Name: Lydia

Message: I am at my wit's end.  My bridegroom's attendents and bridegroom bought these tuxedos online, as is!  We were assured they were dark grey or charcoal.  The bridegroom's tux turned out to be silver, and the attendent's tuxs were a light grey...  unreturnable!

The silver one is ok, but the grey ones are tooo close to the silver and we had wanted a charcoal....
 
They are wool, wool blend, and some silk and rayon, but some poly (satin piping down the leg)
 
We cannot find anyone in our area that professionally dyes anything!  even shoes are sent out to somewhere in china!  we don't have that long!
we only have 2 months!
 
What is the best way to dye these?  Please help!!!???!!
 
I'm sorry, but it seems extremely unlikely that they can be dyed. Your best move, if the current colors are unacceptable, would be to buy new ones from a more reputable supplier.

Are they machine washable? You cannot dye anything that is not washable. 

The polyester piping down the leg cannot be dyed. Dyeing polyester requires boiling for an hour with a special kind of dye called disperse dye; you cannot dye polyester with any dye that works on wool, silk, or rayon. Fabric paint can be used on polyester, but is unlikely to give perfectly smooth, professional results, and men's clothing for weddings is not supposed to look hand-made.

To find a professional dyer who will dye wool, wool blends, silk, or rayon clothing, please see my "Find A Custom Dyer" page. There are three garment redyers listed on that page. One is in Canada and two are in the US. Turnaround time is likely to be about a week, or more for complex jobs, not including the time required for mailing the packages.

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Name: Aimee
Message: I am in the process of tie dying converse shoes. I have already practiced w the knock off brand and by using a tie dye 'kit' (kits cost way too much money for multiple pairs of shoes). They turned out nice, however since I am going to possibly tie dying quite a bit of shoes- I am planning on using the procion mx dye. (I just ordered some)--- My question pertains to the Soda Ash--- for clothes I understand you have to soak them, but what about with shoes? Do you soak the shoes also? And then what- proceed w the regular instructions? Thanks. 

Are they made of cotton canvas? You should presoak them in soda ash exactly as you would for tie-dyeing.

Here are instructions for dyeing canvas shoes that I originally posted in the Dye Forum on February 7, 2007:

1. Test your shoes by dropping a few drops of water on them. If the water beads up, don't dye them. If the water soaks in, they're fine, as long as they are made of a natural fiber. Get some cotton or linen or hemp shoes that do not resist water. If the insoles remove easily, remove them until after you are finished dyeing. Same with the laces. Buy cotton laces from Dharma if you want to dye them; your shoes probably came with synthetic laces that will not dye.
2. Buy some fiber reactive dye, such as Procion MX dye. Do not use all-purpose dye, such as Rit brand dye, because it must be applied in hot water which will damage your shoes. You can mail-order your dye from any of the companies listed on my Sources for Dyeing Supplies page, or you can get a Jacquard or Tulip brand tie-dye kit. Do not get a Rit brand tie-dye kit, which contains hot water dyes.
3. Buy soda ash. (A good tie-dye kit will include this.)
4. Mix soda ash with water, one cup per gallon, in a plastic bucket.
5. Soak shoes in soda ash water for twenty minutes. Make sure they are thoroughly soaked.
6. Mix Procion MX dye in water, two to four teaspoons per cup. Add urea, if you have it, one tablespoon per cup. Place in squirt bottles, or place them in plastic cups and use a brush.
7. Remove shoes from soda ash water and let excess water drip off. It's okay to let them dry, fully or partially, as long as you do not rinse out the soda ash.
8. Apply Procion MX dye. It's best to place the colors in rainbow order. Don't place red next to green, or yellow next to purple, or orange next to blue, unless you want muddy brown colors. Make the shoes darker than you want, as the dye will be lighter in color after washing and drying.
9. Leave the shoes in a warm place (70°F or above) overnight, for the dye to react with the fabric in the shoes. If you need to move them, such as to bring them inside where it's warm, you can wrap them in plastic wrap or pop them into plastic bags first.
10. The next day, rinse the excess dye out, using first cool water, then warm water. Hot water works best to remove excess dye, but be careful not to melt the glue holding the shoes together.
11. Allow the shoes to dry.
12. Wear them.

If you have shoes that are made of a synthetic material, instead of cotton, linen, or hemp, you will have to use fabric paint instead of dye.

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Name: Amanda 
Message: I have a dress I bought from H&M about almost a year ago. I got what I think is a red wine stain on my dress....I tried getting it out with a stain lifter and it made it worse, almost like a big pink faded tie-dye spot on a yellow 95% Rayon and 5% Spandex dress. I would like to dye it maybe a plum purple or a forest green. What dyes should I use. I understand spandex is hard to dye, I just didn't know how to dye the mixtures of fabrics. Please help me save my favorite dress!!!!!

Fortunately, rayon and spandex work pretty well together. The spandex is heat-sensitive, but the rayon is best dyed with cool water dyes, anyway. See "How to Dye Spandex/Lycra/Elastane".

