Name: Sal
Message: Hi,
I have a cotton canvas bag that is waterproofed. Is there a dye I can use on it? Is it possibly to dye waterproof fabric?

No, and no. The waterproofing prevents the dye from penetrating through to the fabric. Sorry about that.

It is possible to remove some coatings, such as permanent press finishes, by using muriatic acid, but it's rather dangerous and usually not nearly worth the trouble.

You can dye non-waterproofed cotton canvas using fiber reactive dyes, such as Procion MX dye, but it can be difficult to get the dye to penetrate the tight weave of the canvas. Soaking overnight with Synthrapol detergent, before dyeing the wet bag, can help in that case. It won't do the job for a waterproofed bag, though.

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