Can You Dye Viscose at Home? (How to Dye Viscose Easily)
Don’t like the color, change it. That is one reason certain fabrics are more popular than other ones. A person can change the color by bleaching the fabric and re-dyeing it without having to go to a professional. It can be easy and it's a great activity for a mother and a daughter to do together.
Can you dye viscose at home? The good news is that yes you can dye viscose fabric at home. The product you need to get the job done is called reactive dyes. These products are not hard to use and you should be able to get the task done in an evening or two.
To learn how to dye viscose fabric at home just continue to read our article. Not only does it have the right information for you, it points you in the right direction to get the job done correctly.
Dyeing Viscose 101
Can You Dye Viscose Fabric?
Yes, and the reason you can is that the fabric is made from natural fibers. Many of the synthetic fabrics cannot really be dyed at home because of the man-made nature of the fibers.
Viscose needs reactive dyes, just like cotton does, to do the job correctly. The question you have to answer is not ‘ can I dye viscose fabric?’ but ‘am I ready to handle the challenge preparing the fabric for the new dye.
The challenging aspect of dying this material is in the preparation not in the dyeing process. Also, the fabric tears a lot easier when it is wet with the dyeing solution and the bleaching process.
Can I Dye Viscose at Home?
There is no problem with you dyeing your viscose blouse, dress, or shirt at home. You just have to make sure you block out enough time to get the job done the first time you do it.
Plus, you need to make sure you can handle the bleaching process as you have to remove the old dye before changing the color. It has been said that most colors viscose fabric come in can be dyed a new color.
The one exception to the rule is black. For some reason, it is a very difficult color to remove from that material. Then one rule of thumb is that you should go darker, not lighter when you change colors but your results may be different.
Does Viscose Dye Well And Easily?
If the clothing item you want to change the color is 100% viscose then yes, the fabric dyes fairly easily. But if the viscose is blended with a synthetic fiber, you are going to have a more complicated process and it may not work that well.
For example, if the viscose is blended with spandex then the article of clothing cannot be dyed at home. A polyester and viscose blend would require a high heat-dye which would ruin the viscose fabric in that blend.
Before you dye you should check with professionals and the label to see if the fabrics will be easy to dye at home. One exception to the above examples may be nylon. An all-purpose dye may work on both the nylon and the viscose because of the ingredients inside work with both types of fabrics.
What Dye To Use For Viscose?
If you recall viscose fabric is not heat friendly. That means you cannot use any high heat-dye. The best dye to use would be a cold dye that is reactive. If you want to dye a blend of viscose and elastane then the latter dye is the best product.
At no time should you use a high heat-dye on stretchable material like elastane, spandex, and lycra blended with viscose. One alternative to dyeing the fabric is to use fabric paint. These paints come in handy if you only want to do spot color changes.
One tip to help you. When you are dyeing the fabric black, expect to use about 4 times the amount of other dyes. Polyester stitches may not take the dye either.
Can You Use Rit Dye on Viscose?
There is some more good news here. Rit dye works on natural fibers. That means that despite the chemical solutions used to create viscose, the natural fibers inside the fabric will accept the dye just like cotton and linen will.
An all-purpose dye like Rit Dye is supposed to be a high heat compound. While it will still work with your viscose clothing you should be careful when you apply the dye. Since Rit Dye is a brand name you should check to see if the company makes a cold heat-dye which will protect your viscose material a lot better.
There are other brand names out there that will work as a good alternative for Rit dye if you are not comfortable using a high heat version.
How To Dye Viscose With Rit
One of the conveniences that come with using Rit Dye is that the dye is pre-mixed. That cuts your dyeing time down saving you some of the evening or day to spend with your family.
All you have to do is pour the color you want into a container filled with hot water and mix it up. For how much to use at one time, check the instructions that come on or in the box.
After adding the dye to the water, toss in your article of clothing and let it go under the water for 10 to 30 minutes. Make sure you cover your work area with paper. That way any spills or drips will be absorbed by the newspaper and not your floor or counter.
Can You Dye Viscose And Elastane Fabric?