Do not use a hot water dye, such as all-purpose dye. The hot water will ruin the shape of the spandex. Use a cool water fiber reactive dye, such as Procion MX dye. (See "About Fiber Reactive Dyes".) You can order this from a good dye supplier such as Dharma Trading Company or PRO Chemical & Dye; see "Sources for Dyeing Supplies Around the World", for contact information for many good dye supply companies. Get soda ash (sodium carbonate) to set the dye. This is a common household ingredient, found in most laundry detergents, but you must buy the pure stuff for dyeing.

You can also buy Procion MX type dye locally, though the cost per garment is higher that way, and the color selection poorer. Some superior crafts stores carry Jacquard Products Procion MX dye, which gives an excellent selection of both pure and mixed dye colors. Lesser crafts stores might still carry a Jacquard Products Tie Dye Kit, which contains the pure colors turquoise, fuchsia, and lemon yellow, plus everything else you would need for tie-dyeing. Procion MX type dye is also found in Dylon Cold dye, and in Tulip One Step Easy Fashion Dye. (Avoid all-purpose dye, such as Tintex Easy Fabric Dye, Rit All Purpose Dye, or Dylon Multi Purpose dye!) Dylon Permanent can be found in some sewing stores and contains another sort of dye which prefers warmer temperatures, but it will still work if you use the maximum water temperature for your dress, which is probably 105°F. Do not use hot water on spandex-containing clothing! Temperatures up to 105°F (41°C) are safe for spandex blend clothing.

Don't try to dye your rayon dress a single solid color, unless you choose an extremely deep dark black, and at least double the amount of dye you are using, compared to what the package advises. The trouble is that dye is transparent. The area where the stain is will always be darker than the rest of the dress! Instead, try a different way of applying dye that creates new patterns, to better hide the stain. If you like tie-dyeing, it's a perfect way to solve the problem, but that is not your only option. An even easier-to-do form of dyeing, called low water immersion dyeing, creates subtle mottled colors which are more beautiful than a solid color but which cover up a stain much better than a solid color ever could. For an interesting color mixture, you can do low water immersion dyeing with both plum and green at once, but for a subtler approach do it with just choose one color, or one color plus black. See "How to Do Low Water Immersion Dyeing". Also note that, as dye is transparent, and as yellow is the opposite color to purple on the color wheel, you cannot overdye a yellow dress to make it purple unless it is very pale; you might be able to lighten it (and possibly the stain) first using a discharge chemical such as Rit Color Remover. Otherwise, yellow and purple combine to make brown.

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Name: RAJIV
Message: dear sir i am facing problrm with the solubility of reactive orange 16 can you please guide me how can i increase the solubility of the dye.

I am afraid that I do not know anything about industrial dyeing, so I may not be able to help you; my expertise is solely in the area of hand dyeing. I can, however, point out my observation that the solubility of vinyl sulfone (Remazol) dyes, of which reactive orange 16 is one, goes down markedly when you add salt. Even already-dissolved vinyl sulfone dye will precipitate out to form undissolved dye if you add too much salt to it. If the manufacturing process for your particular batch of reactive orange 16 has left too much salt in it, you will always have problems with solubility.

For hand-dyers, it is often useful to point out proper technique for dissolving dye. First add a small amount of water to your dye powder and stir it to form a smooth paste. This is called "pasting up". Only after the dye paste is smooth should you add additional water. A stainless steel whisk or an electric blender can be very helpful in mixing after adding additional water.

Vinyl sulfone dyes are long-lasting in water solution. They will last at least three months, and probably over a year, after being mixed with water at a neutral pH and being stored at 21°C or below.

See "Vinyl Sulfone Fiber Reactive Dyes".

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Name: Leah

Message: I have a pair of denim jeans that I have had for many years but that are faded. They are still in great shape but I want to darken them. I have read through your page, and it's very helpful, but I'm not sure what color(s) to choose to get that dark denim look?

There's always a problem in dyeing denim. The whole look of denim relies upon the fact that it's woven from half white threads and half blue threads. If you examine a piece of blue denim closely, you can see that the warp (lengthwise) threads are blue and the weft (filling) threads are white. When you dye your jeans, the warp threads will be only slightly darker than the weft threads, so what you get will look more like a solid-color twill fabric, and not like denim at all anymore.

What color should you choose? A dark navy blue seems like the obvious choice, but given that you will never be able to duplicate the denim weave, would you rather get a plain solid dark blue as close as possible to indigo denim, or would you rather try something else? Blue denim looks good when overdyed bright colors such as purple or green, as well as more ordinary medium or dark blues. I think any blue you choose should look good. Remember that it will show up only where the fabric is light; the original blue will continue to show through, since dye is transparent, unless the color you choose is much darker. Denim looks good overdyed with black (use twice as much dye powder for black). There was even a fashion a couple of years ago for "dirty denim" which involved overdyeing jeans with a muddy brown color. Keep in mind that the polyester thread used to sew the jeans together is unlikely to take up any dye, so it will remain the original color.

