For more controlled “dirtying” of clothes, I put a concentrated mix of instant coffee and tea in a spray bottle and saturate the areas I want to come out darker. You can control the strength of your stain solution by adding more or less instant coffee/tea powder.
You can tint darker/warmer it using a coffee bath! Leaving a dress in a strong boiling instant coffee + salt bath for 3-4hours, then washing in a washing machine, turns it half a shade (barely noticeably warmer/less stark/bright) to a shade more warm browny-yellow.
The first thing I did to achieve that was soak the fabric in a little bath of coffee. I added about 1/2 cup of instant coffee to about 3 cups of hot water and let the pieces soak for about an hour. They didn't get very dark, but the white definitely looks a little more grungy now!
My favorite go-tos that produce a dirty look without actually using dirt (hygiene reasons!) is rubbing it with instant coffee grounds and/or baby powder, then sealing it in with a spritz of clear matte spray paint. You can also use watered down fabric paint to slowly build up believable layers of any color of grime.
Steeping fabric in hot water with tea bags can achieve a natural, time-worn tint, with longer soaking resulting in a stronger stain. Brew a strong pot of coffee. Soak the fabric in it to create a deeper, more pronounced vintage look. Diluted bleach can lighten vintage fabrics and add character.
For permanent surface grit (especially useful on darker fabrics), you can apply dry dust, dirt, or fuller's earth, and then seal it to the fabric with clear spray paint. For best results, add a very light layer of dust, spray, let dry, then add more layers.
Does Coffee Stain Clothes Permanently? Despite how permanent coffee stains look, with the right tools and cleaning method, they won't last forever. No matter what kind of fabric you were wearing when you spilled your coffee, there is a solution to fight that stain.
Sanding fabric with sandpaper or sanding blocks is a great way to make your fabric look old and faded. The coarser of a grit you use (lower number), the more distressed the fabric will become. Simply rub the sanding paper back and forth across the fabric until you achieve the desired results.
When I am dyeing with coffee, I generally recommend leaving the clothes in for a minimum of one hour to get a nice light brown hue. That being said, if you are looking for a darker shade, then you should leave the fabrics in the coffee longer.
While your clothing is thoroughly dyed, the dye isn't colorfast. It'll fade as you wash the clothing. To reduce how much the dye fades, wash your clothing in cold water and with a gentle detergent.
If you're intent on darkening your dye, then a good way to do it is to add something that rusts. Spencer notes that she'll sometimes add steel wood nails to darken her colors, or even create iron-based natural dyes by adding nails to equal parts vinegar and water.
Dyeing fabrics with coffee grounds is very easy! Depending on the amount of coffee grounds used, the fabric will be a darker or lighter shade of brown. The type of fabric to be dyed is essential for the success of this process.
Bleaching your shirt is an easy way to give it a faded, vintage look. The sun's UV rays are natural bleachers, so simply washing and drying your shirt a few times can start fading. For quicker results, make a bleaching solution. Combine one part hydrogen peroxide (3% concentration) and one part water.
Iris roots can be used to make a natural black dye. Place the fabric you want to die in a pot with 1 part vinegar and 4 parts water. Simmer the mixture for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Then, run it under cool water in the sink for 1 to 2 minutes, just to remove some of the vinegar.
The short answer: very, very rarely. (Which is very, very good news!) Coffee stains typically only become a problem when they have been allowed to dry and set, so the main thing to remember is to act quickly. If you do, coffee stains are almost always removable (woohoo!).
But if you manage to spill your delicious beverage, milky coffee stains can be difficult to remove. Coffee with milk causes a particular issue because the proteins in milk can coagulate with the heat and set into fabrics like wool. It's best to deal with this stain as soon as you can — so here's our advice.
Clothes tend to fade in the laundry cycle due to hot water washes, harsh detergents, agitation during washing and overdrying. The dye itself can also cause bleeding and fading if it is not well-set or if the wrong type of dye was used on a certain fabric.
How do I make clothes look aged and tattered for a zombie costume? Use sandpaper or a cheese grater to create holes and worn spots. Spray a mixture of water and bleach on the fabric for a discolored look. Aim for a look that's convincingly worn-out and undead.