fingers crossed.

Well at least now I know not to use the pods. Turned out blotchy. They don't look too bad but will use the sachet and salt method in future.
£6.50 for the pod plus 4 hours worth of electric and water = 2 semi OK pink towels.
Ah well lesson learnt.

I've only ever used the machine wash dye - never heard of the pods. Did you weigh the towels before you dyed them?

i've never had any bother...have dyed white bedding lilac, and another set blue. Used dylon with the salt iirc.

Also dyed a ghastly peach velvet curtain to midnight blue....now that has faded over three or four years, but i wouldn't hesitate to repeat it.

Always had great success with Dylon.
I have always used the powder version - the one where you had to add the salt yourself, and the newer version where the salt is already in the powder.
I didn't know they now do a pod, I wouldn't be inclined to use this, as there'd be more of a risk of it not dying evenly - as you have seen.

I didn't realise the pods were a thing, I have always used the box of machine washable dye, (powder) and add salt.

Sorry it didn't work OP, although, from your pic, they look a preety nice colour, just a shame the right hand one has that large darker patch

I've done a lot of towels too, hot pink and black, really successfully. Any blotches will be a lot less obvious once they're dry

The colour is really good on the photos OP. I'm about to dye some off white towels myself, inspired by this thread. Dunelm are selling off the old style dye as the pods replace them none of the reduced priced colours I wanted though.

I weighed the towels and a bathmat and have bought three pods of dye.

Apologies for that garbled second sentence!

I have been using Dylon for years. Have mixed my own colours with it, used the pre-dye to remove existing colour etc.

Last time I bought a pack of machine dye it contained salt so no longer any need to add it unless you are using very old stock.

Instructions were to ensure items are clean and damp, so would run on a rinse cycle first and remove, dry the drum. Add dye to the drum (with the salt if using it). I just use the side of the empty box to shove it through the holes. Add the damp items and start the machine as quickly as possible in case there are any little bits of dye stuck to the drum. Use a full programme, remove items and run a hot wash on empty. Dry items naturally.

The version with the added salt is a 40 degree process, the old one was 60 and took about half a bag of cheap salt.

My smoke grey towels turned out well. The pod instructions tell you to empty the pods into the drum if using more than one so I made sure the dye was through the drum holes before putting the towels in. Very easy.