Message: what happens if I dye a cotton jacket with a polyester lining. Will the happened to the lining.  I will be using RIT dye. Thank you for your answer. Avi

I can't recommend that you use an all-purpose dye, such as Rit, on cotton. All-purpose dyes are notorious for giving bad results. Since the dye bonds only very loosely to the fiber, it tends to bleed every time it is washed, so that the color fades rapidly. There is a product, Retayne, that can be used to fix all-purpose dye permanently, though it also tends to cause greater light-fading. Unfortunately, cationic fixatives such as Retayne are almost never available locally and must be ordered by mail; if you're going to the trouble of mail-ordering Retayne, you may as well buy a higher quality dye instead.

Another problem with all-purpose dyes, such as Rit, is that they work best when the fabric and dye are heated together on the stovetop at 185°F or higher, which is considerably more trouble than using a cool water dye that needs only washing soda to fix it. (Note that you should not plan on reusing a dyeing pot for food.) You will get much better and longer-lasting results on cotton if you use a fiber reactive dye.

If you choose to use all-purpose dye in spite of its disadvantages, you will want to be very careful in laundering, afterwards. Hand-wash Rit-dyed garments separately, one at a time, in cool water. Do not wash Rit-dyed garments with any clothing you do not want the dye to run onto. Dry-cleaning, if you prefer, will help the all-purpose dye to last longer in your jacket. If you can get some Retayne, Rit Dye Fixative, or another cationic dye fixative, it will improve the washfastness of the dye considerably.

In any case, no matter what sort of dye you use, if it is capable of dyeing cotton, then it will leave the polyester undyed, at most staining it temporarily. This is as true of all-purpose dye as it is of better dyes, such as Procion MX dye, Tulip One Step Fashion Dye, Dylon Machine Dye or Dylon Permanent Dye. You can dye the cotton portion of your jacket, but both the polyester lining and the polyester thread that was used to sew the jacket will remain the original color, or close to it.

The only dye that will work on polyester is called disperse dye. Polyester is, chemically, so very different from cotton that there is no dye that can work on both. You cannot buy disperse dye in local shops, but instead will have to purchase it by mail-order. Polyester is more difficult to dye than other fibers; it cannot be dyed in merely hot water, but must be boiled for at least half an hour with the disperse dye. Most people in your situation will choose to keep the lining white, while redying the cotton jacket.

Of course, the jacket can be dyed only if it has already been washed. If the jacket is marked "dry clean only", you can expect the cotton outer portion to shrink considerably, while the polyester lining retains its original length. Before dyeing, always wash clothing thoroughly with detergent in the hottest water it can stand, because invisible stains will repel the dye, leaving lighter splotches. 

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