Name: kelly

Message: I have an 8 x 10 foot off-white, nylon, shag rug that will no longer come clean due to foot traffic (ground in dirt) and spills. I would like to dye it a light yellow or sage green. I would like to do it myself outside, if I can find a process that will give me an even color. Have you any suggestions on the best dye and process?

If the problem is dirt, the rug is probably no longer an even color. Dye is transparent, so any color you dye the rug will leave the darker regions darker and the lighter regions lighter. The result will be a dirty rug of a different color.

If it's okay with you that the darker areas will remain dark, you can usually use acid dyes to dye nylon, following the same sort of recipes often used for wool. See PRO Chemical & Dye's directions for "Dyeing and Painting Carpet using WashFast Acid Dyes". This recipe uses a carpet steamer as a source of heat; acid dyes must be heat-set in order to attain a long-lasting bond with nylon or wool. An alternative form of heat-setting, without a steamer or the use of the stovetop, is explained in their "Garbage Bag Dyeing with Wool using PRO MX Reactive Dyes", a recipe in which fiber reactive dyes that are typically used on cotton in cool water actually function as acid dyes.

Nylon can usually be dyed with acid dyes or with all-purpose dyes, since they contain acid dyes. If the nylon has any sort of stain-resistant finish, however, which is something that would really improve a rug, then the dye will not be able to get into the fiber, because anything that resists stains will also resist dye.

A major problem for you will be the fact that you must always throughly rinse anything that you dye. If you do not rinse out the dye, it will rub off onto anything that touches it. It might be difficult for you to rinse your rug after dyeing it, since it's so big, but if you can't rinse it, you should not dye it.

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[Updated June 8, 2008.]