The best acrylic paints for clothes. Subtleties of fabric dyeing. In aerosol packaging

Things lose their attractive appearance over time. The reason is non-compliance with care rules and exposure to external factors. It's not practical to throw away good clothes just because they're less colorful. It is enough to show a little imagination and creativity to make the colors shine in a new way. The chemical industry offers a wide range of aniline dyes. However, it is possible to dye fabric at home using available products.

First of all, you should compare the real possibilities and the desired result. Not all types of fabrics can be dyed yourself. Natural and mixed fabrics are easier to process: cotton, linen, wool, silk. Synthetics cannot be restored efficiently at home. Its fibers are not able to absorb aniline dye components. The color will probably change, but after the first wash the item will fade.

Synthetic fibers are dyed with special dyes using a special technology. The only way out of the situation is to go to the dry cleaner.

Painting children's things yourself will help you save your family budget. Due to increased pollution, they quickly lose their bright color and decent appearance. In case of severe fading, dark shades of paint help. It's easier at home.

How to choose a dye

There is a wide choice of coloring compositions available for free sale. There are powdered, crystalline, liquid and paste forms. The effect of chemistry gives a lasting result, provided that the procedure is carried out correctly. If there are doubts about obtaining a positive result, it is better to use natural coloring agents. They may be less intense, but they are environmentally friendly and safe for health.

Options for natural fabric dyes:

They give a brown tint to light-colored fabrics: tobacco, onion peels, weak coffee or tea, oak bark, henna, basma, cinnamon.
Green color is obtained with the help of: spinach, bird cherry, juniper berries, sorrel, elderberry leaves.
Strong natural coffee blackens well.
Red: elderberries, beets, blueberries, wolfberry.
Blue range: red cabbage, blackberries, sage, Ivan da Marya inflorescences, quinoa seed.
Orange: turmeric, apple bark, celandine, sea buckthorn.
Yellow: cumin, turmeric, wormwood, fresh carrots, nettle roots, poplar buds, orange peel, birch bark and leaves.

You need to select a dye depending on the degree of restoration, original color and type of fabric. The material is determined by separately pulled out and ignited fibers. Rayon, cotton and linen are highly flammable. Wool and natural silk begin to smolder.

It is important to consider the purpose of home restoration. Heavily washed and faded items need a higher concentration of dye than white ones. In the latter case, it is enough to take a natural or chemical dye in small quantities so that everything works out the first time. Sometimes you need to repeat the procedure again. So, even a white T-shirt will not immediately turn black.

Rules for coloring products

Before starting work, you should familiarize yourself with some painting tips:

Products are pre-cleaned from stubborn stains. If necessary, use a stain remover, the remnants of which are removed by washing and ironing - otherwise it will not be possible to stain the fabric evenly. If the dirt does not give in, they resort to dark tones. Light dyes will not be able to hide stains on the surface. Buttons and metal decorations are removed.
Before dyeing, things are boiled in soda water. For silk, add ammonia - 0.5–0.7 g per liter of water.
An enamel or fireproof container is suitable. Stir with a long wooden or plastic stick.
It is recommended to place the fabric in an alum solution before and after dyeing to consolidate the final result. This technique is called mordant. Ideal: any alum, copper or zinc sulfate, table vinegar, sauerkraut brine, formic acid. Mordant recipe: take 2–10 g of the substance per liter of water. The product is weighed to understand the consumption of the mordant. For every 100 g of fabric you will need at least three liters of solution. Boil for at least 30 minutes, then remove the product and immerse it in the dye without spinning.
The duration of dyeing depends on the type of fabric, the desired color saturation, the amount of additives in the liquid composition and temperature. Wool and silk yield faster and easier. The solution is boiled intensively for 50–60 minutes, and vinegar is added at the end. Too hot water is not suitable for viscose, linen and cotton - it slows down the dyeing procedure and increases the time. The optimal temperature is no higher than 85 °C. To fix the paint, add 1-2 tbsp at the end. spoons of table salt.
The color will be distributed evenly if the ratio of the weight of the fabric and the dye solution is 1:20. To dye jeans and linen, first add a little calcined salt to the dye and then dissolve it. Bright stains on the surface are obtained by twisting the fabric into a rope and fixing it.
Fix the dye with vinegar or salt so that the products do not fade in the future. They are added to cold water when rinsing at the end of the procedure.
After painting, things are immediately hung up. Otherwise, stains and streaks will form.
It is important to test the product on a separate piece of fabric before dyeing.
The use of rubber gloves will eliminate the risk of hand skin damage. Before starting work, open the windows for ventilation.

Don't worry if the product looks darker than intended when wet. After drying, everything will return to normal. Uneven color is evened out by immersing in hot water with washing powder. To prevent clothes from burning, it is recommended to place a wooden board at the bottom. Woolen items are not hung dry, but laid out on a horizontal surface. The dishes in which you painted cannot be used for cooking in the future.

