Name: Michael
Message: Hi I want to dye a white painters suit a lime green color. I would like to know if you could give me any tips on any certain dyes to buy and what the painters suit should be made out of.

PS: How much dye should I buy, I need enough for three suits.

It is easiest to get good results if you buy 100% cotton for dyeing. (Note that the stitching will probably be polyester, which will remain white after dyeing.) The best dye to use on cotton and other cellulose fibers is cool water fiber reactive dye, such as Procion MX type dye; see PRO Chemical & Dye's MX dyes.

Once you have bought the garments, weigh them. You will need about 8 grams of MX dye per pound of fabric for a medium color intensity, or about 15 grams of MX dye per pound of fabric for a dark color intensity. You will also need a large quantity of ordinary non-iodized salt, plus soda ash. You may also wish to buy Synthrapol, a special detergent for use in washing out dyes; its use is optional, but it works particularly well.

The easiest method to use, if you want a single color overall, is the washing machine method; see, for example, ProChem's instructions.

If the garments you buy are not PFD (prepared for dyeing), it is possible that some sections of a garment will dye lighter or darker than other sections; this is unpredictable. Be sure to pre-wash with soda ash and synthrapol as indicated in the instructions linked to above, to reduce the likelihood of problems.