The answer to this question is yes you can. There is one hitch though and we mentioned it earlier. You cannot use a hot water dye if your clothing item contains any amount of elastane in the blend. High heat ruins the elastane and you ruin your article of clothing.
There is more good news. The blend doesn't complicate the process in this instance. Just choose a cold water dye and follow the instructions to make sure your results come out as expected. Just make sure that the cold water dye will work on viscose. If it doesn’t move on till you find one that does.
How To Dye Viscose White
Common sense would say that you just pick a dye that comes in white and follow the instructions. But there are variables that common sense may not have thought about. One of those variables is that it is very difficult to bleach a dark fabric light.
You would have to first bleach out the darker color and this may or may not work depending on how dark the original dye was. The scouring and bleaching process can also be rough on the material and ruin the item long before you get to use the white dye.
If you want to go with white it might be a good decision to use a professional.
How To Dye a Viscose Dress
This will depend on the type of fabric that is used to create the dress. If it is 100% viscose then any cold water dye should be able to change the color and make the dress look new again.
For every 2 pounds of fabric, you are looking at using 1 bottle of dye. Then if the fabric is not washable, usually a possibility with a blend, you cannot dye the dress. Washing the dress is the first step in the dyeing process and if that can’t be done then you can’t dye it.
Or it the fabric is capable of shrinking you may end up with a nice looking color but a mess of a dress.
How To Dye a Viscose Rug
The process to dye a rug is a lot simpler than trying to dye a dress or a shirt made of the same material. The first step is to vacuum the rug. Dyes are like paints and do not stick to dirt and grime that well.
Next, lay out a plastic tarp and wet the rug. Then mix the dye as instructed on the bottle and pour the mixture into spray bottles. After that, spray the dye onto the rug until you reach your desired color. Hang to dry when you are done.
Of course, we left out the washing and bleaching process that precedes this step. Both these two steps and the dyeing process may take several attempts before you get the right color.
Can You Dye Viscose And Elastane Fabric?
Yes, it is possible to do this. Elastane and heat do not get along so you will have to forgo using a high heat-dye in favor of a cold water version. If you need to bleach the item first, you have to be careful about what type of bleach you use.
Chlorine bleach will ruin the elastane and it is not too healthy for the viscose portion either. What might be a good option is fabric paint. It goes on easier, has fewer steps, and you can get the right color the first time. It works faster as well.
Dye Viscose And Polyester
This is not a very good fabric combination to try and dye. While the viscose will take the dye, the polyester fibers will not. If they do the results may be splotchy, uneven, and not very wearable.
You can try to use 2 dyes, one for natural and one for synthetic fibers, but again, you are not going to get great results. The thread stitches may not accept the dye and be a different color than the fabric. Then if you have zippers on the dress, etc., those will take the dye differently as well.
The end result may not be something you would be proud to wear. Synthetic fibers are a lot harder to dye than natural ones.
Can You Dye Viscose And Nylon?
Given that synthetic fibers are a lot harder to dye than natural ones, you will be surprised to know that an all-purpose dye is perfect for this project. The all-purpose dye has ingredients that work with both sets of fibers.
There is one drawback to using all-purpose dyes on this combination of fabrics. Each one may not take the same amount of dye and you end up with an uneven look that may not be presentable to the public.
The key to this project would be to stay away from hot water dyes. Heat and nylon are not a good match up.
Best Dye For Viscose Fabric
There are a lot of brand names out there that produce good dyes. Rit Dye, Jacquard, Dylon, and more all make dyes that should work with viscose fabrics. The key is not in the brand name as much as it is in the ingredients and the process.
For viscose, it is best to go with a cold water dye even though some hot water dyes will work on that material. Heat is not constant when it comes in contact with viscose so your results may be a bit different from your friend’s.
They say that if the clothing item says to dry clean only, then you should not try and dye the garment. The rule of thumb, ‘if you can’t wash it, don’t dye it’ applies here.
Some Final Words
Dyeing your viscose garments is not that hard if you use the right dyes. But when blended with synthetic fibers you are going to find the process almost impossible to do.
Read the instructions on the different dyes’ boxes to see if they will work with your viscose clothing. Then check your garment to see if it is a blend. That blend will make all the difference.