As you can see, the home color restoration process is complex. It requires extreme caution and adherence to precise proportions. It is necessary to take into account the presence of an allergic reaction to the natural and chemical components used.

In order for a painted item to please you with its beautiful appearance for a long time, do not forget about further care. Direct exposure to sunlight during drying is unacceptable - this leads to burnout. The first few times after dyeing, items are washed separately with powder for colored fabrics, and vinegar is added when rinsing.

Fabric paint is a magical product in the hands of a creative person. With its help, you can not only return faded items to their original appearance, but also get new colors, decorate clothes with bright designs and non-standard prints. We will show you how to choose a good paint and properly process the fabric.

How to choose?

When you walk into a craft store or hardware department, your eyes widen at the variety of fabric paints. Different manufacturers, prices, release forms, composition. Which dye to choose?

Check the product packaging for notes on fabric types. Not all dyes are suitable for dyeing synthetics, silk, and outerwear made of PVC materials.
For complete and uniform coloring of products, choose aniline paints, and for spot painting and applying drawings and prints, choose acrylic paints.
Give preference to well-known, time-tested brands: Javana, Dylon, Marabu, Jacquard, Simplicol, Elbesoie. Good brands of paints for domestically produced clothing are “Batik” and “Gamma”.

Types of paints

Now we will talk in more detail about the two main types of dyes - aniline and acrylic.

Aniline

Available in the form of powders and liquids. Used pure or diluted. The main advantage of aniline dye is that its pigments penetrate deep into the fabric and completely saturate the fibers. The painted product retains elasticity, softness, and does not deform. The paint is indelible, the color remains even after many washes. It can be used to dye clothes in the washing machine.

Disadvantages of aniline dyes:

to consolidate the result after dyeing, you need to carry out a rather complex steaming procedure (the product is carefully fixed over a tank of water vapor);
Such paints are not suitable for applying small drawings - the latter will turn into blurry spots.

If you do not have the opportunity to steam at home, you can put the painted item in a basin with a weak vinegar solution (1 glass per liter of water).

If you want to dye trousers or jeans, use black aniline dye. It will preserve the structure of the fabric and will not cause the item to shrink.

Acrylic

Unlike aniline dyes, acrylic dyes do not impregnate the fabric fibers, but cover them with a colored shell. In the painted area, the fabric becomes stiffer. The products are available in the form of jars with a liquid solution (pigments + emulsion), tubes and aerosols.

Advantages of acrylic paints:

good solubility in water;
possibility of spot application, drawing of details;
obtaining new interesting shades when mixing colors;
To consolidate the result, it is enough to iron the dried fabric from the wrong side with an iron.

Although aniline dye dissolves well in water, you should not overdo it. When diluted in a large amount of liquid, the product loses its stability. If you want to get a light shade, use special solvents (often included with the dye).

Thus, it is impossible to say for sure which paint is better: aniline or acrylic. The choice should depend on what purpose you are pursuing when painting a thing: restoration or decoration.

Whatever paint you choose for clothes, it is important to follow certain rules. Otherwise, you may get an unpredictable result or damage the item.

5 main rules:

Wash your clothes before dyeing them (even black dye won't remove old stains from fabric). But it is not necessary to dry the item.
When working with dye, use thin rubber gloves.
Remove or cover all fittings with adhesive tape.
Do not dye fabrics containing more than 60% synthetic fibers yourself. Such things absorb paint very poorly and fade quickly. Entrust the work to professionals.
Apply only to damp cloth.

Please note that after dyeing, the item will release the dye into the water for some time (usually 3-4 washes). Therefore, wash it separately from other items.

How to paint an item?

Usually the dye comes with detailed instructions on how to dye the fabric. Each coloring method has its own sequence of actions.

Manual method

The easiest way is to spray paint an area of clothing. To do this, shake the can thoroughly and spray it at a distance of 15-20 centimeters from the surface of the fabric for several seconds. The longer you hold the button, the brighter the resulting color.

It is more difficult to paint an item completely with liquid or powder paint. Sometimes this requires boiling (see instructions).

General procedure:

Dissolve the paint in a metal container with water in accordance with the indicated dosage.
Immerse the clothes in the liquid for 30-40 minutes. Straighten out the folds. Periodically turn the product over with a large metal spoon so that the surface is evenly painted. The longer the clothing is in the dye solution, the more intense the color.
At the end, rinse the item in a weak solution of vinegar (1 glass per liter of water).

To fix the color, you can add 2 tablespoons of salt to the water with the product at the very beginning. And 2 teaspoons of soda will soften the water, which will make dyeing safe for cotton fabric.

Machine washable

First, check the packaging of the product to see if it is suitable for dyeing items in the washing machine. If yes, get to work.

