Can I dye printed black/white trousers to make them plain black?

[ShadesOfPemberley]

Bought printed trousers, wasn’t paying enough attention and the print that I thought was white palm fronds is actually white lobsters. I hate them! (I love lobsters but can’t countenance having them on my trousers)

can’t return them as have had them altered to fit (the nice woman who does alterations commented on the lovely lobster print when I picked them up today and that’s when I realised…)

DD says I should try to dye them so they’re plain black. Have never dyed anything before! I know you can get in-machine dyes? Would they work to dye black/white (actually more like ecru) trousers? And do they make your washing machine churn out slightly greying clothes for weeks afterwards?!

they're such lovely comfy airy trousers! I will wear them just around the house if I can’t disguise the hideous print but I would love it if they could just be lovely comfy airy BLACK trousers, sans weird seafood print…

https://www.next.co.uk/style/su381380/ag3673#ag3673

for reference.

no I don’t know how I didn’t clock they were covered in lobsters either…

I think unlikely - if think will fade unevenly- but you may as well try?

One thing, though - I dyed a white skirt blue once. The fabric of the skirt changed colour nicely but the thread used to do the seams and stitching round the zip etc didn’t take the dye at all. So just be warned in case you might have the same issue.

Or just lean into the seafood vibe!

Thanks Door!

Bit of research suggests patterns are not really dye-able unfortunately.

At-home trousers it is! I will pay more attention next time…

They do look very comfortable and light. After a while I bet you won’t mind the lobsters any more and will just wear them out of the house too! Lady Catherine wouldn’t approve but never mind that.

Ha! Lady Catherine certainly would not!!

Crustacean designs seem to be popular at the moment

I’ve just got prawn print pj’s from sainsburys 🦐

@DoorOpening that was likely a polyester thread that won’t absorb dye

I’m always dyeing things. IME this should work unless the white design has been printed onto the black, but that’s unlikely. If it has, the white will be a slightly thicker, rougher texture. But for lightweight linen/viscose it’s much more likely the black has been printed onto pale fabric. It should take the dye well and become all black. I did this with hush jumpsuit that was all viscose black with white stars. It worked well and you couldn’t see any sign of the stars at all. Also, it looks like the trousers have black thread so that won’t be a problem.

You could use dylon wash and dye or an in-machine tub, they are essentially v similar. Remember to wash again afterwards to remove any surplus dye and clean the machine.

However I actually love the lobsters!

One of the reviews actually says they also didn’t realise it was lobsters! I think it’s because that palm style summer print is so familiar so you just see that at first. But as PPs say lobsters are everywhere at the mo.

If you won’t wear them in all their lobstery glory, you have nothing to lose at this stage. Dylon Machine Dye has to be worth a try. It works on viscose and linen so is suitable. Wash them first then run the dye as per the instructions while they are still wet.

Agree with PP’s Hush jumpsuit experience, I dyed a polka dot dress solid into dark navy and it came out fine.

I actually like that lobster print, going to check those out...... 🦞

Don't use Dylon, it's not good on synthetics. Chances are the thread will be poly. Use a Rit All-purpose dye. Much better for this kind of thing.

Thanks everyone!

I might POSSIBLY be changing my mind after hearing there is enthusiasm for Crustacean print out there…

If I can persuade DD to stop chuckling every time she sees me wearing them I might even keep them as they are.

dyeing advice much appreciated!!

@ShadesOfPemberley

its better than having crabs OP 🤷🏻‍♀️

Have to disagree here - viscose is a natural fabric as far as dyeing goes, and takes dylon as well as cotton or linen. I always use dylon as I’ve experimented with others and the results were not as good. Also I think the trousers have black thread going by the pics but OP can check.

Wear with this op!

https://www.boden.com/products/relaxed-novelty-t-shirt-pink-rose-lobster

I would go for it. PP are correct that thread is synthetic so doesn't take dye, but that would be a problem if for example you had white trousers (stitched in white) that you dyed black (so they became black trousers with visible white stitching). It won't be an issue if they're sewn with black thread.

I expect they will dye to a solid black, but if not, they would go to a design of very-slightly-different-shade-of-black on a black background. So it wouldn't be a discernible pattern of lobsters anymore; just some interesting visual texture.

The washing machine dyes aren't suitable if you have a combined washer/dryer, but otherwise they are great.

• Wash the trousers before dying them (to remove any finishes, spray starch etc from construction so they absorb the dye better).
• Then put them in with the dye pod in a full wash cycle according to the instructions, to dye them
• Afterwards, put the trousers through another wash cycle with detergent (you can take out the empty dye pod so it doesn't rattle around)
• then take out the trousers and hang to dry. Wipe around the door and seal of the washing machine with a soapy cloth to remove dye residue, then run another wash cycle with the machine empty apart from detergent, to clean the machine before you put any more clothes through it

I have (on different occasions) dyed things black, dark purple, and emerald green with Dylon machine pods and the washing machine did not stain my clothes afterwards. (I did once dislodge the spring inside the washing machine door seal when over-enthusiastically trying to wipe it afterwards, but you're probably not as clumsy as me!)

I couldn't tell they were lobsters til you mentioned it, people won't notice I'm sure, I bet they won't dye well

I've dyed a black and white printed fabric and it needed 3 sessions before the pattern disappeared completely, so that's 3 x packs of Dylon at about £7.00 each. In the end it came out ok but I probably wouldn't have bothered if I'd realised how much effort and money it would cost.

I find both viscose and linen normally dye well although if the print and the background are in different fabric mixes that might be another headache. I'm assuming the thread's already black so I wouldn't expect that to be a problem.

The instructions for use should explain how to avoid any residue lingering in the machine - basically wash at least once afterwards on empty (I sometimes do it twice to make sure) and then wipe the machine including the door and rubber seal.

But to get a uniform finish, you need to dye the thread too. It is unlikely to be cotton, it will likely be poly. IME it is always the thread that is the issue when using dyes.

Yes but the thread is almost certainly black here. Can’t see any white thread in the pics and the trousers are majority black so should be black thread.

sometimes the different colour thread can look good eg on an overlocked vest seam. But agree white thread on black item is an acquired taste!

I dyed a white Boden dress navy once. Dress was great. But the resulting white tread was an ‘interesting’ contrast if you wanted a sailor outfit and worse, showed how wonky the stitching was!

I reckon they'll be fine. I dyed a viscose jumper with a black Dylon pod recently and it came out perfectly.

They’re a viscose and linen mix. You’ll end up with a black background and grey lobsters instead of white. I actually think they’re really nice OP.

I’d dye them. I couldn’t handle that lobster that is pincering straight into the crotch. Though I guess the placement of the pattern might be a bit different on each pair.