How to Acid Dye Your Carpet

Dye boring old carpeting instead of replacing it.

You've had your living room carpet for years, and one more year of the same beige is going to be intolerable. If you're living with a boring carpet color you may be tempted to tear it up and replace it with something brighter and a little more exciting. If your carpet is made of nylon or wool, you have an alternative to expensive carpet replacement. Use acid dyes to recolor your carpeting to a new warmer hue. Just like dying other fabrics, carpet dying permanently changes the color and gives a new look to structurally sound but boring home decor.

Things You'll Need

• Vacuum cleaner
• Carpet steam cleaner
• Carpet dye
• Measuring cup
• Measuring spoon
• Large stirring spoon
• Bowl
• Thermometer
• Fix OR
• Bucket
• Paint brush
• Rubber gloves

Instructions

1. Vacuum your carpeting thoroughly. Steam clean your carpet to make sure it's completely clean.

2. Put on rubber gloves. Measure the correct amount of dye into a bowl. Use a bowl that holds at least 8 cups and that fits easily into your bucket. Follow the directions on your dye package to find the correct amount of dye, but a popular amount is 1, 4, or 10 tsp. of dye powder, depending on how strong you want the color to be.

3. Pour 1/2 cup of very hot water into the bowl and stir the mixture until the dye powder is completely dissolved. Add 1-1/2 cups of boiling water, then stir.

4. Add 1-3/4 cups of cool water. Check the temperature while adding the cool water. You need to bring the temperature of your mixture down to between 120 degrees Fahrenheit and 140 degrees. Adjust the temperature of your cool water accordingly to achieve that final temperature.

5. Add 1/4 cup of Fix OR, which is a liquid fixative used when dyeing nylon or wool carpeting. Give the mixture a final stir. Fill the bucket with water, heated to 130 degrees to 140 degrees Fahrenheit. Set the bowl into the bucket to serve as a water bath. This will keep the temperature of the dye warm.

6. Paint your carpeting with a thin, even layer. Begin in one corner and work steadily until you reach the opposite, diagonal corner. Allow the carpeting to dry for 24 hours, making sure the room temperature is at least 70 degrees Fahrenheit.

7. Set the dye by steaming it for 5 to 8 minutes with a commercial carpet steamer. Allow the dyed carpeting to dry thoroughly before replacing the furniture in the room.

Tips & Warnings

• Do a test dye in a small hidden area of your room to check the color before dying your entire carpet.

• Don't use any utensils from this project in later food production.

References

• Pro Chemical & Dye: How to Dye Carpets With WashFast Carpet Dye

Resources

• Pro Chemical & Dye; Fix OR