Name: Wayne
Message: My housekeeper splashed bleach on a man's Hugo Boss suit. It is made in Greece with 97 percent cotton and 3 percent lycra. I am in the southern California area. Is there anyone who can salvage my disaster.

A dry-clean-only suit cannot be dyed, and dyeing alone is unlikely to salvage the suit, anyway. Your best hope is probably the fabric marker technique of correcting bleach spots; see Help! I ruined clothing by spattering bleach. How can I fix it?, in the FAQ section of my web site. However, it will never look quite like new again.

If the suit is made of natural fibers, you might try contacting Sherry Smilo (sherry@fabricdyeing.com) at True Color Fabric Dyeing.

Raymond Taliaferro wrote:
I am requesting any information available on how to dye fabric type furniture or for that matter any businesses that can accomplish the work of dyeing furniture in my area. I am from Newport News, Virginia

My best answer is in the FAQ section of my web site, under Can Furniture Be Dyed Successfully? Another excellent page of information on this subject is the Scarlet Zebra's set of information on painting upholstered furniture.

Marion (Bookie7407) wrote:
Looking for someone to dye a 100% Polyester camisole to match a outfit

At this time, the only company I know of which may dye polyester is Color Creek, in Alaska; is it worth it to you to ship your garment there to be dyed?

Yvonne Kennedy wrote:
Hello: I have a 2-piece rayon/cotton shirt and pant set. I foolishly got a little bleach on the pants. The set is melon and needless to say the pants are ruined.I hate to throw it away. I would like to have the pant set dyed. I don't care what color as long as it is a summer color. Approximately what would be the charge.

This is a very frequently asked question, whose answer is to be found in the FAQ section of my web site.

Briefly, dyeing alone is not the answer, because the spot will continue to be lighter even after additional dye is applied to the garment. Instead, use a fabric marker. See How can I fix the bleach spots on my favorite clothing? for more detailed information.

Name: Tristan
Message: You know what i think. This generation has a harder life at school. For example: im 13 years old and in year8 but i always have at least 2 assignments to do and when i get home i do homework, eat and do more homework then go to sleep. i end up going to sleep at bout 10:30 or later because i always have maths, english, and science hw.i do understand where your coming from but instead of saying dont e-mail me about tie-dyeing why dont you just put it all in your web site? So give our generation a break cause my mum says she didnt do even half as much hw as me.

Nowhere do I tell people not to e-mail me about tie-dyeing. I merely ask that people not ask me the same questions again which are already answered on my web site: at least take the time to read over the FAQ first! If I don't put in more information, for example about the history of tie-dyeing, it is often because I do not have more information to give.

There are now over three hundred pages of information on dyeing fabrics on my web site at http://www.pburch.net. You are quite welcome to read any of them in doing your research, though you should be careful to use footnotes to credit any web site you use for information, and avoid plagiarism.

Even if your teachers overload you inappropriately with homework, and I certainly agree that the amount that is given is often far more than is reasonable, my writing your papers for you is not the answer. You will still need to learn to use the library to do research. Although you see a great deal of information readily available in the web, it is not always correct, and it is dwarfed by the sum of information available in libraries.

Name: Walter
Message: My daughter has a beige skirt composed of 80% Rayon,18% Nylon and 2% Spandex.Care label says hand wash in cold water.Can this be dyed black and if so what type of dye is needed?

80% rayon means that it can be dyed with fiber reactive dye, which can be used at room temperature, ideal for the temperature limitations placed by the spandex. The nylon and spandex will not be dyed, but will remain beige; however, the results are usually good as long as the fiber is at least 80% dyeable. (The undyeable spandex is often found in the core of the threads from which the fabric was knit or woven, completely covered by cotton; if not, you will obtain a slightly heathered effect, which is often attractive enough.)

Dyeing black, in general, requires at least twice as much dye as other colors require. An excellent choice of dye for rayon or cotton would be the MX fiber reactive dye sold by, among other places, Pro Chemical & Dye. For a perfectly smooth, single color, follow the washing machine dyeing instructions. You can do the same thing, with more effort, by constant stirring in a five-gallon plastic bucket. I have had good results from machine-washing and machine-dyeing my rayon hand-wash-only clothing, because my washing machine has a very gentle delicate cycle. Whether this is safe for you will depend on your washing machine, however. You must treat wet rayon very gently, as rayon becomes very weak when wet and can easily tear. You will not want to use hot water to prewash your daughter's skirt, although it is best for removing dye-repelling finishes.

There is one problem that you should consider first, which is that the stitching that holds the skirt together is almost certainly made of polyester and will not dye. Will the skirt look okay in black, when the stitching stays beige? It depends on the style, and on how formal the effect needs to be.

