How can I dye Lycra zentai costumes?

Name: Chloe

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Dye polyester and poly/cotton blends

Country or region: France (Europe)

Message: I've bought "zentais" (kind of complete catsuits) which were supposed to be made in Lycra. I've tried a multi-purpose dye by Dylon dyeing by boiling them. The fabric was intact but the dye didn't take on it. I'm planning to try that "Idye Poly" product, that I've seen you've been testing. The problem is that I'm not sure of the fabric composition and I don't know how to know exactly what it is. Do you think Idye Poly could be a good solution and how do you recommand me to use it? Thank you very much for your time answering me!

I do think that a disperse dye, such as iDye Poly, is the logical next step for you to try. Polyester seems very likely to be one of the components of your zentais. The iDye Poly I tested came with an additional packet of a dye carrier chemical, inside the package of dye. While this carrier chemical is not needed for dyeing synthetic fibers other than polyester, it helps a great deal in getting a deep color on polyester.

Another alternative to iDye Poly, which would be safer for the spandex, would be a very thin fabric paint, such as Jacquard's Dye-Na-Flow, SetaSilk fabric paint, or Dharma's Dharma Pigment Dyeing System. Pigment "dyeing" with fabric paint is likely to give a somewhat mottled appearance, not perfectly smooth in color, which works beautifully for some projects but not for others. If you try fabric paints, you will want to dilute with as much water as the manufacturer of the fabric paint recommends. Dye-Na-Flow can be diluted with up to 25% of the original volume, while Dharma Pigment Dyes can be diluted with 200% to 400% as much water. Don't neglect the creative possibilities of a metallic or pearlescent fabric paint, though it may be rather expensive in the quantities you'll need. Lumiere, which is another much-recommended fabric paint made by Jacquard Products, is available in various metallic and pearl colors. An advantage of fabric paints is that they do not require nearly as much heat as polyester dyeing requires. Some heat setting is required for most fabric paints, but pressing with a hot iron is usually sufficient, and less damaging than the boiling required for polyester. They are also much more pleasant to work with; boiling disperse dye plus the carrier chemical produces a powerful and unpleasant smell, which requires excellent ventilation.

However, even if you get the right type of dye or fabric paint for the fibers in your garments, if there is any surface finish on them that repels water, you're not going to be able to color them satisfactorily. There are some zentais made with a PVC coating which appears to be undyeable. The dye has to be able to penetrate the fiber in order to work. I hope that this is not the issue with the garments you are trying to dye.

It's unfortunate that you can't find out what the exact fiber content of your suits is. So many of this sort of garment are described as Lycra, with no mention being made of what other fibers are included in the blend. Are they 100% spandex? I have read that 100% spandex is never used for garment construction, and it's certainly true that garments usually contain a much smaller percentage of spandex. (Spandex and elastane are generic terms for the same product that is sold under the brand name of Lycra). For example, there are blends of 20% Lycra and 80% nylon, or blends of 10% Lycra and 90% cotton. The usual rule, in these cases, is to dye the other fiber in the blend, and ignore the spandex.

I'm guessing that your suits might be made of a blend of spandex with polyester, since they did not take the all-purpose dye that you used. Both cotton and nylon should have taken some of the color from boiling with Dylon multi-purpose dye, as long as there is no water-repelling surface finish on them. Dylon multi-purpose dye contains both acid dyes, which work well on nylon, and direct dyes, which work on cotton though they're not the most long-lasting of dyes. Lycra itself can be dyed, under some circumstances, with many acid dyes. (I have read that Dylon Multi Purpose dye contains some disperse dye, the type of dye that works on polyester, but this is probably untrue.)

If your suits are made of polyester and spandex, then boiling them with iDye Poly will color the polyester, assuming that there is no water-resistant or stain-resistant finish on the fabric. I am concerned that boiling the spandex will ruin its shape. I think it is very likely that boiling spandex garments for an extended period of time, long enough for the disperse dye process, will ruin them. However, you've already boiled yours at least briefly, and they seemed to be okay. I hope that the amount of full boiling required to dye polyester will not do more harm. I am very concerned that you may see damage from the additional boiling; please let me know how it works out for you.

To use iDye Poly, follow the instructions that Jacquard Products supplies for the Stove Top Method. (You cannot dye polyester using the washing machine instructions that are also found on that page.) You will need to use a very large cooking pot, large enough for the garment to move in freely as you stir it. (As a general rule, dyeing pots should not be reused for food preparation later.) Unless you have a truly enormous dyeing pot, you will probably have to dye only one garment at a time. Weigh your garments; one packet of iDye Poly is sufficient for two to three pounds of dry fabric (or 1 to 1.3 kg). For a lighter color, use less than the full packet. Dissolve the dye in the water before adding the fabric. Depending on the project, you may wish to strain your dyes after dissolving them, using a piece of fine nylon stocking, or a coffee filter; this will prevent spots of unwanted colors, caused by imperfect dissolving of the dye. To repeat the exact same color on another garment, you will have to use exactly the same amount of dye powder and the exact same total volume of water, as well as the exact same quantity of the carrier chemical (which is a liquid enclosed in a small pouch), each time you repeat this process. If you are not concerned with making each garment the same color, you might, as an experiment, try reusing the first dyebath on a second garment, expecting to obtain a paler color.

Although other dyes, such as acid dyes for nylon, or the iDye formula for natural fibers, can be used by simmering the fibers at temperatures below a full boil, dyeing polyester does require boiling temperatures, as close to 100°C (212°F) as possible. You will need to see bubbles as your dyebath boils. In fact, disperse dyes typically work better at temperatures above 100°C, no longer requiring the carrier chemical that is needed for good performance on polyester at temperatures as low as the temperature of boiling water, but using temperatures above boiling is impractical at home, since you cannot stir your garments throughout the dyeing process if you are using a pressure cooker to reach higher temperatures. Stirring is important, in order to obtain a smooth solid color with no mottling or imperfections.

Note that all items to be dyed should first be prewashed in hot water, with detergent and perhaps some extra washing soda or soda ash, to help remove any invisible stains from the manufacturing process, which can prevent smooth dye uptake by the fiber. Sometimes a garment which has not been labeled 'Prepared For Dyeing" or "Ready To Dye" will take dye unevenly; it's difficult to predict when this will happen, and almost impossible to solve when it does.

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Posted: Thursday - September 30, 2010 at 08:20 AM

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How can I dye Lycra zentai costumes?

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