My $3 Secret Potion for Getting Faded Dark Jeans Back to Black in 30 Minutes

Have you ever wondered how to get your faded jeans back to their darkest shade of black? All you need is to dye your jeans black(er) with a little $3 bottle of Rit dye, rubber gloves, a bucket, and some super-hot water to get those jeans back to black.

Even if your jeans don’t look all that faded, a black dye bath helps fill in worn areas (usually found around the seams and pockets), making them look new again in just 30 minutes. The process can get a little messy, so it’s best to have access to a utility sink or a non-white porcelain sink. Here’s how to dye jeans black.

• Black Rit dye
• Rubber gloves
• Large pot or tub (find a non-food pot that you can designate for dyeing purposes)
• Table salt or dye fixative 
• Wooden spoon (designated for dyeing)
• Plastic drop cloth (a plastic tablecloth works well!)

Fill a large pot with very hot water (not quite boiling), enough to fully submerge the jeans, and carefully empty the contents of the bottle of dye. 

Add a 1/2 cup of salt and stir until dissolved. (Or follow the directions on the bottle if you’re using dye fixative.)

Slowly dip the jeans into the pot, letting them absorb the water. Gently swirl the pants around in the pot, so the dye is evenly distributed.

Let the jeans soak for up to 30 minutes, lift them from the water, and carefully wring out as much excess liquid as possible. 

Hot tip: Don’t waste that dye bath! There should be quite a bit left over, so run around the house while you’re soaking the jeans and find smaller items to drop in, like black T-shirts, socks, underwear — you name it!

Transfer to an empty pot or plastic bin, and carry to the sink (a utility sink, if possible!) to remove any excess dye. Wash the jeans in cool water, kneading and wringing them out until the water runs clean.  

Wash in cold water on gentle cycle with a small amount of liquid laundry detergent, and lay flat to dry. Continue to care for your jeans using these helpful tips and they’ll keep their color longer!

You can, but there’s not really a point to it. “Think of Rit Dye like a one-night stand,” says Amy Acton, CEO of Acton Style Group and a TV wardrobe stylist. “Once your fabric has soaked up all the color it can handle, hanging around won’t make things any more intense. But if you’re after that deeper, more dramatic vibe, just do it again — go in for a second round! Sometimes, a little extra commitment is all it takes to make things a little deeper.”

Rit dye doesn’t always rub off on clothes, but it can. “Freshly dyed fabrics can be a bit clingy, wanting to share their new colors with everything they touch,” Acton says. If you’re concerned, you can use Rit ColorStay Dye Fixative, or do a presoak in the washing machine and then wash with OxiClean.

Salt creates a chemical reaction with Rit dye that helps boost the dye solution and leads to a longer-lasting color. Salt also “controls the pace, making sure the dye soaks in just right — whether you’re going for a bold splash or a subtle hue,” Acton says.