Name: Keri

Message: I have an older pair of snowboarding pants that are white-but just get very dirty very fast out on the mt.-is there any way to dye them-although they are waterproof? Do I have to remove the waterproofing-then dye-then re waterproof?? Sorry- brand new these pants  can go any where from $100-$300 so I would really like to be able to keep this if possible-since they are in really good shape.  : ) thanxs

Sorry, anything that is waterproof is also dye-proof. You can't dye it.

Do you have to remove the waterproofing? The real question is, CAN you remove the waterproofing? Durable water repellent (DWR) finishes can be surprisingly persistent, continuing to work even after machine washing and dyeing. Washing and drying can even restore the function of DWR finishes that have quit working due to becoming soiled. A very strong detergent might remove some of the DWR finish, enough to make it inadequate for use, while leaving enough finish to make dyeing uneven and splotchy.

Other forms of waterproofing are even worse to remove. Polyurethane coating is practically impossible to remove. 

If you can completely remove every bit of the waterproofing, then in theory you could dye the pants - but only if they are a dyeable material. Cotton or uncoated nylon are easy to dye (use fiber reactive dyes for cotton, and acid dyes for nylon), but polyester is very difficult to dye, and polypropylene impossible. Also note that the pants must be machine-washable to be dyeable. "Dry clean only" means you can't dye it.

After dyeing, you would need to restore the waterproofing. Nikwak sells some excellent water-based products for this purpose.

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