The best kind of dye to use on denim or any other cotton fabric is fiber reactive dye, such as Procion MX dye. It lasts much longer than all-purpose dye and is easier to use, since you don't have to heat the water to a simmer to get the best possible results. You can use it in low water immersion dyeing for subtle mottled effects, in the washing machine or a large bucket for solid colors, or in tie-dyeing for more dramatic designs.

Buying dye by mail-order is more economical in the long run than buying it locally. You can mail order Procion MX dye most economically from any of the dye companies listed on my page of "Sources for Dyeing Supplies Around the World".  Locally-purchased fiber reactive dye tends to cost almost as much as Rit dye, per garment to be dyed. It is convenient, though, if you can find it. To buy fiber reactive dye locally, the best choice is Jacquard Procion MX dye if you have a very good local crafts store, or look at a crafts store or fabric store for Dylon Cold Dye or Dylon Permanent, or Tulip One-Step Fashion Dye. Jacquard Procion MX and Dylon Cold dye need to be fixed with soda ash, while the others already contain it. In Europe and Australia, choices for fiber reactive dyes include Dylon Hand Dye or Dylon Machine Dye, but avoid Dylon Multi Purpose Dye because it is an all-purpose dye, with all the drawbacks of that class of dye.

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Name: Sakina
Message: I would be greatful if you could kindly answer the following questions for me. I would like to know more about the fastness of direct dyes and reactive dyes on cotton fabric in hot water; which type of dye is better to use that will not easily wash away; and lastly, why are all the mordants transition metals, and why do we then use sodium chloride as a mordant normally. Thank you.

This sounds like an assignment you were given for a class!

First, nobody uses sodium chloride as a mordant. That is not what it's for. Instead, sodium chloride reduces the electronegativity of the fiber and the dye, reducing their tendency to repel each other. Obviously, having the fiber repel the dye would inhibit the formation of a bond between the fiber and the dye. For more information about the use of sodium chloride in dyeing, look in my FAQ for the question "Do I need to use salt?", For more information on the difference between mordants and other auxiliary chemicals for dyeing, see "What's the difference between mordants and other chemical assistants used in dyeing?".

There are many references on my web site to the differences in fastness between direct dye and fiber reactive dyes. See "About Fiber Reactive Dyes", and "About Direct Dyes", which are included in the "About the Dyes" section of my website. To learn about the differences between the chemical bonds which hold fiber reactive dyes to the fiber and the weaker bonds which hold direct dyes to the fiber, see "What kinds of chemical bonds attach dyes to fibers?". The serious deficiencies in washfastness apparent with direct dyes can be ameliorated by the use of cationic dye fixatives, which include Retayne as one example; see "Commercial Dye Fixatives"; unfortunately, they sometimes change the hue of the dye slightly, and they also can significantly reduce lightfastness of some dyes; see "Lightfastness of Different Types of Dyes". However, the cost of direct dyes is lower than that of fiber reactive dyes, and the amount of waste water produced industrially is less, so these trade-offs are often commercially acceptable.

Mordants are not used for fiber reactive dyes, direct dyes, disperse dyes, acid milling dyes, or strong acid dyes . They are not, in fact, used for most types of dye. The only auxiliaries used for most classes of dyes are salts and pH-adjusting chemicals, plus the cationic aftertreatments used for non-washfast dyes. The two classes of dyes for which mordants are used are most natural dyes (with the exception of natural direct dyes such as turmeric or walnut, and natural vat dyes such as indigo or the historic Tyrian purple), and the class of dyes which is known collectively as the mordant dyes. Premetalized or metal complex dyes are not mordant dyes, because they have the metal ions precomplexed to the dye. Chrome dyes are a group of synthetic mordant dyes which require the use of dangerous hexavalent chromium to form a complex between the dye and wool fiber; they are used only because they have a better combination of leveling and fastness properties than any other wool dye. (See David M Lewis's book Wool Dyeing.)

Why are mordants almost always transition metals? That's an interesting question. In order for an ion to form a complex between the negatively charged fiber and the negatively charged dye, the metal must be in the form of a positive ion, something all transition metals are prone to form. In transition metals, the d levels of the electrons are partially filled with electrons. They can form different sorts of ions at different times, with different positive charges. Since the d level electrons are in the inner shell, the valence electrons in the outer shell are more shielded from the nucleus, so they are more easily released in order to make ions.

There are two types of mordant that I can think of that are not transition metal ions. (These do NOT include salt, soda ash, vinegar, citric acid, or other non-mordant dyeing auxiliaries.) One is the complex molecule known as tannin, which is often used in combination with alum to mordant cotton fabrics, which have a simple chemical composition that is relatively difficult to bond to nonreactive dyes. Another group of chemicals that can be used as mordants, for the basic (cationic) dyes, is direct dyes themselves. Cotton that has been dyed with direct dyes can then be dyed with basic dyes, which otherwise would not stick. This is not difficult to picture. Alone of all the dye classes, basic dyes are cationic, that is, they have a positive charge. They can cling to the negatively charged large molecules of direct dyes. This is not a very useful observation, since basic dyes are poorly washfast and inferior to other currently available synthetic dyes for cotton, but it is certainly interesting, if you are interested in how dyes bond to fibers.

