You should use a special synthetic colorant only if the material contains more than 35% synthetic fibers. Why does this matter? Manufacturers often blend polyester with another kind of fiber, such as cotton, to create a softer and more breathable material. For a ready-made item, you can find this information on the manufacturer’s label inside the garment. If you plan to dye an unworked piece of cloth, check the end of the fabric bolt to find out if you are buying 100% polyester or a polyester blend. What to Consider When Dyeing Polyester Fabric at Homeīefore you commit to dyeing polyester at home, you should consider several key factors.įirst, you need to know exactly what kind of fabric you’re working with. The good news is that you can dye polyester at home without all of the heavy-duty machinery used in manufacturing facilities. For example, if you plan to build a cosplay costume, you will almost certainly require some synthetic or plastic components. You may also want to learn the process of dyeing synthetics because many sewing and crafting projects require this skill. This means that you’re kind of stuck if you want to color your clothes!
Well, the fact of the matter is that more than half of all the clothes sold around the world today contain a significant amount of polyester. The great thing about this complicated process is that polyester never bleeds or fades because the color is heat-set into the material.Īfter reading all of this, are you wondering why you would want to try dyeing polyester at home? These complex chemical and mechanical set-ups often take place during the manufacturing process, sometimes while the cloth is still in yarn form and other times after it has been woven or knitted into the material. However, the carrier chemical can make the finished fabric stiff to the touch.įor very fine polyester materials, such as sheers and faux-silks, some factories employ special roller machines that continuously expose the cloth to the heated solution without the high pressure of heated jets. Other facilities soak the cloth in large vats using a carrier liquid to transfer the disperse dye into the polyester. Large factories use heavy equipment, including jet dyeing machines, which can continuously soak the cloth at a temperature of 280℉ with a heated colorant mixture. The dyeing process most manufacturers use for polyester is pretty intense. Instead, polyester requires either heat or chemical treatments to open up its fibers enough to absorb the special disperse dyes used to color synthetics. This means that polyester is not easy to color like cotton. It’s a plastic specially manufactured into fibers that are then woven or knitted into fabric.īecause polyester is synthetic, its fibers don’t absorb liquids–like water-soluble colorants–in the way that most natural fibers do. Polyester is a man-made fabric composed of a polymer produced out of petroleum. You can dye 100% polyester if you use the correct methods and a special colorant designed for synthetic fabrics.
What to Consider When Dyeing Polyester Fabric at Home.
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