Let's Dye Clothes With Food!

When creating dishes for a menu, you always consider color. Working with natural pigments got me thinking...surely those colors can be used for other things!

Being a person who spills things quite often, I'm well aware that foods stain clothes. Let's use that staining power to our advantage! I'm trying out some natural colors to dye a beige hoodie (that I would probably accidentally stain otherwise).
Many commercial dyes are made with some not-so-great chemicals, so this is a fun way to personalize your clothes in a cleaner and more sustainable way.

I used about 2 quarts of hot water, then the following combinations:
1TB turmeric
1TB beet powder + 1TB turmeric
2 quarts wine (no water)
wine + turmeric
1 quart beet juice (no water)
Let color set overnight before rinsing for deeper pigment. You can tumble dry on low to set color, if desired and if your fabric allows. Rinse and/or wash gently to remove residual pigment to prevent color transfer. Try adding 1/2-1 cup of salt (or vinegar) to your liquid to help set color and prevent fading!
Other natural pigmented foods worth trying include blueberries, raspberries, cranberries, grapes, onion skins, purple cabbage, and carrots.
Click here to head over and watch the video on YouTube, or click the photo above.