It is worth noting how extremely toxic most of the metals used as mordants are, making in many cases the use of natural dyes to be far more dangerous than the use of synthetic fiber reactive dyes. The most popular mordant for dyeing is alum, which is usually either aluminum potassium sulfate or aluminum acetate, simply because it is not dangerous like all of the other metal mordants. It is the only metal mordant whose use I can enthusiastically recommend for home dyers. It is not safe to ingest in large quantities and can be irritating to the skin and eyes. A fatal dose of alum for an adult is 30 grams. (See the alum MSDS provided by JT Baker.)

Chromium is popular both for the brightness of the yellows and other colors it can produce, and the washfastness of the dye-metal-fiber complexes, but it is very dangerous. It is obtained as potassium dichromate, which is in the carcinogenic and toxic hexavalent form. (In contrast, premetalized dyes which contain chromium, such as the Lanaset dyes, contain only small amounts of the less dangerous trivalent for of chromium.) A fatal dose for an adult is about 5 grams, but chronic exposures to lower levels produce many serious or fatal effects. Because chromium is excreted from the body very slowly, its effects may be cummulative. (See potassium dichromate MSDS .)

Tin mordant (stannous chloride) is not as dangerous as chromium, but it is not a safe substance to use carelessly. It is an irritant, and ingestion of a toxic dose "may cause burning in mouth and throat, abdominal pain, reduced blood pressure, stomach bleeding, collapse and convulsions" and "may cause liver and kidney damage". (See stannous chloride MSDS.) Copper mordant, which is cupric sulfate, also known as blue vitriol, can be quite dangerous. A fatal dose of copper sulfate for an adult is about 10 grams. (See copper sulfate MSDS.) Iron mordant, which darkens or saddens colors, can also be extremely dangerous if swallowed: a fatal dose in humans is about 12 grams for an adult, or as little as 0.6 grams for a toddler. (See ferrous sulfate MSDS.)

In contrast to the dangers of these mordants, synthetic fiber reactive dyes are relatively very safe. Although they should be kept out of reach of children, and their use by children very closely supervised, no harm has been reported in cases in which children have accidentally ingested Procion MX dyes. Some direct dyes are known carcinogens, based on their containing and releasing benzidine or o-dianisidine, but they are unlikely to produce immediate death from accidental ingestion, as mordants may.

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Name: kris

Message: I am into plant and insect (clay and mushroom if I could figure out where to buy it...do you know??) dyeing as we are all pretty chemically sensitive around here. Have you done any of this and, in particular, have you tried or heard of good natural dyes that will work with cold water for batiking? Most instructions say to boil then cool.

Almost all natural dyes require a lot of heat. The usual procedure for dyeing cotton involves boiling the fabric in alum, then boiling it in tannin, then boiling it in alum again, and finally boiling it with an equal weight of a natural dyestuff. Obviously, this won't work for wax batik. Silk is more easily dyed than cotton, but well-tested recipes still call for heating the fabric in the dyebaths. A better resist method for hot water dyes is clamping, tying, or stitching. This goes beyond the brilliantly colored tie-dye shirts that people still associate with the sixties; it's a traditional art in Japan, known collectively as shibori. There are many different methods used in Japanese shibori. It's well worth exploring, and is compatible with the use of hot water dyes, so you can use tried-and-true hot dyebath recipes for natural dyes with it.

Of the traditional dyes that were used in batik in Indonesia before modern synthetic dyes were introduced, the only one that is both available to us in other countries and satisfactory enough to still be in use is indigo. Indigo is a vat dye, which can be applied from a room temperature vat. The chemistry of indigo is complex, and it's really not the best dye for the beginner, but it's a lovely dye for the experienced dyer who has plenty of space and time. You can buy indigo from both synthetic and natural sources; chemically, the two are the same, but you'll probably prefer to support the natural indigo industry. Properly applied indigo is quite washfast, though improperly applied indigo is subject to crocking.

Traditional dyes in Indonesian batik were rapidly replaced by synthetic dyes because their performance is so much better, in terms of producing colors that will not fade in the laundry. Very few natural dyes can be satisfactorily applied in the cool water required for batik. In Indonesia, a rather toxic sort of dye called naphthol dye has long been used, because it requires no heat at all, and in fact can be applied in ice water. Modern hand dyers usually avoid naphthol dyes in favor of cool water fiber reactive dyes, which are safer. The best dye to use for batik is Procion MX dye, because it can be used at room temperature (70°F or higher) and is relatively non-toxic. Procion MX dyes are commonly used by people who are chemically sensitive, with no problems unless they have an allergy to them; this is a problem for the natural dye cochineal, as well. Be very careful to wear a respirator when mixing dye powders, whether from natural or synthetic sources, to avoid triggering an allergy if you turn out to be susceptible. Fiber reactive dyes and the soda ash used with them are vastly safer for chemically sensitive people than most mordants used with natural dyes, with the exception of alum and tannin.

