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I am an expert when it comes to getting the maximum use out of my clothes. I wash them on the gentle cycle and dry them on low. Oftentimes I simply line dry them. I do everything I can to make sure they stay in pristine condition. I’ve been wearing many garments for a decade now.

These techniques keep my delicates in great condition and prevent fraying and shrinking. But one thing they do not seem to prevent is fabrics bleeding dye. And because so many of my clothes are old, they are all really faded now. Blacks are the worst—over time, they all fade into various super-dark colors. Most of them now look like very dark green or red or blue.

Recently I realized that you can actually dye and re-dye clothing quite easily using nothing more than a plastic container for organizing! This method works best if you just have one or several items to dye at a time.

Here is a simple set of tub dye instructions:

1. Start by pre-washing your item. This will ensure that the dye goes on evenly.

2. Put down a plastic cover to protect the surface under your plastic storage container is protected.

3. Calculate how much dye you need. Usually you need around one box of powder dye for a single pound of clothes.

4. Heat up three gallons of water to 140 degrees Fahrenheit (assuming you are dying one pound of clothes).

5. Pour the hot water into the large plastic storage container.

6. Dissolve a package of powdered dye into two cups of hot water. Pour that mixture into the bin.

7. If you are dying cotton, add a cup of salt. If you are dying nylon, wool or silk, add a cup of white vinegar. Also add a little dishwashing soap.

8. Dip in a paper towel to make sure you have the right color. Add more dye or water as needed.

9. Pour some water over the item you want to dye to get it wet. Squeeze out extra water and then drop it into the dye.

10. Stir the item around in the bin for 10-30 minutes. This ensures the color will go on evenly.

11. Pull the garment out of the dye bath.

12. Rinse out the item and make sure you get all the dye out. You can use a mild detergent at this stage.

13. Now you just need to dry out your garment. You can use the machine or line-dry it.

And that is it! As you can see, it is ridiculously simple. There are a few steps involved, and you do need to do some manual work stirring the item around. But it is worth it to get your blacks back to black and your colors looking bright and vivid again, right? And because plastic tubs are so versatile, you can use your bin for something else afterward. They are quite handy in the laundry room!