Name: HEIDI
Message: I AM A VERY BUSY BRIDE TO BE. MY BRIDESMAID'S ARE WEARING PLUM DRESSES, MY JUNIOR BRIDESMAID DID NOT COME WHEN WE GOT DRESSES, NOW I CAN'T FIND A PLUM DRESS FOR HER TO SAVE MY LIFE!!!! I BOUGHT A WHITE POLYESTER DRESS THAT I NEED DYED TO MATCH THE OTHER GIRLS, WOOULD YOU BE INTERESTED IN DOING IT FOR ME???? I HAVE COLOR SWATCH. PLEASE LET ME KNOW. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. ALSO HOW MUCH WOULD IT COST TO HAVE THIS DONE, I COULD SHIP THE DRESS TO YOU. THANK YOU. - DESPERATE BRIDE TO BE

Sorry, I do not do commercial dyeing, and do not care to dye polyester in any case, as the dyes required for this fiber are rather unpleasant to use. It will probably be impossible to find anyone who will do this job for you. Natural fibers are much easier to dye; if you had chosen silk, rayon, cotton, or linen, I could probably have given you the names of half a dozen dyers who might be willing to help, but just about nobody wants to dye polyester.

Please examine my site's page on How to Dye Polyester with Disperse Dye.

Note that a dress cannot be dyed by ANYONE unless it is washable. Dry-clean-only dresses are apt to shrink and pucker when dyed, or fall apart.

A much better solution for your problem would be to find a local seamstress to sew a dress using material that you buy. Your local sewing supplies store may be able to give you names of possibilities, or check the yellow pages for shops that do custom sewing.

Name: Sandie
Message: I Dyed my kitchen curtains and after I dried them my dryer is now red how do I get the red dye out of my dryer. Please Help

What kind of dye did you use? How many times did you wash it before drying? What kind of detergent did you use?

I used rit dye scarlet red and i didn't wash them before I dryed them This was my first time at dying anything.

Oh, my. I've never heard of anyone machine-drying something that was still impregnated with unrinsed all-purpose dye! You will certainly need to scrub the dryer thoroughly before putting other clothing into it, to avoid transferring dye to the wrong things. Some stain may be left, but what really matters is just to remove all the dye that can be removed, so as not to ruin anything.

Perhaps you should contact the Rit Dye company, to see if they have any help to offer. Their web page is http://www.ritdye.com, and they have a "Contact Us" link there to a form that you can use.

As a general rule, I recommend against the use of all-purpose dye on cotton, since fiber reactive dye is so much easier to use and lasts much longer, but all-purpose dye will work, as long as you are careful to use hot water to do the dyeing (preferably 190 degrees F. or above, for 30 minutes to one hour), and wash thoroughly before doing anything else with the dyed items.

I'm sorry I can't be of more help.

Name: donna
Message: Yes can you tell me if this would work on fabric to print photos on using a ink jet printer? I make memory quilts. I have a photosmart 1000 ink jet printer. What thread count of fabric would I use and will it work on 100% cotton fabric?

You can't just print on untreated fabric. Most inkjet ink is like watercolor paint, and will just dissolve at the first sign of water.

However, you can use a product called Bubble Jet Set to treat cotton or silk fabric, so that, when you print on the fabric with your ink jet printer, the results are permanent. Be sure to carefully examine the Bubble Jet Set FAQ for more information. Higher thread counts result in more detailed images.

You can also buy fabric which has been pre-treated for the same purpose. This is easier to use, but the liquid Bubble Jet Set allows more control and is more economical.

Name: melodie
Message: I have a dress that is a dark mauve color that I would like to dye ivory. It is made of 50% cotton, 50% polyester and some spandex. What should I use and will it even work. I'm trying to make the dress into a wedding dress.

Sorry, this will not work at all.

Dyeing from a dark color to a lighter one is called bleaching, or discharging. If you try to bleach or discharge a garment that contains spandex (which is polyurethane), you will destroy it. You should never attempt to lighten the color of any synthetic fabric, in fact. The polyester might not fall apart, but it would not lose its color. The stitching on clothing is almost always polyester, so at best you'd end up with a half-bleached dress (if the cotton lost its color) with full-color stitching. No good at all for a formal occasion, and not what you're looking for at all.

What you could do is go buy some fabric and a pattern you like, and get a seamstress to make the dress you want. Check your local fabric store to see if they have names of people who are willing to do this.


[actual date of this question was 6 November 2003]

Name: Joann
Message: approxamately how many different colors are there. I read somewhere that there are over 16 million different colors.

16 million is an estimate of how many different colors a 24 bit RGB computer monitor can simulate. This has no relevance to how many different colors the human eye can distinguish.

Just as there are infinitely many numbers between 380 and 740 - including all of the fractions, of course - so there are infinitely many wavelengths between 380 and 740 nanometers - the visible spectrum of light. That doesn't even count the different tints and shades obtained by mixing in white, black, etc. So, there is an infinite number of colors, if you look at it that way.

However, that does not imply that the human eye can distinguish an infinite number of colors. If you consider the apparent color of two wavelengths of light, the color will appear to be the same once you get the two wavelengths close enough. How many different colors can the human eye distinguish? The Encyclopedia Britannica mentions that the human eye can distinguish wavelengths as close together as 1 nm apart in the blue-green and yellow areas of the spectrum, but only those 10 or more nanometers apart in the deep red and violet. If the entire visible spectrum, from 380 to 740 nanometers, could be distinguished at a resolution of only 1 nanometer, the total number of spectral colors would be (740-380), or 360; for a resolution of 10 nanometers, it would be one-tenth this, so the total number of spectral colors is somewhere between 36 and 360. However, this does not take into account the non-spectral colors: the different tints which may be obtained by adding white light (or paint), the different shades which may be obtained by reducing the relative amount of light (or adding black paint), and the other non-spectral colors obtained by mixing different spectral colors.