Some dyers use natural dye extracts to paint onto their batik work, and then rely on steaming to fix the dye, using the same process that silk painters use with the synthetic French silk dyes such as Dupont or Pebeo Soie. The results are likely to be less permanent than fiber reactive dyes, especially when proper mordanting is not used, but suitable for fabric that will be washed rarely or, preferably, not washed at all. Isabella Whitworth shows some lovely pieces dyed via this method, as well as by using shibori methods such as clamping with natural dyes: see her extensive pages on What's New and Sustainability.

A few dyers enjoy compost dyeing, in which they bury their fabric in a compost pile to acquire the mostly brownish colors of the compost as it rots. Since it's a cool water technique, it could be used with batik wax. The results are certainly not reliably wash-resistant or light-resistant, so this method is not suitable for clothing. The point of compost dyeing is largely the beauty that these dyers see in subtle colorings that change with time.

Another method that you should consider is the use of fresh homemade soy milk to turn natural pigments, including clay as well as other coloring materials, into fabric paints. The protein in the soy milk glues the colors to the fabric. Again, the results are far less resistant to fading in the laundry than synthetic dyes, but they can be washed, with care, if you wait long enough after applying the paints to the fabric. I recommend that you look at the instructions provided by Table Rock Llamas. Also see John Marshall's web site. It's not an easy technique, since the soy milk must be made fresh, but it's the only good way to use clay pigments to color fabrics using only natural materials, and it works for other colorings as well. 

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Name: Tegan
Message: I have a 100% cotton dress, which was green, and am trying to lighten it as much as possible to re-colour it purple. I've bleached it and it's gone a brownish-yellow. Is there any way of lightening it further? I've read on the website for people to try Dylon Colour Run Remover. But is it normal to not be able to lighten any further?

It's perfectly normal to find that your commercially-dyed garment has been colored with dyes that simply cannot be discharged. No matter what you do to some dyes, they will stubbornly retain their color. There is no way to know, until you try it, whether the garment that you want to bleach will respond to your efforts. It all depends on the specific dye. Most garments are dyed with multiple dyes, some of which will stay after others are removed; sometimes this can produce surprising colors.

I have written an article about the different chemicals that can be used to remove dye from dyed fiber: see "What chemicals can be used to remove dye?".

Household chlorine bleach is based on hypochlorite, a toxic oxidizing chemical that breaks apart dye molecules. Sometimes a dye will bleach to nearly white, but other dyes will turn to funny colors (often ghostly browns), and some will stay the same color even after the hypochlorite has eaten the fabric into rags. Hypochlorite is very damaging to fabrics made of fibers other than cotton, linen, or hemp, but even these sturdy fibers can be damaged if exposed to too much bleach, or for too long. To help reduce additional damage due to hypochlorite bleach, neutralize the garment with Anti-Chlor or hydrogen peroxide: see "How can I neutralize the damaging effects of chlorine bleach?".

Other discharge chemicals are kinder to the fabric, and also produce different results from hypochlorite bleach. In some cases, color remover will work when bleach will not, and in some other cases, bleach will work when color remover will not. It's pretty much unpredictable, since you rarely know what dye was used to color your dress. (One case in which sulfur-based discharge chemicals will NOT work is blue denim, which is dyed with indigo; to remove color from blue jeans, you pretty much have to use bleach.) If you wash your dress thoroughly after trying one dye-removing chemical, you can go ahead and try the other. If bleach did not work, you can wash the dress well and then try Dylon Color Run Remover. You might get better results, but you also might not. Once you've used one sulfur-based discharge chemical, such as Dylon Color Run Remover, don't bother trying another, such as Jacquard Color Remover (Thiox), because they give similar results to each other, though different from those produced by hypochlorite bleach.

Dylon Color Run Remover, also called Dylon Run Away, is just like Rit Color Remover: both contain sodium dithionite (also known as sodium hydrosulfite), plus sodium carbonate (also known as washing soda). They work best in very hot water, on the stovetop, in a non-aluminum pot, but they are much easier to use in the washing machine, and the washing machine method often works. If you are going to be using it in a washing machine, be sure to check the label to see if you need to use several boxes at once. There is no need to neutralize these sulfur-based dye removal chemicals after use, unlike chlorine bleach.

If your dress remains yellow even after your best dye removal efforts, then you will not be able to dye it a bright purple, since yellow is the opposite color to purple. Only if the yellow is pale will any purple be a possibility. Otherwise, dyeing it purple will just produce brown. In that case, you might try dyeing the dress black, instead. If you do, avoid all-purpose dyes, such as Dylon Multipurpose or Rit. You'll get better results with a fiber reactive dye such as Dylon Hand Dye, Dylon Machine Dye, Dylon Permanent, or Dylon Cold Water dye. Expert dyers prefer the wide color-mixing possibilities of Procion MX dyes.

