I would like to dye white polyester hockey jerseys. Is this doable?

Name: Jeff

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Dye polyester and poly/cotton blends

Country or region: Connecticut, USA

Message: I would like to dye white polyester hockey jerseys. Is this doable?

Yes, you can dye polyester, but only with a special kind of dye called disperse dye. You can't use all-purpose dye, nor any other dye that works on natural fibers. See "Dyeing Polyester with Disperse Dyes".

Your polyester hockey jerseys will have to be boiled with the dye, along with an often foul-smelling dye carrier chemical which requires excellent ventilation. You will need a very large cooking pot to do the dyeing in, one which you do not plan to reuse for food preparation. It's best if this pot is made of stainless steel, but enameled steel works well, too. You cannot dye polyester in a washing machine, because your dye water absolutely must be boiling.

If you want the jerseys to be a smooth, even solid color, you will need to use a large enough pot that the jerseys can move very freely as you stir them in the boiling dye, and you will need to stir frequently. If the pot is too small, or if you do not stir enough, then the results will be splotchy, lighter in some areas and darker in others. Your dyeing pot should be big enough to hold several gallons of water, depending on how many shirts you want to dye at a time. One pound of fabric, weighed while still dry, requires three gallons of water; two pounds of fabric require six gallons.

If, instead, you want a tie-dye effect, there are two approaches. One is to tie the shirts and drop them into the pot of boiling dye. The procedure is exactly the same as for solid-color dyeing, but there is obviously less need for care in obtaining exactly the same hue all over the garments.

Another way to apply disperse dye to polyester is to make your design on paper, using crayons or paints made from disperse dye, and then use a hot iron or a t-shirt press to transfer the design. This method works very well and does not require the smelly carrier chemical that is needed for full color intensity in immersion dyeing. This is also a method more suitable to the novice dyer. For an example, see "Iron-on Fabric Crayons for Synthetic Fibers".

You can buy one brand of disperse dye, Jacquard's "iDye Poly", in some of the better crafts or art supply stores; the smelly color intensifier chemical is included in a separate pouch inside the packet. Each packet is good for two to three pounds of dry fabric; weight your shirts before you dye them to see how many packets to dye. There are only eight colors available; be careful not to confuse "iDye Poly" with "plain "iDye", which is a different type of dye that works only on natural fibers.

Otherwise, you will have to buy your disperse dye online. PRO Chemical & Dye, in Massachusetts, sells thirteen colors of disperse dye for immersion dyeing, plus, separately, a dye carrier chemical that is described as being low in odor, though, like the Jacquard Color Intensifier, it requires good ventilation and the use of a respirator. Aljo Mfg in Manhattan, sells twenty-two different shades of disperse dye for polyester, including a true fluorescent red, plus a dye developer chemical; they don't have an online shopping cart system, but you can order from them by telephone.

If this seems too difficult to you, since dyeing polyester can be a real challenge for a novice dyer, then there is one custom dyer available that will dye white polyester garments to order, Metro Dyeing Service; see my page, "Where can I find someone to dye my clothing for me?".

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Posted: Sunday - December 04, 2011 at 01:43 PM

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I would like to dye white polyester hockey jerseys. Is this doable?

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