The actual estimate for how many different colors the human eye can distinguish varies between one and ten million, depending on the reference which you consult. However, the perception of color varies from one person to another, so there can be no single number that is true for everyone. The number of different colors that you, as an individual, can distinguish also varies dramatically according to the conditions; it drops to zero in low light conditions, in which only the rod cells of the retina can function, as the cone cells of the retina are required for color vision.

Other organisms can see colors that we humans are blind to. For example, honeybees can see colors in ultraviolet light that is invisible to humans, though they see less of the red end of the spectrum. Birds can see not only ultraviolet but also red light; notice the red coloring of many flowers that are pollinated by birds. Unlike humans and bees, which each have systems containing three different color-sensing visual pigments, birds' retinas contain four different pigments. This implies that the RGB monitors that can mimic any color for a human eye would need to project an additional color in order to mimic all of the colors a bird can see.

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

Name: Joy
Message: After I have dyed a t-shirt (100% cotton) and washed it, can I apply more dye? Do I need to soak it in soda ash before I add more dye? What will it do to the dye that is already on the T-shirt?

Yes, you certainly can apply more dye. This is not only a great way to salvage things that turned out boring the first time, it may enable you to get better results than you can get in a single dyeing.

Every time you apply new dye to the shirt, you need to be sure that there is soda ash present. If you wash the shirt, this means you have to soak it in soda ash solution again. The dye requires soda ash in order to attach to the cotton, but soda ash rinses out easily.

Reapplying soda ash does absolutely no harm to the dye that was applied earlier. You can do this any number of times, just as if you were starting with a new, undyed shirt. The results of multiple dyeing like this can be richer and more beautiful than shirts that have been dyed in a single step.

Name: Heidi
Message: I have interior house paint that I had made to match a bedspread I have. I can not find any curtains or material that matches the color. Can you use paint as a dye for fabric? And if so, how would it be done?

If you were to use wall paint on fabric, the results would feel very unpleasant: stiff and hard. This would not be very pleasant to touch. Perhaps this would not be too much of a problem on curtains. Try painting a small piece of any fabric you happen to have on hand, and see just how stiff it becomes, to decide whether or not this would be workable. Vertical blinds tend to be stiff, anyway; perhaps paint would be less unpleasant on them.

However, to leave the fabric of the curtains feeling like fabric, you can use fabric paint that you mix until it is the same color as your walls, or you can mix dye to more-or-less match the color of the paint. Fabric paint is much softer and nicer-feeling than wall paint, though it does make the fabric somewhat stiffer and less soft. There are many different fabric paints available; see the listing on my website's list of Sources for Supplies .

Dye does not alter the feeling of the fabric at all, but your choice of dye must depend heavily on what fiber the surface of your curtains are made of. The best choice would be to obtain some plain white 100% cotton material, preferably PFD (prepared for dyeing), or at least all cut from a single bolt so that all of the fabric will dye the same color. On cotton fabric, your best dye choice would be fiber reactive dye, such as the Procion MX type dye sold by the various mail-order dye suppliers listed on my Sources for Supplies page. ProChem and Dharma each sell a wide range of different pre-mixed colors. See if any of the colors they sell are close to the color you wish to match. It may be best to aim for a mottled effect, using low water immersion dyeing, to be sure that the overall effect will be one of matching, rather than of being slightly off. Note also that ProChem provides a color-matching service for dye.

Name: Brandi
Message: please help!!
i have white 100% polyester curtains that i need dyed to a brown color
is there a way???


Yes, but polyester requires special dyes and is relatively difficult to dye.

It would be easier to just get a local seamstress to sew you some new curtains, using either the right color to begin with, or an easily dyeable 100% cotton or rayon fabric.

See "Dyeing Polyester with Disperse Dyes".

Name: Cynthia
Message: I am a member of a team of volunteers who help a High School marching band. Recently will have been immeresed in a project of tie-dyeing performance flags. They are made of poly china silk material. When we tested the dye on one of the flags, the results were extremly dull.

What kind of dye did you use?

I read your information on dyeing and tie-dyeing polyester. We believe our fabric may be similar, but we are not sure. Is there ANY technique, dye or additive that may give us the results we are looking for? We appreciate your help.

"Poly China silk" implies that they are polyester, in a weave that imitates silk habotai. Polyester may be dyed only with disperse dye, whether by immersion - boiling for an hour with disperse dye and the right carrier chemical - or by painting and printing with disperse dye according to the instructions provided by ProChem, or by painting with disperse dye on paper and using an iron to heat-transfer the dye to the polyester. This is explained at Dyeing Polyester with Disperse Dyes, which includes links to the instructions for using disperse dye to do each of these things.

Dyes that are not specifically intended for use on polyester should not be used. They don't work. You must use disperse dye, purchased from a mail-order dye supply company such as Pro Chemical & Dye.

Nylon or silk flags can be easily dyed with acid dye. Cotton can be even more easily dyed with fiber reactive dye, as in the tie-dyeing instructions given on my site and the sites of the dye suppliers. Polyester is not nearly as good a choice, for dyeing, since the type of dye that must be used on polyester is more difficult to use. If you cannot find flags to dye that are made of nylon, perhaps you could have a local seamstress sew some for you according to the usual specifications, but using nylon, which is, after all, a very commonly used flag material. Nylon does require heat for dyeing, unlike cotton being dyed with fiber reactive dye, but is still easier to dye than polyester.