Name: Ann

Message: I am looking for something that can fix the dark denim dye in a pair of jeans.  I have washed them at least 10 times in hot water, cold water, water with vinegar, etc. Your site says that Retayne will not work with denim. These jeans "bleed" on my hands and on cushions, etc so I can't even sit on light colored surfaces! They are expensive jeans made in the US (60% cotton, 40% "expand PES" whaatever that is). I love them but they are a pain to wear!  Can you recommend anything?  Thank you.

There is only one thing I can recommend: return the jeans to the store from which you bought them.

If jeans continue to crock dye after ten washings, they are certainly badly defective, and the retailer is legally bound to accept them for replacement or refund. When a manufacturer sells a garment, there is an implicit warranty that the garment will be suitable for use. Crocking dye is a serious manufacturing flaw caused by a failure to follow well established dyeing practices. ("Crocking" is the word describing dye that rubs off of fabric even when it is dry.)

Blue denim jeans are dyed with indigo, a vat dye. Dyeing with indigo is a complex procedure in which dark colors should never be obtained by applying too much dye at one time. Instead, the fabric should be dyed with a series of dips into the dyebath that each add a small amount of dye at a time. The indigo dye is water-soluble when in its yellow leuko form, and can penetrate into the cotton fiber; it then turns blue and lodges inside the fiber when the fabric is exposed to air, which oxides the indigo and makes it turn blue. When, as a shortcut, instead of proper dyeing procedure, a small number of dips in overly concentrated indigo are used, most of the dye is unable to penetrate inside the fiber and instead sits on the outside of the fiber, ready to rub off on anything it touches. Although synthetic indigo made from petroleum products is now used, the process is exactly the same as has been used for many centuries for natural plant-derived indigo, which is chemically identical. The manufacturer of the fabric used in your jeans has no excuse for selling such a poor quality product.

Unfortunately, Retayne, which is an excellent dye fixative for most commercially-dyed garments, will not work on indigo. This is because the indigo molecule has a neutral electrical charge. Retayne sticks to most dyes only because they have a negative charge, while the particles in Retayne have a positive charge. A negatively-charged dye attracts Retayne like a magnet, but neutrally charged indigo has no such effect.

"Expand PES" appears to be a form of polyester which stretches. Polyester and other synthetic fibers do not accept indigo dye inside their fibers, so only the cotton portion of the blend can be dyed with indigo.

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Name: john

Message: Where would you recommend I purchase a eppendorf pipette like the one you use?

I used Eppindorf pipettors to drip variably-sized drops of dye to make a couple of mandala designs in my gallery - see Mandala: Intricate blues and violets and Mandala: Squares and eight-pointed stars.

However, I would recommend against buying an Eppindorf or similar micropipettor unless you need to measure your drop size precisely. Those things really are just too expensive, generally several hundred dollars each. (I have mine only because I kept them when my lab advisor moved when I was in graduate school.) The same is true of other brands of precision laboratory micropipettes such as Biohit, Pipetman, or Gilson Rainin. You might search for one on eBay. New ones are appallingly expensive. Warn Natural Science sells an economy model for $105, plus $9 for a box of the required disposable tips, which looks like a better deal than anything on eBay.

Instead, for making precise drips of dye in your art, I recommend that you get some disposable thin stem plastic pipettes such as these at Ward Natural Science supplies: 

The thin stem pipettes at Ward cost $20 for a package of 100.  I like the thin stem pipettes better than the more common plastic transfer pipets that have a thicker stem, though they can be used, too, and are less expensive. If you rinse them out immediately after use, you can reuse disposable plastic pipettes many times for dispensing drops of dyes.

Another alternative is to use a syringe, like the ones used to inject medication. A one-milliliter (one CC) syringe with needle attached makes quite fine drops, though you have to be careful not too push the plunger too quickly. A larger syringe makes fatter drops. The drop size depends on the size of the opening in the needle. You should be able to get syringes, with or without blunted tips, at a feed store, or, depending on local regulations, you may be able to purchase them at a pharmacy. You can use them in dyeing with or without a needle attached. If you're using a syringe with a sharp needle, I recommend that you blunt the tip with a file, or by rubbing it against a stone or a concrete sidewalk, so that you don't risk sticking yourself.

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Name: Christopher

Message: Hey,
I want my hair GREEN and I can't find any permanent hair dye. Is there any out there that is, or can I mix colors together? If so plzzz, let me know how I can do it and what kind...

I've never dyed my hair green, but I can give you some pointers based on my knowledge of dyeing textile fibers. Dye is transparent, so dyeing blue hair yellow, or dyeing yellow hair blue, will produce green hair. Alternatively, you can mix blue and yellow dyes to make green, though it is impossible to predict whether the blue or the yellow will work better. If the blue works better, you will get a blue-green color, whereas if the yellow works better, you will get a chartreuse yellow-green.

