I've been trying to dye a dress black for Halloween. I've used 3 different dyes and nothing is working

Name: Jeni

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Dye polyester and poly/cotton blends

Country or region: USA

Message: Please HELP!!!! I have a polyester/nylon/spandex mix dress, now the dress is not dry clean only nor cold wash only. I've been trying to dye the dress black for Halloween. I've used 3 different dyes and nothing is working. I need to know what kinda dye will work to get this dress black, PLEASE HELP!!!

You can't dye polyester with ordinary fabric dyes, because it's too different, chemically, from natural fibers. Any dye that will work on cotton or wool will completely fail to dye polyester. The only true dye that works on polyester is disperse dye. See "Dyeing Polyester with Disperse Dyes".

Unfortunately, disperse dye has to be boiled with the fabric for half an hour or more, but boiling will probably destroy the shape of the spandex in your dress. Polyester/spandex is a bad blend to try to dye. The color already in the dress was added to the different fibers separately, before they were combined into the dress. You can try disperse dye, if you like, but only if you are willing to take the risk of damage to the spandex in the blend. You must really boil it, using a large cooking pot that you don't plan to reuse for food; sub-boiling temperatures will not work to dye polyester, even with the best dye. You can't dye polyester in the washing machine, in spite of any misleading claims that you may see.

What percentage of the dress is polyester, and what is nylon? Nylon is easier than polyester to dye, because, although it's a synthetic fiber, it is chemically similar to wool, so it dyes pretty well with acid dyes and with all-purpose dyes, such as Rit (though Rit black dye often produces colors other than black, typically a dark purple). However, dyeing just the nylon in your dress, and none of the polyester, will result in a gray dress instead of a black one. Nylon can also be dyed with disperse dyes, so if you decide to risk the spandex in your dress by boiling it with a disperse dye, the nylon will get dyed, too.

An alternative to true dye is fabric paint. This works great for synthetic fibers when you want a tie-dyed or hand-painted design, but it's not so great for getting a perfectly smooth solid color. If the idea for your costume will work even if it is dyed unevenly, then I recommend that you use a thin fabric paint that is labeled as being effective on synthetic fibers. A huge advantage of this approach is that you don't have to boil the dress. Fabric paints can be applied at room temperature and then allowed to air dry. Afterwards, use a hot iron to set the paint, if the manufacturer of the fabric paint you use says to do so, or just keep the dress away from moisture for several weeks, as many fabric paints will set even without heat if not washed for a month or longer. You could even color in the entire dress using Jacquard's Tee Juice Fabric Markers, the fat-tip ones, which are much faster to use than other fabric markers, but be warned, this can be messy, and should be done only over a waterproof drop-cloth - a wise precaution with any fabric paint or dye.

The two fabric paints that I recommend you consider are Dye-Na-Flow and Dharma Pigment Dyes. They are both thinner than other fabric paints, and mimic dye more closely. You can dilute either one with water (Dharma Pigment dyes can be diluted more and are thus more economical) and dip your dress in it, squeezing the diluted paint through the dress repeatedly, then hang it up on a plastic hanger to dry, taking care to protect any surface underneath from drips of the fabric paint. If the first pass does not produce a dark enough color, wait for it to dry and then repeat. You will notice that the color is uneven, possibly splotchy, darker at the seams and in any wrinkles, and that garments colored with fabric paint tend to look worn after only a little use, an effect common in pigment dyeing.

You can buy both Dye-Na-Flow and iDye Poly (a disperse dye) by mail order from art suppliers such as Blick Art Materials. Dharma Pigment Dyes, Dye-Na-Flow, and iDye Poly can be ordered from Dharma Trading Company (which will do fast overnight shipping, if you're in a hurry). Some exceptionally good local art and craft suppliers, such as Texas Art Supply, will carry Dye-Na-Flow and/or iDye Poly, but the majority do not.

Warning: if you buy iDye Poly, be careful not to buy plain iDye, without the word Poly in the name. iDye Poly is disperse dye, but plain iDye is a different type of dye, direct dye, which works only on natural fibers. Only iDye Poly will work on polyester. You can also buy other brands of disperse dye from serious dye suppliers such as PRO Chemical & Dye in Massachusetts and Aljo Mfg. in New York, or see my listing of Sources for Dyeing Supplies Around the World.

Also see this earlier dyeblog entry: "How can I use Dye-Na-Flow to dye a dress black?"

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Posted: Wednesday - October 27, 2010 at 07:37 AM

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I've been trying to dye a dress black for Halloween. I've used 3 different dyes and nothing is working

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