How to Dye Cotton Spandex

Cotton spandex is much easier to dye than other varieties.

If you’ve grown tired of your drab spandex clothing, brighten things up with a dye color that better fits for your stylish side. Under normal conditions, spandex is nearly impossible to dye. But if your spandex is a cotton blend, you’ve got it made. Cotton is a cellulose fiber that dyes quite easily. Since it overlays the spandex in blended fabrics, dyeing is a snap. A 5-gallon bucket and cold-water dye can have your spandex blends bursting with color in 60 minutes or less.

Things You'll Need

• Warm water
• 5-gallon bucket
• Non-iodized salt
• Cold-water dye
• Soda ash
• Rubber gloves
• Long wooden spoon or wooden paint stirrer

Instructions

1. Wash and dry the cotton spandex as you normally would. This will ensure that any nasty spots or stain resistant coatings are out of the fabric before it hits the dye bucket.

2. Fill a 5-gallon bucket with 3 gallons of warm -- 105 degree Fahrenheit -- water from the tap. Even though you are using a cool water dye, water that is not boiling is actually considered cool in the fabric-dying world.

3. Pour 3 cups of non-iodized salt into the water, add one jar of cold-water dye, 1/3 cup of soda ash and stir to combine using a long wooden spoon or wooden paint stirrer. Slip on a pair of rubber gloves to avoid ruining your manicure and drop the cotton spandex items into the bucket.

4. Stir the dye bath every 15 minutes to ensure that the dye distributes evenly over the cotton spandex. If you walk away and leave the dye bath to its own devices, you may end up with unsightly blotches of color on the cotton spandex.

5. Lift the clothing out of the dye bath after 30 minutes and check to see if the desired color is achieved. If not, give the dye another 30 minutes to do its job.

6. Remove the cotton spandex clothing from the dye bath after 60 minutes or sooner if no more dying is necessary, and place in your washing machine. Run a hot-water wash cycle to remove excess dye from the cotton spandex or it can end up on your skin if it gets wet. Dry as usual.

Tips & Warnings

• A single, 2 to 3 ounce jar of cold-water dye is enough for 1 pound of fabric.

• While most cotton blends require 60 minutes or less, if your spandex seems to be a bit stubborn, extend the time as much as necessary.

• While the basic concept is the same, instructions may vary slightly from manufacturer to manufacturer. Always read the instructions on the dye container before beginning the process.

References

• Paul Burch’s All About Hand Dying: How to Dye Spandex (Also Known as Lycra or Elastane)
• Jacquard: Procion MX Dye Intructions
• Colorado Wholesale Dye Corp.: Vat Dyeing for Solid Colors Using a Top Loading Washing Machine