Name: Chris
Message: I play disc golf and would like to do some custom dye jobs on some of mt disc. They are plastic and can't find any direction on this. How wuold you do multi colors? Any help would be great.

The type of plastic used to make the disc is very important, in selecting the dye. My understanding is that most discs are made of nylon. Nylon can be dyed by immersion in a hot bath of acid dye; for best results, the dyebath (hot water plus acid dye plus vinegar) should as hot as you can get it without melting the nylon. (This type of dye is not nearly as scary as it sounds, as the name "acid" merely refers to a small amount of vinegar used to help the dye process.)

To dye multiple colors, you hold the disc only partly submerged in a hot dyebath, or else you mask out part of the disc so that it is unaffected by the first dyebath. Then you repeat the process in a different color dyebath.

Although all-purpose dyes don't perform particularly well on cotton, the fact that one of their ingredients is acid dye means that they work nicely on most nylon, so you can just buy the little packets of all-purpose dye sold in many grocery stores and pharmacies. For larger quantities, you will find the selection of dyes at ProChem (see my Sources for Supplies page for contact information and other sources) to be wider and much more economical per disc.

There's a page of instructions for dyeing nylon discs with a paste of all-purpose dye at www.discgolfreview.com/.

Name: Annie
Message: Hi, I have a formal dress (moonlight fabric) made of 77% nylon, 15% metallic and 7% spandex. It's a baby pink color and I want to dye it jet black. It's dry clean only. Can you tell me which brand of color dye I can use for best results?

If you can't wash it, you can't dye it. Period.

It is true that many garments are marked "dry clean only" when they are perfectly safe to hand-wash or even wash in a washing machine, using cold water on delicate cycle, possible in a large net lingerie bag to reduce wear and twisting. Unlined rayon garments are the most common examples. If you wish to dye a garment marked "dry clean only" and are willing to take the risk, pre-wash the item. You'll have to throw it away if it does not survive! If it does survive, choose the right type of dye for the fiber, and dye it. In this case, you would choose acid dye, since the dyeable fiber in your dress is nylon.

However, it seems unlikely that your 15% metal dress is the sort to do well when washed. You are very likely to end up without a wearable dress. Sorry.

Name: sheree
Message: Can I dye a light tan suede (washable) fabric that has blue ink pen on it? Maybe a dark blue.

The important question, in all dyeing, is: what fiber is the material made of? You must match the right type of dye to the fiber, if you want decent results.

Ultrasuede is one brand name of washable suede fabric; it is made of 100% polyester. Polyester, unless treated with finishes such as permanent press coatings, may be dyed according to the instructions listed at Dyeing Polyester with Disperse Dyes. (This is far more laborious and unpleasant than tie-dyeing cotton, by the way, unless you choose the iron-on method to just add a few decorations.)

However, covering a marking such as ink with dye is not always successful. Unless the dye is extremely dark, the marking is apt to show through, for the reasons described at How can I fix the bleach spots on my favorite clothing?.

Have you tried a spot remover to remove the ball pen ink? Cornell University supplies a guide to removing stains, including those of ballpoint pen ink, from clothing.

Name: Catherine
Message: I did try to search on this before sending you a question but I did not find an answer. I have a favorite dress that is a Acetate Rayon blend. I want to dye - can you tell me what type of dye will work on this synthetic fabric blend. Thanks!

There are two completely different types of rayon, one called acetate rayon and the other viscose rayon. In the US, acetate rayon is called acetate, and viscose rayon is simply called rayon. What you have may be a blend of these two different fibers.

Viscose rayon is a cellulose fiber that acts like other cellulose fibers such as cotton and linen, and is easily dyed with fiber reactive dye, such as Procion MX type dye. This dye is longer lasting (more washfast), more brightly colored, and easier to use than all-purpose type dyes. See my Sources for Supplies page for places from which to mail-order this dye.

Acetate is a synthetic fiber which can be dyed like polyester; see Dyeing Polyester with Disperse Dyes. This is not nearly as pleasant or easy as dyeing the other sort of rayon, and I don't actually recommend it. You could save a lot of trouble by just dyeing the blend as if it were pure (viscose) rayon; this will result in paler colors than you would see in 100% (viscose) rayon, just like tie-dyeing a t-shirt that is 50% cotton and 50% polyester.

Note that rayon is a weak fiber when it is wet, so it should be hand-washed, or washed on a super-delicate setting, if your washing machine has one. You cannot dye anything that is truly dry clean only.

Name: PUNKERDOOODLE
Message: hi...is it possible to use roses for batiking...my daughter recently married and because of the distance and baggage allowance she was unable to bring with her any memoria of her wedding....my idea was to do a theo or something of the sort with their roses from her wedding....thank u for ur time

What do you mean by doing a theo? What is a theo?

How would you use the roses for batiking? Roses cannot be used as a dye, and they do not contain wax, either, so their only possible contribution would be as a source of the design.