Dark hair cannot be dyed a brilliant green. If your hair is dark, the most you can get is a subtle greenish tone on top of your regular hair color. To get a brilliant green, you must start with blond or bleached hair. However, bleached hair will hold on to the color much, much longer than dark hair. If this is a temporary color only, beware of dyeing bleached hair green. It might last longer than you want it to. This is probably not a problem in your case, since you are asking for permanent hair dye.

Unless you are fine with all of the possible outcomes, always do a test first, using hair that you collect from your hairbrush.

Never use fabric dyes on your own hair. The dyes used to dye fabrics are not safe for use on your body. Instead, use food coloring. People have successfully dyed their hair brilliant colors using unsweetened Kool-aid drink mix or Jello dessert mix, as both of these products are colored with a great deal of artificial food coloring. You can also go to a crafts store and pick up Wilton's cake decorating colors, which are available in many different colors in paste or gel form. Food coloring is actually safer for your health than the usual dyes promoted for use as hair dyes. Avoid sweetened drink mixes and sweetened gelatin mixes in favor of unsweetened or artificially sweetened products, because the sugar in the sweetened varieties could produce a sticky mess. 

Mix your choice of artificially colored food product with enough hot water to form a paste, and apply it to the hair as hot as is practical without burning the skin. Do this first with the hair you've gathered with your hairbrush, remember, then wash that out and dry it to see what color you have, and then do it on your own head only after you've decided what combination of colors, heat, and time gives the results you want. After applying the food dye paste evenly, cover it with a plastic bag or aluminum foil, to keep it wet, and add additional heat by directing a blow dryer at the outside of the covering. I can't predict whether you'll want to do this for five minutes or for an hour; more time heat-setting gives you more intense colors. When washing your hair afterwards, use only cool water, if you can bear to, instead of hot water, to help keep the dye from washing out as quickly.

If you go ahead with this project, please let me know how it turns out!

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Name: steven

Message: hello there.

I was curious what the best way is to completely remove color from nylon so that it is totally white? Is this even possible? Thanks for your time.

The answer is that, just as with discharging other fabrics, sometimes it works, and sometimes it does not, depending on the exact identity of the dye which was originally used to dye the nylon, something that is almost never known.

The details are the same as for the February 16, 2008 entry in the All About Hand Dyeing Q&A blog, entitled "I need to find a 'white' dye which will work on some Nylon mesh garments, something I can use at home." Quoting some paragraphs from there,

The color, or lack of color, that results is similar whether you use Formusol or Rit Color Remover, since the reaction with the dye in both cases is mediated by the production of sulfur dioxide.

Incidentally, if you are discharging presewn garments, you may find that the polyester thread used to sew the garments together will not discharge, and if you dye them, the polyester thread will not take most dyes. You are likely to do better by purchasing new undyed nylon fabric, selecting PFP ("Prepared For Printing") fabric in order to to avoid problems, and getting a local tailor or seamstress to sew up new garments for you.

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Name: Doug

Message: I need to find a "white" dye which will work on some Nylon mesh garments, something I can use at home.

In any selection of dyes you see for sale, you will see a variety of colors, but never white. This is because, just as in classical watercolor painting, white is produced by NOT adding color on top of the white background. There is no such thing as white dye! When mixing dye colors, plain water is the white color. Since dye is transparent, it can only add to the color of a garment, never subtract it or cover it up.

If your garments are just a little less bright a white than you want, you can use an optical brightener or fluorescent whitener to make an off-white natural color appear to be a brighter white. They will not whiten dyed fabric. What they do is absorb invisible ultraviolet light and then emit it as visible blue light, creating a "whiter than white" effect. One such product is sold as Rit Whitener and Brightener; another is Dharma Trading Company's Optic Whitener White ST Liquid.

You cannot use dye to whiten a garment which has already been dyed. Instead, you need to remove the dye that is already there. There are many different chemicals which can be used to remove dye: see "What chemicals can be used to remove dye?". All of these chemicals have the potential for damaging your fabric. 

You should never use hypochlorite (household chlorine bleach) on nylon, because it will damage or destroy the fiber. It is possible, however, to use sulfur-based discharge chemicals on nylon, using care to prevent damage. PRO Chemical & Dye provides instructions for using their product Formosul (sodium formaldehyde sulfoxylate) to remove dye from nylon. Rit Color Remover (sodium dithionite plus sodium carbonate) has also been used successfully to remove some dyes from nylon. Both of these products can be used at home. Follow the manufacturer's instructions carefully. Rit Color Remover works better in a dyepot (not made of aluminum or iron) on the stovetop than it does in hot tap water in the washing machine, but in many cases the washing machine method is adequate, and certainly more convenient. (See the instructions for the stovetop method for Rit Color Remover in this May 2006 Dye Forum posting.)

