How To Color Neoprene Effectively (Paint vs Dye vs Bleach)
Once that nice outfit loses its brilliance or a stain gets on the material, someone gets the bright idea that they should recolor the outfit to make it like new again. This idea works for some fabrics but not all of them as painting, dyeing, and bleaching are not a one size fits all solution.
How To Color Neoprene: The best way to paint or dye neoprene fabric is to find the paint or dyes that work well with that material. Neoprene is stretchy so not every paint or dye will work. For dyeing, you can use hot water and a powdered dye, and about 30 minutes of washing.
To learn all about painting, dyeing, and bleaching neoprene fabric, just continue to read our article. It is filled with the information you need to get the results you want to see. Neoprene is not as resistant to color change as some people think.
Coloring Neoprene 101
Can You Dye Neoprene Fabric?
How successful you are at doing this task will depend a lot on the type of neoprene material you are working on. Some people have tried dyeing neoprene but the material has cracked, chipped, melted, and hardened.
You are looking at a little trial and error here as you will need the right dye to change the color on anything made from neoprene material. Remember that you cannot dye dark colors lighter so you have to go from light to dark just like you would other fabrics.
One thing to remember, and which makes dyeing this material difficult, is that the color is often added during the construction process and that dye runs completely through the neoprene material. This makes it hard to change the color on many neoprene made items.
The best way to go is to take your time and do not be disappointed if you do not get the results you want the first time out.
How To Dye Neoprene Seat Covers
This is one of the exceptions to the neoprene rule as seat colors made from this fabric can be died. For your best results, you want to have plain or off white colors on the seat covers. Then you need to buy a dark-colored powdered dye.
Once you get the dye, you need to mix it in 2 cups of hot water while filling your washing machine with more hot water. As you do this, you can also soak the seat covers in hot water in a tub or sink.
When the dye is ready, mix it in the washing machine and add the seat covers. Then run the wash cycle on an extended cycle making sure the rinse portion does not kick in till 30 minutes after the washing has started.
When done, rinse the seat covers in warm water, then cold till the water runs clear. After that, hang the covers up to dry.
Can You Dye a Neoprene Dress?
It is possible and you should probably try the seat cover method to get this task done right. The thing to be concerned about in this situation is if the hot water will ruin the neoprene material, be cautious.
Or you can check out Rit Dye or the other commercial dye brands and see if they have a specially made formula that works on neoprene. If they do, just follow their instructions to get the job done correctly.
Again, you can only go from light to dark so forget about dyeing the black portions a lighter color. Also, depending on how the dress and neoprene fibers were made, you may not be able to change colors as well as you like because the original color is processed at the time of mixing the chemicals.
This means that the color is completely through the fabric and not on the surface like denim is.
Can You Paint Neoprene Fabric?
Some neoprene fabrics you can paint but the caution here is that the rubber and paint may not react well together and the neoprene will not accept the paint. Plus, the type of paint you use will depend a lot on the purpose the material will have after you are done.
There are different brands out there that are supposed to work well on neoprene. You can try Puffy Paint, Trident's U-Mark-It paints, or Plasti Dip and see what kind of results you get. Again you should follow the instructions to make sure your chances of success are greater.
Make sure you take your time as neoprene is not an easy material to work with and you may not be able to get the paint exactly how you want it. Also, using thin coats as compared to thick ones should have the paint adhere to the fabric better.
How Do You Paint Neoprene?
The first step is to use a thin coat urethane cure accelerator on the fabric. This liquid helps clean the material and get it ready for the paint. It also helps the paint stick to the neoprene better and reduces flaking, etc. Wait till the material is completely dry.
Next, you paint your paint on your neoprene outfit or wet suit. The key here is to have those items flat and we mean flat. There should be no ridges, creases, or bumps on the surface as you paint. After painting, you need to wait between 24 and 48 hours for the paint to dry.
Once that has happened, you need to mix one part cure accelerator with 2 parts waterproof gel and then paint that over the outfit or wet suit. This will protect your painting effort as well as keep the color from coming off. Let cure overnight and don't touch it till the next morning.
What Paint To Use on Neoprene
We have already given you three good brand names that make paint for neoprene. You should check out what they have to offer first, before going to any of the other alternatives. Those companies should know what paint works best on the neoprene fabric you are working on.
Then if they do not have the color you want, you can try what is called SEM as this is the paint many auto repair shops and dealers use to paint neoprene surfaces. You will need a paintbrush for sure as it is not known if they paint comes in a spray or not.
Also, you can try acrylic paint with a fabric medium added to it. This paint option works on many fabrics and it may work on neoprene. The trouble with painting this fabric is that neoprene stretches and when it does, it can cause the paint coat to flake, chip, crack or peel.
Latex Paint on Neoprene
This may not be a great paint option as latex paint is not known for stretching. It goes on flat for the most part and does not move with the material and you will end up with a lot of problems.
Several of those problems will be chipping, flaking, peeling, and cracking of the paint. While latex paint does cover a multitude of sins, it is not the best option when covering stretchy material like neoprene.
Plus, latex paint is easy to work with but in the long run, it is not going to give you the results you want and you may end up looking for other paints to redo the work you have already done.