A lovely way to incorporate your daughter's roses would be to photograph them, or press them and photograph the pressed flowers, then photocopy or computer print the photographs onto iron-on transfer paper. See http://www.pburch.net/dyeing/FAQ/flowerdye.shtml .

Name: Julie
Message: I was wondering if you could tell me what kind of dye to use to dye elastic. The generic kind of elastic you buy at the fabric store.

It depends on the fiber content of the elastic. You might have to contact the manufacturer to learn this, if it is not indicated on the package.

According to the "Get Creative" web site, soft stretch baby elastic is made of 67% acetate, 33% rubber, while most other elastics are made of varying percentages of polyester and rubber, and cotton braided elastic is made of 73% cotton, 27% rubber.

Acetate and polyester may be dyed with disperse dye, but this requires boiling them for an hour with disperse dye and a special carrier chemical; see Dyeing Polyester with Disperse Dyes. Will the rubber survive the extended boiling? Very possibly not.

Cotton can be dyed at room temperature if you acquire cool water fiber reactive dyes, such as Procion MX, Cibacron F, or Drimarene K dye. Dylon Cold Water dye is a brand of fiber reactive dye that can sometimes be found in stores; bulk fiber reactive dye can be purchased much more economically from the mail-order companies listed on my Sources for Supplies page. All-purpose dye, such as Rit or Tintex brand dyes, require extended heat to produce good results, so be sure to find fiber reactive dye if you have cotton elastic to dye.

Name: Melanie
Message: I have searched your site and not sure if I'm looking in the wrong place...I am looking for the best way to "set" the dye in a regular cotton shirt. I bought one at a fair and have washed it numerouse times and it still bleeds color. I have heard vinegar and salt water and numerous other things, but dont want to ruin the shirt by guessing at it. Thanks for your help-great site, learned alot more than I was looking for.

It's on my site's Frequently Asked Questions page. See "Is there any way to "set" dye in purchased clothing?".

Properly dyed garments do not bleed color. Garments that bleed dye should be returned to their manufacturers. Those who insist that vinegar or salt will set the dye on a purchased garment are not telling you the truth. There is, however, a commercial substance, Retayne, that can set the dye for you.

Name: Cian
Message: Hello. I am doing a school project and need to research how dyes temperature affects how well it works on cotton poplin and i was wondering if you could help. Thank you if you can reply

I can't help you without knowing what kind of dye you are talking about. The mechanism of direct dye on cotton is very different than that of fiber reactive dye, which is why the latter is so much more satisfactory in general. The means by which heat affects the dyeing process is extremely different for these two types of cotton dye.

Also see my FAQ, "What is the effect of temperature on fiber reactive dyes?".

Name: Holly
Message: Hello-
I am trying to find out how I can dye a white wedding dress Ivory and not mess it up.

Is it washable?

If it's not washable, it cannot be dyed.

If it *is* washable, the next question is, what fiber is the dress made of? The dyes and techniques vary dramatically from one fiber to another.

See also http://www.pburch.net/dyeing/dispersedye.shtml.

Name: Jennifer
Message: Is it possible to dye satin dresses that already have color? I can't find anything that says it is, but that doesn't necessarily mean it isn't. If you know I'd appreciate the info or any referals on where to find out.

What fiber are the dresses made of? The word "satin" tells nothing about what the dresses are really made of. Satin is a weave that can be made from cotton, polyester, acetate, nylon, silk, etc.; these various different fibers require at least three completely different types of dye, each of which will not work on the others.

Silk satin is by far my favorite, much nicer than polyester satin, and dresses made from it can even be machine-washable, if the material is pre-washed before the dress is sewn. Silk, nylon, rayon, linen, and cotton are much easier to dye than polyester or acetate; polyester and acetate must be boiled for an hour with a special dye, while the others require other dyes which are easier to use.

In general, colored garments can be dyed a different color, but, because dye is transparent, the resulting color must always contain the original. You can dye to a darker color, but never a lighter one. If you apply blue dye to a yellow dress, for example, you will get green, just as though you were mixing paints. Sometimes one section of a dress will dye a lighter or darker color than another, though the different sections appeared identical before washing. Another problem is that the stitching used in clothing on cotton, silk, and nylon satins is usually polyester, and thus will stay the original color when the fabric is dyed, sometimes producing a very odd effect.

Name: Sam

Message: Hi! I gather you are very knowledgable about dyeing clothing and I have a question if you have time to answer.

I recently bought a hat, one of those trucker hats with the netting in the back. An example would be here:

http://www.theclothinglab.com/images/meshblank.jpg

My hat is all white with a symbol in the front of th ehat which is in blue. I would like to dye the back netting part dark blue and Im wondering if that is at all possible without screwing it up. The hat is 65% cotton and 35% polyester. The back netting (as well as the clip in the back) feel like plastic and cloth. I do not know which type of dye to use and need some advice!

Is the back netting itself apparently made of some sort of plastic? If so, it is probably nylon, which can be dyed with acid dye, a dye type that will leave the polyester and cotton pretty much alone. Is that what you want?

If so, you need to buy plain acid dye. All-purpose dye, such as Rit, is a combination of acid dye and direct dye, so it dyes nylon nicely, but it will also dye the cotton portion of the front of the hat - ideal if that's what you want, but to be avoided if you want to leave that part alone. The fact that all-purpose dye is not very washfast on cotton will not matter much on a hat, so it's a good choice to color the whole hat. (I usually recommend against the use of all-purpose dye on cotton.)

