New Life for Old Clothes

I hate shopping for jeans more than just about anything. Hate it. Hours of frustration in an attempt to find just one pair that fits properly. So when I find jeans that fit well, I tend to hang onto them forever. But they get faded and old-looking.

Last week I decided to dye some of my jeans. I figured they could use some new oomph to keep them looking nice. I also threw in a couple of pairs that were just too light to be very stylish these days. I should have taken a before picture of all my denim, but I forgot.

First step: Wet the objects to be dyed. (Don't know why; it's just what the dye bottle says to do.) If you're me, you then pile the wet clothing on top of the dryer, then realize you have a lot of water to mop up before it all seeps into the lint trap. And keep in mind that everything looks darker than it really is when it's wet.



Next fill the washer and add the dye. Agitate. Then add clothes.




Rinse a bazillion times until the water runs clear. I believe the following picture was the 6th rinse. I think I rinsed 10 times before finally giving up. It was 2am by then, I was tired, and I'm not sure the water was ever going to run clear! (For reference, I believe I started the dyeing process around 7pm.)



Finish the process with a final wash with detergent. Dry clothes (I air dry mine.) Marvel at their new color, but then feel frustrated for buying "denim" instead of "indigo."



Still, they look better than they did, which means I'll wear them longer and put off evil jean shopping for another while. As Martha would say, "It's a good thing!"