Name: Gilda

Message: I want to dye a dress that is 55% linen and 45% rayon.   Washing instructions: "dry clean only."   It is currently a light, light pastel purple and I'd like to dye it a bright hot pink.  Is this something I could do?   If so, could you recommend a cold water dye that might work?   Do you think I can use my washing machine on delicate cycle?   Or do you think I'd be more successful hand dyeing?

Whenever you dye something, you have to wash it a lot. You must prewash it to remove any invisible stains that will repel dye, and you have to wash it several times afterwards to remove all of the loose extra dye, as otherwise the excess dye will rub off on  you, the furniture, your purse, and anything else the garment touches.

This means that you absolutely cannot dye anything that is not washable.

If you are willing to risk destroying the garment, go ahead and wash it. You can use the delicate cycle. Sometimes items marked "dry clean only" survive washing very well. I have successfully machine-washed both linen and rayon dresses. If your dress still looks fine after you've washed it, you can then try dyeing it.

If your dress is unlined, it is likely to do well when washed. There's a small though real chance that part of the dress will shred, in which case you'll have to throw it away. If the dress is lined, however, there's a near-total chance that the linen/rayon outside of the dress will shrink a bit, while the synthetic lining (whose fiber content is almost never noted on the label) will stay the original size. This will ruin the shape and fit of the dress. It's not worth the risk to try washing a dry-clean-only dress if it is lined.

Note that the seams that hold the dress together are made of polyester thread, which means that they will remain their original color even after dyeing. If the stitching is very visible, the results might look peculiar. Look at your dress critically and decide whether or not it will be a problem for it to have pastel purple stitching on a hot pink dress.

If your dress survives washing, then you can dye it in the washing machine on the delicate cycle, resettng as needed to allow plenty of time for the dye to react with the fabric. I recommend that you use a cool water fiber reactive dye, such as Procion MX dye. See the page, "How can I dye clothing or fabric in the washing machine?". If you are in Europe or Australia, consider using Dylon Machine Dye, which is designed for use in front-loading washing machines; this dye is not available in North America.

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