How to Dye Polyester

Dying a polyester garment can be a great way to put your personal touch on a piece of clothing. While polyester, along with other synthetic fibers, can be very difficult to dye properly, the process can be done successfully. By arming yourself with a few tools and a lot of know-how, you can learn how to dye polyester fabric.

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 Steps

    1
    Purchase the appropriate type of dye. Polyester can't be dyed using the same kinds of dyes that work well with natural fibers such as cotton; using these types of dyes will result in little or no change to your garment's color. To dye polyester, you need to purchase what are called disperse dyes. Disperse dyes consist of a finely ground dying agent suspended in a dispersing agent, and they are sold as either paste or powder.
    2
    Wash the garment to remove any oil or dirt. Wash your garment as you normally would in a washing machine in hot water. Please Make sure you don't use any fabric softeners or detergents with additives. Recommended best always is an detergent marked odor free. If you have an old style washer I highly recommend using Dawn original dish soap. However NEVER more then one teaspoon per yard of fabrics. WE don't want a rerun of Lucy! This step prepares the fabric for dying by removing any impurities. Do not Put the fabric or clothing in the dryer when you are finished this step.
    3
    Put on your personal protective equipment. Before beginning the process, you need to put on rubber gloves, an apron, safety glasses, and a dust mask. The dust mask and safety glasses will prevent the finely ground dye powder from getting in your eyes, nose, and mouth, causing irritation. The gloves and apron will prevent the dye from discoloring your hands or clothing - if you stain your skin with disperse dye, it will be very difficult to remove.
    4
    Prepare the dying bath. Fill a large steel or enameled stockpot with 2 gallons (7.5 L) of water. This amount of water will allow you to dye about 1 pound (453 g) of polyester fabric. Do not use an aluminum stockpot, as the metal will react with the dye. Bring the water to a boil.
    5
    Dissolve the dye powder. Add the desired amount of dye to a small cup of hot water. To achieve a pale color, 1 tsp. (5 ml) of dye should suffice, while 3 tsp. (15 ml) can be added for a darker result. Stir the dye thoroughly to dissolve with a wooden or steel utensil - do not use aluminum, and do not use a utensil that you plan to use later for food preparation. If the dye won't dissolve completely, strain the resulting slurry through cheesecloth before using. You can remove mask at this point. As long as the dry powder is dissolved it is now safe to breath.
    6
    Add the dye mixture to the boiling water bath, along with some laundry detergent. Adding about 1/2 tsp. (2.5 ml) of detergent to the dying bath will help the polyester accept the dye. Stir the bath to distribute the dye and detergent.
    7
    Place the polyester garment into the boiling water bath. Allow to garment to boil for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally with a steel or wooden spoon. If the garment has not reached the desired color after 30 minutes, boil it for any additional time needed.
    8
    Remove the garment from the bath when it has reached the desired color. Rinse it in warm water until the water runs clear, while being careful not to let the dye water stain your sink. When the garment has been thoroughly rinsed, wash it alone in a washing machine before wearing.

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Tips

    Consider learning to dye with cotton fabrics first. Polyester is one of the most challenging fabrics to dye properly.

 Warnings

    Do not attempt to dye fabrics marked "Dry clean only." This will ruin the garment.

Things You'll Need

    Disperse dye
    Polyester fabric
    Washing machine
    Rubber gloves
    Apron
    Safety glasses
    Dust mask
    Steel or enameled stockpot
    Water
    Cup
    Wooden spoon
    Cheesecloth
    Laundry detergent