Plain acid dye can be purchased from a number of the mail-order companies listed on my Sources for Supplies page. ProChem is probably the single best source. They're a great source of instructions and advice, as well.

Name: Lise
Message: I want to dye a heavy black karate jacket because when I washed for the first time it faded where the material creased. The jacket has 3 patches and an embroidered name. How can I protect these elements from the black dye? Can I dye it in the washing machine with Rit or should I dye it in the manner described on this web site. Thanks in advance for you help.

If a garment fades on its first washing, it is defective, and should be returned to the place from which you purchased it.

If this is impossible, you will probably find it best to use fiber reactive dye. Not only is this the best sort of dye for dyeing cotton and other cellulose materials at home, it also will leave most nylon or polyester embroidery alone, or only slightly affected. However, if you wish to be sure to prevent any effect at all on the embroidery, you could coat it with clear fabric paint, or with a special silk painter's material called gutta, or with batik wax (carefully melted at 230 degrees Fahrenheit), before dyeing. Wax must be removed by boiling, while gutta may be removed by dry-cleaning. Clear fabric paint would be permanent.

Is the jacket made of cotton? It matters a great deal what fiber a garment is made of, in choosing a dye. Dye that works well on nylon will work poorly on cotton, and vice versa, and both will do nothing to dye polyester, which requires a special type of dye called disperse dye. Wax will melt at the temperatures required for dyeing nylon, and even more so polyester, which is dyed by boiling it for an hour with the dye.

All-purpose dye such as Rit is not very washfast, with a tendency to bleed onto other garments in every washing. I recommend against the use of all-purpose dye on cotton, though it works well on nylon and on animal fibers such as wool.

For mail-order sources of fiber reactive dye, gutta, etc., see Sources for supplies.

Name: Alicia
Message: I was wondering if you had any clue on how to do the folding and making of a tie dye long horn on a tee-shirt.

There is no simple trick to tying a shirt so as to produce a tie-dye shape of a longhorn. You can buy a laboriously created longhorn tie-dye from The Kind Dyes (see http://www.kindyes.com/main/search/search.asp and click on "longhorn", then on "closer look" when you see that link); their methods are described at http://www.kindyes.com/main/how_to_tie-dye.htm, but it takes a lot of practice to be able to produce that sort of fine work. There is no shortcut.

For an easier way to create a tie-dye t-shirt with a longhorn on it, see the ideas on batik, spray-dying, making your own iron-ons, etc., on the 'How to Dye a Peace Sign' page.

Name: Melinda
Message: I have long demin curtains I want to dye deep dark burgendy is that possible and what are your suggestions?

Are they made of 100% cotton? Are they washable?

If the answer to both questions is 'yes', then the project can be easily accomplished by dyeing in the washing machine. See, for example, the instructions at http://www.prochemical.com/directions/MX_WashingMachine.htm and http://www.prochemical.com/directions/F_WashingMachine.htm . These instructions are for fiber reactive dyes, such as Procion MX, Cibacron F, and Drimarene K type dyes. These can be most economically purchased by mail-order, or may sometimes be found in local shops under the more expensive brand names of Dylon Cold Water Dye and Dylon Washing Machine Dye.

Are you located in Papua New Guinea, as your address implies? The closest sources for mail-order fiber reactive dyes would in that case be Australian. See my "Sources for Supplies" page.

Another type of dye that can be used on cotton is direct dye. This is found in the mixture of dye called "all-purpose" dye, which includes brands such as Rit and Tintex, as well as Dylon Multipurpose Dye. Unfortunately, they do not result in intense shades unless the fabric is simmered (87 degrees C. or higher), in the dye, for half an hour or longer, which is difficult to do without huge cooking pots - and cooking pots used for dyeing should never again be used for food, as the dye is not food-safe. The fact that all-purpose dye is not very wash-fast will not matter a great deal on curtains which are washed rarely, but the issue of whether you can get the very dark shade you wish is more important. If this is the only type of dye you can obtain, use the hottest water possible in the washing machine, use two to four times as much dye as the package recommends for a minimum, and reset the washing machine many times to make the soaking/agitation stage of dyeing at least an hour long, for best results.

If your curtains are 50% polyester, you will not be able to get a dark shade.

Name: mike
Message: i just bought a white tuxedo jacket that is washable and i want to rainbow tie dye it for my prom. the prom is coming up in a few days, do you think that the rit dye would do the job real quick? i know you dont recommend those all purpose dyes because they fade but this is kind of just a one time deal. also, do you think that it would work on the jacket at all, with it being a strange shape and everything? im not sure if you will get this and respond in time, but i hope so. thanks for everything, great site.

Rit dye will not stick to polyester, even in the first rinsing. All-purpose dye is a mixture of a type of dye called direct dye, which dyes cellulose fibers such as cotton and rayon, albeit not very permanently, and acid dye, which dyes wool, silk, and nylon, but no other synthetic fiber. You cannot use it to color polyester, even temporarily.

