Name: Jill

Message: Hi, I have a question my dress is charcoal gray and made of cotton. It gets a little bleach smeared on it due to chlorox whi accidentally got on it. I know I have to use procion MX but will the color be solid. as some part of it is bleached and the rest is still perfect?
Another question can I dye charcoal gray to dark purple? if so what color should I use?

Hi Jill,

Bleach spots will always be lighter than the rest of the garment, after dyeing. See my FAQ, "How can I fix the bleach spots on my favorite clothing?". Using a fabric marker, if you can get a good color match, is often the best solution.

Charcoal gray is a very dark color. Since dye is transparent, it can only add to the existing color, not cover it up. Dark purple is a lighter color than charcoal grey, so the dye will barely show at all on the background. If you dye a charcoal gray dress that has a few light bleach spots, you will end up with a slightly purplish dark gray dress with a few bright purple spots.

To dye a charcoal gray dress to dark purple, first lighten the color of the dress using Rit Color Remover. (See What chemicals can be used to remove dye?.) If it works–it's always impossible to predict whether a specific garment can be lightened–then you can dye the dress dark purple. I recommend a fiber reactive dye, such as Procion MX dye, for dyeing cotton. Other brands of fiber reactive dye include Tulip One Step Fashion Dye and Dylon Permanent Dye. All-purpose dyes, such as Rit or Tintex, do not give equally good results.

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