Can You Dye Fleece Fabric? (How To Dye Fleece Jacket Easily)
Life isn’t perfect. You may have bought a great fleece clothing item in the most beautiful color you have ever seen. But that doesn’t mean that one of life’s little accidents won’t happen and you will need to dye the fabric back to that attractive look.
Can you dye fleece fabric? Yes, you can dye fleece but there is one word of warning. You must use the type of dye made for the fabric the fleece material is made from. If you use a dye made for a cotton fleece on a polyester fleece material, the dye will wash out very quickly.
To learn how to dye your fleece outfits, just continue to read our article. It explores the issue so you have the facts to follow. The one style of fabric you may have trouble dyeing will be polyester.
Dyeing Fleece 101
Will Fleece Dye?
Yes, it will but you must be careful and know what fibers your fleece clothing is made from. If it comes from natural fibers, then you are going to have a relatively easy time changing the color.
But if your fleece outfits are made from polyester fibers, you may have a more difficult time getting the color to look better or even change. The key to dyeing any fabric is to make sure you use the right dye for the material.
Since polyester is made from synthetic fibers, you can only use dyes made to work with that material. Wool fleece is very versatile and can accept any dye brand or style. Then the easiest way to dye fleece is by using your washing machine.
The mess is contained and the machine does all the work for you.
Can You Dye Fleece Blankets?
If your blankets are made from acrylic or polyester, you may still be able to dye them but do not expect even results or to have an easy time of it. Other fibers have multiple ways to be dyed and one method gives you a temporary color.
Food coloring is that method and it is not that hard to do. It works on fleece made from wool. Another method that works on wool fleece is the drink mix. The procedures of the two are about the same and avoid using any harsh chemicals.
A third way, make sure that there is little to no mess to clean up afterward, is to use your washing machine and a brand name dye made for wool, cotton or polyester, and so on. Your results will depend on the material your blankets are made from and how well you followed instructions.
What to Use to Dye Fleece
The items and ingredients you will need depend on the method that you choose to dye your fleece clothing. The first one is the easiest as all you will need is your washing machine, hot water, and the brand of dye in the color you want to see on your clothing.
When using your washing machine, run an extra rinse cycle to make sure you do not accidentally dye your other clothing. For food coloring, drink mix, and even brand dyes, you will need the right color of ingredients, vinegar as well as a pot of water and something to stir your clothing.
You will also need your stove or another good heat source that can bring the water temperature to almost boiling. Plus, you will need the instructions to make sure you know what to do and when to do it.
How to tie-dye Fleece Blanket
The tools you need are as follows-- Rubber bands, Urea, Fiber reactive dye, Thin latex gloves. Plastic spray or squirt bottles. Sodium carbonate, and Plastic sheeting. The plastic sheeting helps contain the mess that will come during the process.
- Step 1- Select the sheet or sheets you want to tie-dye.
- Step 2 - Wash and then thoroughly dry the blanket or sheets to make sure they are clean.
- Step 3 - Now tie the blanket into clumps using rubber bands to hold those bunches together.
- Step 4 - Mix 1 tbsp of urea in one cup of water and you will need to do this for every color you plan on using. This ingredient helps make the sheets damp and lets you dissolve more color dye without diluting it.
- Step 5 - Next, mix 4 tsp of dye in those cups and once completely dissolved pour the mixtures into separate spray bottles. Wear a mask so you do not breathe any of the powder in and close the lid right away when done.
- Step 6 - After that, mix 1 cup of sodium carbonate for every gallon of water you use and then soak the blanket between 15 and 59 minutes.
- Step 7 - Once the sheets are soaked, place on the plastic sheeting and spray it with your pre-mixed colors. Make sure to keep the blanket wet for two hours so the dye can soak into the fibers.
- Step 8 - There is no particular way to spray your blanket so be creative. When you are done wash the blanket first in cold water, then two cycles of hot water. Hang on the line to dry after removing the rubber bands.
Can You Dye Fleece Jackets
Again the answer will be in the positive. Fleece jackets will accept the dye depending on the fibers used to create the material. The easiest way to dye a fleece jacket would be to use your washing machine. It should be a top-loading machine only.
Two words of caution, first, make sure the dye is formulated to work with synthetic fibers if your jacket is made from that material. Second, make sure to follow the instructions that came with the dye.