If you don't mind making the fabric a little stiffer and rougher, you can *paint* your tuxedo with fabric paint. Since paint is pigment mixed with glue, it will work on many different fabrics, though not always equally well on each fiber. Diluted paint will look much like dye. See Dharma Trading Company for several different good fabric paints. Since your tuxedo is white, you do not have to seek out opaque fabric paint, which is a help. You might be able to find Setacolor dye in your local crafts store. It's nice stuff. Diluted acrylic artists' paint will work, too, in a pinch, but the fabric will feel quite rough after you apply it.

With diluted paint, act just like you're using dye to tie-dye: tie off circles in the jacket, if you like that style, and pour on diluted liquid paint. Or, apply with a paint brush or disposable spray bottle to get the look you like. I think that the weird shape won't be much of a problem.

I doubt you want to get into the whole polyester dyeing thing - boiling for an hour and all that - for a one time deal. However, you should consider using disperse dye to make iron-on designs for your jacket, either instead of or in addition to your use of fabric paint. The colors are dull on the paper before ironing, but brilliant on the polyester after ironing it on. See this page: http://www.pburch.net/dyeing/dispersedye.shtml

Name: Patty
Message: My daughter and I would like to tie dye a comforter or bed spread. Any ideas on how to handle that big of a project?

You're right to think about this aspect in advance. You would be wise to test your technique beforehand by dyeing a t-shirt or pillow case.

The first thing to do is wash the comforter or bedspread. Obviously, a thin bedspread will be easier to handle than a thick comforter, and will require less dye. Also consider, instead, dyeing a 100% cotton duvet cover, to put a comforter inside.

If you can wash the comforter or bedspread in a washing machine, the project won't be too bad. Fiber reactive dye is by far the most suitable dye for your purposes. Don't use an all-purpose dye, such as Rit or Tintex, because results are poor unless you boil the fabric for half an hour in the dyebath - imagine boiling a whole comforter! - and are never as bright or colorfast, on cotton, as fiber reactive dye. The hardest part of fiber reactive dyeing is washing out the excess dye afterwards, which is easy to do only if you can use a washing machine. (Wash in cold water first, without detergent, and then two or three times in hot water with detergent.)

I recommend that you simplify the project by using only a limited number of colors. Even a single color can make a fine bedspread, with the white markings left by the rubber bands, and then you don't have to worry about inadvertably transferring a dark color to a lighter region and making a mess. If you take a thin bedspread, pull it up in the center, letting the rest hang down, and apply rubber bands *tightly* every six or eight inches, to make concentric circles, you can then apply color between each rubber band. Follow the instructions on How to Tie Dye and How to Dye, or ProChem's Tie-Dye Instructions .

Watch out for polyester content. 50% cotton 50% polyester will produce pastels; 100% polyester won't dye at all without special dyes and techniques. And, be sure to pre-wash thoroughly, and try to avoid permanent-press finishes, which can make the result paler than you want.

Name: gert-jan
Message: i am looking for the producer of Direct Red 9. will be gratefull if you could help me.

Any commercially valuable dye which is no longer protected by patent is made by many different companies.

If you try a search at google.com with 'direct red 9', you immediately see Orco (<http://www.organicdye.com/textiledirectindex.asp>), Classic Dye (<http://www.classicdye.com/Product_List/ProductList.htm>), which is an outlet of Standard Dyes, Wegi Chemicals (<http://www.wegochem.com/DirectDyes.htm>), and many more.

Name: Khadija
Message: I did not get the stuff related to polyester/cotton dyeing on your site. If we want to dye this blend in one bath(i.e. both the reactive and disperse in the same bath instead of two bath) then what are the parameters we need to consider besides what must be the properties of both the dyes to withstand in one bath giving good results and fastenesses from pastal shades to darker shades

The temperature and chemical requirements for the dye reaction of fiber reactive dyes, versus the dye deposition of disperse dye, are so different that the idea of combining both in one step seems bizarre. Disperse dye is applied at a boil, using a chemical to reduce the temperature needed for dye transfer, while reactive dyes, unlike direct dyes, are generally applied at considerably lower temperatures, and may actually degrade quickly when boiled.

There may be some industrial method for combining disperse and reactive dyeing into one step, using specialized equipment, but I am not involved in, or familiar with, industrial dye processes. I recommend that you consult John Shore's book "Blends Dyeing", published by the Society of Dyers and Colourists.

Name: Margaret
Message: I am tie dying with my daughters art teacher in 5th grade, The art teacher and I have noticed that when using green dye the area that is usually white on some of the shirts is blue. They look terrific but I must admit that we are a bit puzzled and we wondered if you could tell us why this has happened on several of the shirts ,but not all. Thanks for your help.
P.S. It happens with both the liquid and powdered dyes.

What kind of dye are you using? It makes a big difference whether you are using fiber reactive dye, or all-purpose dye, or what. (Both are available in liquid and powder forms....) What brand is it?

I strongly recommend against the use of all-purpose dye for tie-dyeing. With all-purpose dye, the shirts must be simmered for half an at 190 degrees F. for best results. It does not work at room temperature. This could be the source of your trouble - or not, if you are using decent fiber reactive dye, in which case the answer is something quite different.

Name: Pat
Message: I work for a church. We have about 200 chairs with really ugly orange fabric seats and backs. I'm sure it is some type of synthetic fabric. Is there any dye that you can think of that might work to recolor these?

