Name: Heather
Message: Hi. I have a pair of khaki pants that I absolutely love. They have a stain on them that I can't get out. I'd like to dye them black to cober the stain so I can still wear them. They are 76% cotton, 20% polyester and 4% Lycra. Is it possible to dye them black? What kind of dye should I use? If it makes a difference-the label does say no bleach or fabric softener, wash cold, and tumble low. Thank you.

I'm sorry, but that stain will always be there, even after dyeing. Dye is transparent, and will darken the stain as much as it does the surrounding region. In addition, neither the polyester nor the spandex will accept the dye, so at most only 76% of the fiber will be darkened at all by the dye. This might be enough for merely changing the color of the pants, but it makes it even harder to cover a stain. Furthermore, the polyester thread that was used to sew the pants will not accept dye, so at best you would end up with dark grey pants with tan stitching.

(Is there any possibility that a good dry cleaner's establishment would be able to remove the stain?)

If you decide to dye the pants anyway, to make the stain less obvious, please let me steer you away from all-purpose dye. All-purpose dye is noted for poor washfastness, which means that it will bleed in the laundry forever, and will fade rather quickly. Another problem with all-purpose dye is that it works best when used in extremely hot water (preferably 190 degrees Fahrenheit), which will tend to shrink and ruin any pre-sewn garment.

The best dye to use to dye cotton garments is fiber reactive dye, such as, for example, Procion MX dye. It is best to purchase fiber reactive dye via mail-order. You might want to buy enough black Procion MX dye to redye a washing machine load containing all of your black cotton clothing that has become faded. Procion MX dye can be purchased from any of the suppliers on my Sources for Dyeing Supplies page. (Here is a direct link to purchase black Procion MX dye at Amazon.com .) Dyeing a five-pound washing machine load requires five ounces of black Procion MX dye, ten pounds of salt, and three-quarters of a pound of soda ash. (Producing a paler color requires much less dye.)


(Please help support this web site. Thank you.)