If you are in doubt, you can always talk to different paint stores. Their expertise may be able to give you some tips on how to make latex paintwork for you.
Acrylic Paint on Neoprene
There is some debate on this topic as neoprene is an oil-based product and some people think that oil and water won’t mix that well. Acrylic paint comes in different formats so it might be best to avoid water-based acrylic paints.
Others have suggested trying to mix the acrylic paint with a fabric medium but you would need one that will work on neoprene. Acrylic latex may be a good option as it is supposed to stretch a little and that characteristic is needed when you paint neoprene.
Read the label on the cans or spray options containing acrylic paint and see if it is a good option for neoprene or not. Not all acrylic paints are made for rubber-like materials. So your options here may be a little limited.
When in doubt ask your local paint dealer and if they are not just trying to make a sale, they should tell you the truth and get you the right paint.
Neoprene Spray Paint
There is a brand out there that does make a neoprene spray paint. That brand’s name is Plasti Dip and it should cover neoprene and other rubber products you have around the house. It is said that this paint will not chip, peel, crack, or even become brittle.
Then it is supposed to be weatherproof so you can apply it at any time of the year. Whether Rustoleum makes spray paint for this fabric is not known at this time. Or you can try a marine-based paint to see if that will give you the coverage and protection you are looking for.
Some acrylic paint in spray cans may also provide the coverage you want. But acrylic paint is best left for those items that do not get a lot of wear and tear. Just make sure the surface is nice and clean before you paint.
Best Fabric Paint For Neoprene
There are probably a lot of good fabric paint brands on the market today that will help you with your neoprene painting needs. It is impossible to list them all here and your favorite fabric paint brand may do just as good a job like the one we will mention in this section.
There is a brand called Fluid Textile Paint that seems to do wonders with neoprene materials. It is not a spray but needs to be painted on which gives you lots of creative opportunities. For example, putting paw prints on your dress or snowflakes on blouses and so on.
Make sure to follow the instructions on the can in order to get the best results. Painting over mistakes may not be advisable and will create a bigger mess than the mistake created.
Check Amazon or your local stores to see what brands are available and what price they are selling at.
Remove Paint From Neoprene
If you are going to do this you should do this task in a well-ventilated area. Especially if you are going to use a chemical paint remover. Then make sure you are not smoking when using those products.
There are what is called safe paint removers but they do not work as fast as the stronger chemical-laden ones. The good news here is that you can wear neoprene/latex gloves while applying the different paint removers.
You have to be careful with the different solvents you use as they are very toxic and can cause some health problems for you if you do not follow the safety instructions. Even if you have an air conditioner in your home, you should do this work outside whenever possible. Air conditioners recycle the air not remove it.
Make sure to clean as much of the stain as possible when it is fresh. Blot do not rub the area to get the stain off.
Can You Bleach Neoprene?
When it comes to getting rid of mold on your wet suit or another neoprene outfit you are sort of in a catch 22 situation. Bleach is the only real effective killer of mold yet that chemical is not kind to neoprene material. While protecting your suit and your health you may end up ruining the suit.
It is better to use vinegar on most neoprene items when you need to clean the mold off those neoprene surfaces. Vinegar is non-toxic plus it is safe to use on that material. But if you do not have any vinegar around, dilute the bleach well and rinse thoroughly.
It may be possible to use oxygen bleach on neoprene but again you should act with caution and make sure that oxygen bleach is safe to use on this fabric. The thing about using bleach on neoprene is that it will degrade the material fairly easily.
Is Neoprene Bleach Resistant?
It may resist color change as the color dye is usually added to the fiber construction process making the color go clear through the material instead of stopping at the surface to mid way through.
In one compatibility chart, neoprene got a D in grading when it comes to resisting bleach and that may be due more to the fact that the fabric is damaged by the bleach. You can check out this compatibility chart to see which chemicals are safe to use on neoprene. Just click here to get to it.
The chart is 13 pages long and it is quite informative.
Does Bleach Damage Neoprene
Yes, it can and as we already said, it may not be in the color portion of the fabric. What bleach can do is weaken the material through boosting the degrading process making that go faster than it should.
It is best not to expose your neoprene objects or a wet suit to bleach if you want to keep them around for a long time. Also, how damaged your neoprene gets will depend on if it is an open or closed cell format.
It is best to use other cleaning options that won’t damage neoprene-like baby shampoo.
Does Neoprene Fade?
It seems that neoprene car seats resist fading even when exposed to the sun’s UV rays. No special coatings or protective liquids are needed to keep the material looking good.
Other neoprene fabrics may fade though and you can restore the color a little bit through a simple process. Just mix alcohol and ethylene glycol monobutyl ether solvent ink and spray over the faded areas.
Keep the prayer at the right distance and use long sweeping strokes to make sure you do not put too much on in one spot. Let dry for about 24 hours and do a second coat to make the job look even.
After the 2nd coat, wait 48 hours to let the material dry completely and check your color.
Some Final Words
You can go through the effort to dye, paint or bleach your neoprene items but think the issue through first. Sometimes it is better just to buy a new neoprene item in the right color than it is to do all that work and not get the results you want.
There are no guarantees that this material and the paint or dye will stick together for long periods.