Fabric paint would be probably a better idea than any dye. Covering the upholstered parts with new fabric would be far better than paint, however. Unfortunately, dye is not a cheap or easy answer to the problem of ugly chairs. In contrast, dyeing cotton clothing or yardage is much easier, cheaper, and more satisfactory.

The first problem is that you need to know what sort of synthetic you have there. Polyester can be dyed by boiling it for an hour with disperse dye and a special carrier chemical. Nylon is easy to dye with acid dye, which requires hot water but not boiling. Acrylic calls for a type of dye called basic dye, which I recommend against, as it is relatively hazardous. (I used some basic dyes to break DNA and kill cells for my Ph.D. thesis.) Polypropylene cannot be dyed at all. Even cotton or silk, normally among the easiest of fibers to dye, are probably coated with a stain-resistant coating such as Scotchgard fabric spray; such treatments resist dye for the same reason that they resist stains.

If it turns out to be possible to dye or paint your chairs, keep in mind that the orange color will show through. You cannot go lighter in color; instead, chose a color that the orange can become a part of, such as dark brown. (A good way to mix brown paint or dye is by mixing navy blue with orange, anyway.)

Dyeing furniture requires that the fabric be rinsed very thoroughly, as otherwise the people who sit in the chairs will find the excess dye transferring to their clothing, perhaps permanently. This is not possible without removing the fabric from the chair. Even fabric paint should be rinsed well. The best way to put hand-dyed fabric on chairs is to dye the fabric yardage and then sew it into slipcovers. If only the seat pads are covered, it should be fairly easy to remove them and staple on a new layer of fabric. Find a book at the library on how to reupholster furniture.

For more information on dyeing and painting furniture, see my page at http://www.pburch.net/dyeing/FAQ/furniture.shtml, and, even better, Scarlet Zebra's more detailed page at http://www.scarlet-zebra.com/Instructions/Upholstery-painting.htm.

Name: Elke
Message: hi, can you dye bath mats? I have 2 pink bath mats that I would like to dye green. I think they are made of nylon - but they have rubber backs. i don't care if the dye takes to the rubber at all! if its possible, can you please send me some hints. ie can i use rit dyes?? thanks!

There is a major problem in dyeing something pink to a green color. Dye is transparent, so the color you get will be as though you mixed two paints of those colors. Mixing pink with green is apt to result in a muddy color! It would be a good idea to do some playing with paints to get an idea of what color you can turn pink into by adding another color.

If the mats are made of nylon, you can certainly use all-purpose dye, such as Rit. It contains an acid dye that usually works well on nylon. You will have to use quite a bit of heat for the dyeing. I don't suppose you can fit the mats into a cooking pot, as is best for all-purpose dye, but perhaps you could add boiling water to further heat warm water in a porcelain or enamel tub. Expect the dye to stain plastics, however. Too much heat is bad for the rubber backing, though.

If the mats are made of polyester, this will not work at all. To dye polyester, you have to boil it for an hour with a different type of dye, called disperse dye. This would probably be fatal to the rubber backing. Try to find out what the actual fiber content may be.

Cotton and rayon can be easily dyed at room temperature with fiber reactive dye.

Name: Michelle
Message: I am working at a bridal shop and we're having a clearance sale. We could maximise sales by offering a dyeing package, maybe. Do you have any suggestions on a dyeing package (dye & instructions?) that we could sell at our clearance sale on 11th June. Thanks

What, exactly, are you intending for your customers to dye? Try to be precise: fiber content, fiber content of any trim, and whether the items are washable.

The first problem is that NOTHING can be dyed unless it is washable. Nothing that is dry-clean-only can be dyed. (My own wedding gown was washable because the silk was prewashed before it was sewn together, but this is almost never done, though it's very easy.)

Another issue is that each type of fiber can be dyed only with the right type of dye. You cannot dye polyester with silk or cotton dye, and you cannot dye cotton with silk or polyester dye. You would need a completely different dye package for each fiber type. Lace is usually made of nylon, which can be dyed with silk dye or polyester dye, but the extended boiling required for polyester dye would probably destroy the lace.

Thirdly, cotton or silk gowns would be dyeable if they are washable, but the stitching would probably be polyester and remain white when the cotton or silk was dyed. This can look okay, or very odd, depending on the garment. Polyester stitching is not a problem if the whole garment is polyester, though.

Name: kamo_kooky
Message: do u ship internationally?

Ship what? I don't sell dyeing supplies.

See Sources for Supplies for a list of those who do.

Small businesses should be particularly careful about internationally shipping goods paid for by credit card. In an increasing number of cases, the credit card numbers are stolen, and the supplier ends up with a great loss. Pay careful attention to any sign of a scam.

Name: Harry
Message: I want some nylon compression hose from tan to black. I need a small amount of dye. Can you direct me to a seller?

An excellent source of acid dyes, which are suitable for dyeing nylon, is ProChem. They are listed, with contact information, on my Sources for Supplies page.

For small quantities, you can use all-purpose dye, such as Rit or Tintex brand dye, because it is a mixture of acid dye with another type of dye. All-purpose dyes are very expensive per pound of fiber to be dyed, when compared to mail-order sources such as ProChem, but if one box is sufficient, that is not a problem. I do not recommend the use of all-purpose dye on cotton, but it works well on nylon.