Name: Moses
Message: I read through the nylon dye section and am very interested in dyeing a pair of cordura pants. Would instructions come with the dye? Would one jar be enough for a pair of long pants? Would the dye be safe for use in the bathtub and can be washed off later?
 Thanks for such an informative site. 

How much does a pair of cordura pants weigh? You calculate the amount of dye to use based on weight. It takes a lot more dye to produce a deep black color (up to three ounces per pound of fabric!) than it does to produce a lighter color, which may require as little as a quarter of an ounce per pound. Jar size depends on your supplier. One small jar of Jacquard Acid dye contains half an ounce of dye.

Acid dyes should be used with heat and work best when simmered on the stovetop with the item to be dyed. If the heater for your tap water is set hot enough, however, you may get acceptable results without cooking your pants. See Jacquard's instructions for using a washing machine to dye with Acid dyes; also read "How can I dye clothing or fabric in the washing machine?", on this site. You can use the same instructions with a bathtub instead of a washing machine, but you will have to do a lot of stirring if you are serious about obtaining a single smooth solid color.

Acid dyes should not permanently stain a porcelain bathtub or washing machine. They will dye almost anything that is made of nylon, which includes some hard plastic items. Be very careful not to spill any sort of dye on the grout between tiles, which in my experience is easy to stain permanently.

You can buy acid dyes from many of the companies listed on my Dyeing Supplies around the World page. Larger jars cost less per ounce. Look at my page of color chips for Jacquard Acid Dyes. By following the links on that page, you can order dye through Amazon.com; if you do so, my website will receive a commission on your order, at no additional cost to you.

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