Not all dyes can be discharged. Some dyes will retain their color no matter what chemical or conditions you use to try to strip the dye. Others will change to a completely different and unexpected color. It is impossible to predict whether the dyes in a specific garment are possible to remove, because you never know which dyes were used to color it. Even if you successfully discharge a hundred identical garments from a specific wholesaler, the hundred-and-first garment might fail to lose its color, due to an undisclosed change in the formula of the dye that was used to color it.

Alternatively, to change the color of nylon fabric to white only in specific spots, such as in painting or tie-dyeing, you can use an opaque white fabric paint. If the fabric paint is not opaque, the white will not show against the darker background of the dyed material. Some good brands of opaque white fabric paint include Neopaque by Jacquard Products and PROfab Opaque Textile Paint by PRO Chemical & Dye. 

Fabric paint, acid dyes, and disperse dyes will work well enough on nylon that is untreated or PFP ("Prepared For Printing"), but they will not penetrate or stick well to nylon which contains oils added to ease the spinning or weaving processes. Always prescour your material or garments by washing in HOT water with soda ash and optical-brightener-free detergent, and always do tests to determine whether or not your source material is suitable for use after scouring, as some fabrics cannot be used even after scouring.

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Name: Pamela

Message: Hi, I recently washed a dry clean only garment in the washing machine. The dress is 100% silk, the top half cream silk and the bottom black; now there is some running of the black dye into the cream. I thought if I used Retayne on the black half of the dress it would stop further spreading of the dye? Would you advise this solution?

I don't know that it would be possible to apply the Retayne to the black without getting it on the cream. Retayne is normally applied in the washing machine, in hot water with agitation, not painted on. Is there still any black dye in the cream-colored section of the dress? Retayne will help to make that permanent, too. 

There is no treatment that I can think of that will not encourage even more of the black dye to run. Anything you do that involves immersion in water will allow more movement of the improperly fixed black dye. Is it possible to use a hand steamer, or careful hand-washing, to clean just the cream-colored section of the dress? If so, you will find the the hottest water, up to 185°F, is the best for washing out unwanted dye. Use a small amount of a pH-balanced detergent, such as Synthrapol, Eucalan, or Orvus Paste, or, in a pinch, a conditioner-free shampoo; don't use ordinary high-pH laundry detergent.

It's unfortunate when manufacturers use the "dry clean only" label as a substitute for proper fixing of dyes or the use of high quality dyes. It would have been so much better if the manufacturer has used Retayne or an equivalent on the black silk, before ever assembling that dress. In many cases, there is no reason why one should have to continually use dry cleaning, as expensive, inconvenient, toxic, and bad for the environment as dry cleaning is. The use of non-washfast dyes makes dry cleaning necessary, however.

If you can wash the dress until the black dye stops running further, then there are a couple of options. If the cream-colored portion of the dress is still discolored, perhaps you can overdye the entire dress, in either a deep solid black or a mottled low water immersion pattern that will help to cover the inconsistency in color. If the dress still fits well, I recommend that you try one of these. 

Not all black dyes are equal in quality, for covering up problems like this. A black all-purpose dye very often gives only shades of grey, and is prone to bleeding in the laundry, because the acid dye in all-purpose dyes is the relatively non-washfast acid leveling type of acid dye. All-purpose dye is unlikely to cover well. The very best available black dye for silk is called Lanaset Jet Black and can be mail-ordered from several sources in the US. (See About Lanaset Dyes and Who sells Lanaset dyes?.)  The next best available black dye for silk is ProChem's Washfast Jet Black WF672, which can be mail-ordered from PRO Chemical & Dye, and costs half as much as the Lanaset black. Another alternative is the premetalized acid dye sold by Kraftkolour in Australia. Jacquard Acid Jet Black is mixed from several dark colors of dye, designed, like the other acid dyes, for silk and wool; I am not sure how it compares to the Washfast Acid black. You must use up to three ounces (85 grams) of the Jacquard Acid Black for every 16 ounces of fabric to be dyed, in order to get a true black; the Lanaset Jet Black dye and Washfast Acid Jet Black each require 25 grams of dye, or a little less than one ounce, per pound of fabric to be dyed.

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Name: J

Message: I tried to find a dye for polyester and I am unable to...

Where are you located? In the US, you can mail-order disperse dye in small or large quantities from PRO Chemical & Dye in Massachussetts or from Aljo Mfg. in New York, and in larger quantities from large textile supply companies such as Classic Dye or Standard Dyes. 

There are also good mail-order sources from which small-scale users can buy disperse dye in Australia and Europe; see my page of "Sources for Dyeing Supplies Around the World", and look for companies listed on that page with the word "disperse". On that page you can also find contact information for PRO Chemical & Dye, Aljo Mfg. Company, and Standard Dyes in the US.

Disperse dye can also be purchased from fabric stores in the form of fabric crayons, shown at left, which are to be used to make a design on paper, and then ironed on to polyester or other synthetic fiber fabric.