Name: Brenda

Message: I have curtains made of 40% cotton 60% silk that say on the tag Dry Clean Only. They were a solid scarlet red and have faded in parts to a peachy color from the sun. Is there any way to dye them back? 

I have called dry cleaners and upholsters and haven't any luck on finding someone who offers this service. I teach art, but have only tie dyed before with Rit [all-purpose] dye. I live in Pearland, SE Houston and go to Texas Art often. I would greatly appreciate any advice! :)

If you can't wash it, you can't dye it. No one else will dye  a dry-clean-only item for you, either. 

Sometimes you actually can wash items marked 'dry clean only'. It's a big risk, though. If you will replace the curtains if you can't dye them, then you might as well try washing them. They might shrink and/or fall apart. If they survive, you can go ahead and dye them. If they can handle being washed in cool water, but not in hot water, you should avoid all-purpose dye, and stick to a cool water fiber reactive dye such as Procion MX dye. However, the darker areas will still be darker after you dye them, since the dye you add on top will be transparent and allow the old color to show through. This means that a solid color will be very difficult to get, unless you use a very dark color and a huge amount of dye, but you can get very nice multicolored effects with low water immersion dyeing.

It's very rare to find anyone local who will do custom dyeing, but if your item is washable, and made of natural fibers such as your cotton/silk, you can find someone on my page of "Contact Info for Custom Dyers" to dye it for you; use e-mail to get a price quote and arrange to send the items through the mail. 

For tie-dyeing, you will get vastly better results if you buy good fiber reactive dye, instead of using all-purpose dye. Texas Art Supply sells this dye, labeled "Procion MX dye", under the Jacquard brand name. You will find better prices if you order Procion MX dye in two-ounce or larger jars by mail from any of the different companies listed on my Sources for Dyeing Supplies page, but it's nice to have a local source. It's a very good dye, much more satisfactory than all-purpose dye, because the colors are better, the dye lasts much longer in the laundry, and it is much easier to use since heat is not required for a good dye/fiber bond. Use soda ash as the fixative for Procion MX dye.

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[link updated November 29, 2007]