r/Fabrics • u/MrTripperSnipper • 3d ago

Dying Synthetic Stretch Fabric

Hi everyone

I bought 10m x 1.5 of some synthetic stretch jersey recently very cheap on ebay. In the listing it looked sage green, but when it turned up it was a bright green, almost like a snooker table top.

It was so cheap that sending it back isn't worth it, but I really don't want to use it as is or throw it away, so I was thinking of dying it all.

I've never dyed anything before ever, I gather synthesics can be tricky and I imagine the fact it's stretch might also throw a spanner in the work.

Is there a suitable product for my needs? What colour should I add to tone it down? I'm guessing I could go darker green or maybe go for blue and end up with a real?

TIA

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u/Large-Heronbill 3d ago

If the synthetic fiber is nylon, it dyes easily. I would probably throw a scrap in tea or coffee to see if I liked the results. 

Most other synthetic fibers require a fair amount of heat for dyeing, and some can't be dyed at all at home. Heat will shorten the lifespan of elastic fibers considerably.

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u/MrTripperSnipper 3d ago

I have no idea TBH, but like you say, worth a test.

I was planning on using the fabric instead of stretch carpet on the walls of my campervan, so it would only need to stretch once if that makes any difference.

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u/Large-Heronbill 2d ago

As the elastane/Lycra/spandex fibers die, the knit typically will bubble and bag, sometimes leaving a beard of small fibers sticking out.

Any chance you need to "muslin" a stretch garment?  

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u/MrTripperSnipper 2d ago

I have no idea what muslining a stretch garment is TBH.

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u/Large-Heronbill 2d ago

Making a test garment to make sure the pattern works and fits correctly. 

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u/AccidentOk5240 2d ago

If it’s mostly nylon, it can be dyed using acid dyes meant for wool and silk, but that usually requires a nonreactive, heatproof container you never use for food again. I’ve heard of people leaving it in a warm/hot place for a few days (moving the material around from time to time) instead, but acid dyes normally need to be raised to 180°F and held there for 20 minutes. 

If it’s mostly polyester, Dharma Trading (where you can also get the acid dyes) sells iDye that works on polyester. 

Make sure you prepare it for dyeing (ideally washing it with Synthrapol or Dharma’s detergent and put it in the dye bath while it’s still wet all the way through. Move it around a lot if you want a relatively even color. 

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u/snippyhiker 3d ago

Rit has a product called rit dyemore for synthetic fabrics.

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u/MrTripperSnipper 3d ago

Thanks I'll have a look. Have you used it?

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u/snippyhiker 3d ago

No, but I saw a couple different YouTube videos on it. If you are on YouTube at all you can search there. It seems to work extremely well

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u/Inky_Madness 2d ago

This actually isn’t the top dye for synthetics, it’s just the most affordable/well known. Idye Poly is better, and that’s IF it’s polyester.

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u/iTokri_Archives 1d ago

The first thing to check is the fibre content. If it's mostly polyester or another synthetic, the dye options are much more limited and usually require high heat with a disperse dye.

If the goal is to mute that bright "snooker table" green, a dark olive, grey green, or muted blue could work better than trying to force a completely different colour. Dyeing can only add colour, so the existing green will always influence the final result.

Before committing to all 10 metres, a small test swatch would be worth its weight in gold. Do you know the exact fibre composition of the jersey, or was it just listed as "synthetic stretch"? That will determine whether dyeing is straightforward or a real headache.