Name: Donna
Message: I want to rmove dye and redye solid embossed velvet.  enough for a sofa an two chairs  to be recovered.  how much color would I need to take what is now light salmon flesh color(very pale)  from what was originally cayenne,  with the pale pink what is the best color used to achieve cabarnet/ ruby color.   or Rich purple/mauve ,  or a silver smoke / pewter (light to dark?   What light pink would I use to match pewter and silver smoke has mauve grey hue What do you think of Dylon and Tintex  and do you know of a wholesale rep in Canada?

What fiber are you using? Unfortunately, you simply cannot choose a dye without knowing the fiber content of your velvet. Velvet can be woven from many different fibers, both synthetic and natural, including silk, polyester, nylon, and many others.

Once you know your fiber content, you can select your dye. See the overview page "About the Dyes", which explains dye choice based on fiber content. If your velvet is made of cotton or rayon, I recommend fiber reactive dye, such as Procion MX dye. If your velvet is made out of silk or nylon, you can use acid dye. If it is made of polyester, I do not recommend that you even consider dyeing it, though you can use fabric paints.

You cannot remove dye from most synthetic fibers at all. It is impossible to predict whether dye can be discharged or removed from even natural fibers, because it all depends on the specific dye used by the manufacturer. Do not use chlorine bleach (hypochlorite) on any synthetic fiber whatsoever, nor on any animal-type fiber such as silk or wool, because it will destroy them; it will also damage even the sturdiest cotton if used without great care. You may use Color Remover (sodium hydrosulfate, sold as Rit brand Color Remover) on cotton, silk, or nylon; you must be very careful, however, to avoid destroying silk or nylon with Color Remover, and even so you might damage your velvet badly. Do not use any treatment that violates the care instructions for your fabric; if the label says 'dry clean only' do not attempt to wash it, remove color from it, or dye it, and if it says to wash in cool water, do not use any dye or treatment that requires hot water.

Dylon and Tintex are both companies that market many different types of dyes. Some of their dyes, such as Dylon Cold Water Dye, work well on cotton at room temperature. Some of their dyes, such as Dylon Multi Purpose, work only in nearly boiling water. Neither company sells any dye that will work on polyester. It is impossible to comment on these companies' dyes' suitability to a fabric of unknown fiber type.

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