Name: Paul

Country: U.S.
Message: I have several pairs of WHITE 94% nylon/6% spandex compression shorts that I want to dye BLACK. Is JACQUARD Acid Dye your first and best choice?

My first and best choice would be to choose some different shorts to dye. A cotton/spandex blend is easy to dye with cool water fiber reactive dyes such as Procion MX, and 100% nylon, without spandex, is easy to dye with acid dyes. Both of these fiber choices would be far better for dyeing black.

The problem is that, for maximum effectiveness, which is particularly important for dyeing dark colors such as black, acid dyes will require high heat in the dyeing process, preferably to 185°F or even higher. However , this is a huge problem, because the spandex is extremely heat-sensitive. Check the care label in your nylon/spandex shorts, and you will probably see a warning against using hot water for washing them. The usual temperature limit for spandex is 105°F; temperatures above this may cause it to lose its shape. The maximum temperature for the industrial dyeing of spandex, before the fiber is spun into threads, is 160°F; do not exceed this temperature with spandex for any reason. See "How to Dye Spandex".

The normal procedure in the textile industry, for coloring a spandex blend black, is to color the fiber it is to be blended with, before the two are ever spun or woven together.

If you're not worried about the shorts losing their shape due to damage to the spandex, then you can follow the recipe for a good acid dye. While Jacquard Acid Dye is an excellent choice, there are two black acid dyes that are superior. The "Jet Black" in the Washfast Acid Dye line, sold by PRO Chemical & Dye, Paradise Fibers, Maiwa Handprints, etc., is unusually wash-resistant. Unlike most acid dyes (including the other colors in the WashFast Acid dye line, which are far less washfast), clothing made from the Washfast Acid Jet Black can be washed in hot water and still stay black! Most acid dyes produce clothing that must be washed in lukewarm water, at temperatures below 105°F, or. alternatively, dry-cleaned. One other black dye is superior even to the Washfast Jet Black: the Lanaset Jet Black contains a mixture of two blacks for the very best, deepest black color; one of the two is the same as the WashFast Acid Jet Black, plus there is another. The Lanaset Jet Black is widely agreed to be the very best black dye for wool or nylon that is available for hand-dyers in the US; however, the Washfast Acid Jet Black costs half as much, per pound of fiber to be dyed, and is quite good. Both the Lanaset Jet Black and the WashFast Acid Dyes Jet Black are extremely resistant to fading in the laundry, assuming that the manufacturer's instructions for application are closely followed. See "Lanaset Dyes: A Range of Reactive and Acid Dyes for Protein Fibers", and "About WashFast Acid Dyes". For more information specifically about the black dyes in the Lanaset and WashFast Acid Dyes, see the Dye Forum entry, "Lanaset Jet Black contains Washfast Acid Jet Black WF672 plus another black dye".

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