How to Save the Color in Your School Fun Run T-Shirt

Here’s our helpful step-by-step guide for how to make color run powder stay on a shirt following your color run fundraiser.

1. Don’t Shake Off Excess Color Run Powder

Following the race, resist the urge to shake off any excess color blast powder that has accumulated on your T-shirt. Promptly and carefully remove your shirt and change clothes. Keep in mind that the more you move, the more the dust color will fall off of the fabric. Once removed, you can then gently place your T-shirt into a bag to keep it safe until you get home.

2. Lay Your Shirt Flat And Soak With White Vinegar

Once you get home, remove your shirt from the bag and lay it out on a hard, flat surface. We suggest laying it on a piece of cardboard with an old towel or newspaper underneath it.

Then, fill a spray bottle with white vinegar and generously spray your shirt, to the point of soaking it. If you’d prefer, you may dilute the vinegar with water, just be careful not to overdilute it. Keep in mind that the colors will start to bleed together as the fabric begins to get wet.

3. Keep Your Shirt Flat To Dry

After your shirt is thoroughly soaked through, you’ll want to keep it flat to dry. This will keep all the color vibrant and in place.

4. Iron The Shirt To Set The Color

Next, you’ll need to iron your shirt. If you can, turn your T-shirt inside-out prior to ironing it and crack a window to alleviate some of the odors. Then, place a rag between the shirt and your iron to safely and adequately set the color with heat.

5. Toss The Shirt In The Dryer

In order to set the vinegar-soaked T-shirt even more and to allow it to fully absorb the colors, turn your shirt inside-out and throw it in the dryer. Set the dryer to high heat and allow it to run for about 10 minutes. And that’s all there is to it!