Following the instructions are the only way to have the best results. You can use the stovetop method as well but that is more involved and may make more of a mess in your kitchen than you would want.
How to Dye Fleece Jacket
The washing machine method is fairly straight forward and the dye box should have instructions covering that way of doing the deed. For the stove stop method just follow the few simple steps coming up:
Step one - mix 1/3 cup of vinegar in every gallon of water you use in a pot that is big enough to hold the jacket. 1 hour should be sufficient but you can go up to 24 if you want.
Step two - turn the heat on and add 2 tbsp of vinegar and food coloring (if you are not using brand dyes). Then bring the water to a boil and once there turn the heat down and let the coat simmer till you see the color you want.
Step three - turn the heat off, let the jacket cool, then rinse immediately after that and give the jacket time to dry.
Best Fabric Dye for Fleece
The best fabric dye for fleece will depend on the type of fibers used to create your fleece garment. For protein and cellulose-based fibers, which fleece can be made from, you will want to use a fiber reactive dye. There are many varieties of this type of dye so make sure you read the label to get the correct one.
Acid dyes are good if your fleece item is made from wool, cashmere, or silk. Just don’t worry about the word acid as these dyes are safe to use and most are non-toxic. Finally, an all-purpose dye may be the best choice as these cover a range of fibers taking the worry out of using brand dyes on your good fleece.
Dye Fleece With Kool-aid
This is not a hard process to do but do not expect the color to remain permanent when using this option. Like food coloring you should soak the jacket, etc., in a vinegar and water mixture, using the same measurements for the food coloring method.
Then you will need to use 4 to 5 kool-aid packets to start and add more if you want to deepen the color. The water needs to hit 175 degrees F and simmer the item till the water turns white or cloudy.
When that takes place, remove the item, rinse and hang to dry. The process takes a little time and may make a little mess if you are not careful.
Dye Transfer Out of Fleece
This will take place if you use the wrong kind of dye for the fibers your fleece garment is made from. The incorrect dye will not adhere to the fibers that well and the next wash you may see the dye move out of the fleece and into whatever you are washing with that clothing.
This happens a lot when you use the wrong dye when changing the color on fleece made from polyester fibers or synthetic ones. Also, if your fleece happens to have a pattern on it, that pattern will remain. It may just look brighter or darker depending on the type of color you use.
Then keep in mind you can only dye fleece darker. You cannot dye it in reverse.
Dye Nylon Fleece
This may be a little easier material to work with as it will use the same dyes as polyester uses. Plus, if the dye works on nylon, it will work on polyester. Of course, you will need to look at the label to make sure nylon or polyester are listed on the acceptable fabrics the dye will work on.
One word of warning, tie-dye dyes are not formulated to work on nylon or other synthetic fibers. Normally, those dyes are made to work on cotton fibers and will not affect nylon or polyester fibers.
This may be a hassle but you may want to reconsider dyeing fleece and just go out and buy the same garment in a color you want. That will save you time and trouble as well as a lot of hassle.
Can You tie-dye Fleece With Bleach?
Bleach and fleece have a touch and go type of relationship. It would depend a lot on the fibers making the fleece material if you can use bleach to get rid of the color already there.
Wool may suffer if the bleach is not diluted and soaked in a container with bleach for a long period. The natural fibers should release their color when the bleach hits it.
Synthetic fibers may be a bit different and you really should check the labels first before attempting any dyeing with bleach. If it says do not bleach, then think twice before going ahead with your dyeing plan.
How to Dye White Fleece Black
This is not a difficult process either and it is going in the right direction, light to dark, so you should not have any bad results. The first thing you do is heat up some water on your stove and get it to the boiling point.
Second, at that point, you add the dye and the fabric you want to make black. It would be advisable to mix the dye first then add the fabric. Follow the instructions on the dye package as it will tell you how long you need to soak the fabric for. Usually, between 30 to 60 minutes is all that is needed.
Once done, let the item cool down and then rinse. Hang dry is the best way to get the fleece item ready to wear.
Some Final Words
Dyeing can be an interesting experience especially when you are trying to change the color on fleece items. The different fibers that make up fleece demand that you be careful in selecting the dye you want to use.
Once that is done, make sure you always select a darker color than what is on your fleece clothing or blanket, etc. There is only one direction you can dye fabrics.
