Do dylon fabric dyes work on nylon dresses?

Dylon makes several different kinds of dyes. Some of them will work on nylon, but others will not.

Nylon is a kind of polyamide, which means that it can be dyed with acid dyes, just like wool. You can buy special acid dyes that work especially well on nylon. Don't be alarmed by the name: they are called acid dyes only because they are used with a mild acid, such as vinegar. The best acid dyes for nylon are the Lanaset dyes, premetalized acid dyes, or the WashFast Acid dyes sold in the US by PRO Chemical & Dye.

You can also use all-purpose dyes, such as Dylon Multi-Purpose dye, which is different from other Dylon dyes. Other brands of all-purpose dye include Rit Tint and Dye and Tintex Easy Fabric Dye. All-purpose dyes are a mixture of acid dyes, for wool and nylon, with direct dyes, for cotton and rayon. In any case, nylon, unlike cotton, needs some acid to take up the dye. Use distilled white vinegar, or any vinegar you have on hand which is 5% acidity (the standard strength). If you are dyeing in one gallon (4 liters) of water, add seven tablespoons (100 ml) of vinegar; if you are dyeing in a twenty gallon washing machine load, use 5 cups or 1.25 liters of vinegar. Never add vinegar when dyeing cotton; vinegar is used only with nylon, as well as with protein fibers such as wool.

You cannot use any of the Dylon dyes that contain sodium carbonate (soda ash) or trisodium phosphate (TSP), because, while these additives allow cotton to take up dye, they fight with the vinegar you need to use with nylon. So, avoid the use of Dylon Machine Dye, Dylon Permanent Dye, and Dylon Hand Dye.

However, it will work fine to use Dylon Cold Dye, if you use vinegar instead of the Dylon Cold Fix that is required for dyeing cotton, and also, in spite of the name, use heat, as described on the page Fiber reactive dyes on protein fibers. Presoak nylon in vinegar before dyeing with Dylon Cold Dye, and then either simmer in the dye on the stovetop, or wrap in paper and steam for half an hour, just as you would steam vegetables.

For more information on dyeing nylon clothing, see How to dye nylon (polyamide).

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[This answer was first posted, by me, on Yahoo answers, on June 4, 2008.]