Place the item (only one) in the drum, flattened. Add a tablespoon of baking soda. This will help soften the water.
Set the temperature to 30-40 degrees and turn on the device.
Dilute the paint with water in the ratio specified in the instructions. Add detergent to the detergent hole the moment the machine finishes filling with water.

If after dyeing the clothes have an uneven color or streaks, then put them in the drum again. Turn on rinse and spin. This will distribute the paint over the entire surface.

Conclusion

Working with clothing paint is not difficult. It is enough to choose a product for a specific fabric and purpose, read the instructions and do everything carefully. Now you can easily turn old things into fashionable new things.

Repeated washing in a washing machine, especially with the use of bleaching additives, as well as bright sunlight reduces the color fastness of the fabric. Fabrics made from cotton fibers are especially susceptible to this. Paints fade or fade and fade, losing their former brightness.

The best solution to refresh the appearance of such fabric is to dry-clean such clothes. Dry cleaning uses special durable dyes and uses reliable technology, which guarantees almost factory-quality dyeing of fabrics.
However, you can dye old jeans or skeins of yarn at home using special aniline universal dyes intended for household use.

Not all fabrics can be dyed at home

Dyeing simple cotton clothes gives you the opportunity to add a new touch of color to your wardrobe without breaking the bank. Dying children's clothing dark colors can save items that have been badly stained and destined to be thrown away.
However, not all types of fabrics can be dyed at home. A number of fabrics with a high content of synthetic fibers cannot be dyed at home with aniline dyes. Even if the color of such fabrics changes, after the first wash the dye will be washed off and their shade will become an indefinite color.

To dye fabric made from synthetic fibers, special dyes and a special technology (temperature conditions, etc.) are used. At home, you can “confidently” dye only cotton and woolen fabrics, since the fibers of such fabrics absorb paint well and do not fade much after washing.

If you decide to get a set of fashionably colored T-shirts, buy a package of inexpensive white T-shirts and a set of universal dyes in a variety of colors. White is ideal for conveying the shade and color you want. Any other color of the fabric will make certain adjustments to the final dyeing result. Be prepared for the fact that colored clothing cannot be dyed to the perfectly “pure” color indicated on the dye package.

Fabric dyes come in powder or liquid form. Both of these types of dyes can be purchased at hardware stores.

Each package of dye comes with detailed instructions. Be sure to read it carefully before you start dyeing your fabric. The instructions indicate in what proportions to dilute the paint to water, what is the maximum weight of clothing or fabric, the number of skeins of wool that can be dyed in one bag, etc.

For example, consider two types of Russian-made dyes. Aniline dye for fabric "Lukar" is intended for home dyeing of wool and nylon fabrics, except lavsan and nitron. This dye can even be used to dye natural leather and fur. The paint packaging indicates the type of fabric and material that can be dyed, as well as the color and instructions.

Fabric dye "Universal" produced by "Tekhnokhim" (St. Petersburg) is suitable for dyeing fabrics made of cotton, linen, and viscose. To dye wool or silk fabrics, you need to buy a dye, the packaging of which will indicate “Dye for wool or silk.” There are many dye manufacturers, including foreign ones, producing paints for dyeing various clothes, fabrics, yarn, etc.

For example, you can buy a dye designed specifically for changing the color of denim or jeans. By the way, if your jeans not only require a color refresh, but also repair, then read the article “How to sew up a hole in jeans.” It discusses ways to restore torn and worn areas of jeans.

How to dye fabric at home

When dyeing fabrics, be sure to wear plastic or rubber gloves, otherwise you will have to walk around with multi-colored palms for many days. In addition, dye chemicals can cause irritation and even skin disease.

Fill the bowl with water. You can place it in the bathtub, but then you will have to work a little while washing it, so it is better to cover the area where the basin will be with film in advance.

Gradually, in small batches, pour the contents of the bag into the water, stirring constantly. Do not forget to first carefully read the instructions printed on the packaging, since each manufacturer may have different proportions of mixing paint with water and dyeing technology.

If you need to paint a lot of things, it is better to paint one at a time, avoiding overfilling the container. You should not dye fabrics in a washing machine; it will be almost impossible to remove the paint from the walls. It is better to use a basin or other capacious container, for example a large saucepan that is no longer needed in the household. Food cannot be cooked in such containers after chemicals have been used.
Make sure that the fabric is not stuck together or folded anywhere, otherwise there will be lighter areas on it after dyeing.

If you are going to paint something in one tone, place the item in a basin and move it in a circular motion so that the dye liquid completely saturates the item, otherwise there may be unpainted areas. Keep the product or fabric in the basin, stirring occasionally, until it takes on a slightly darker color than required. When completely dry, the fabric will lighten a little.
Some dye solutions need to be heated on the stove in a metal container (basin, pan). This should be indicated in the instructions. Make sure that when mixing, the paint does not get into food utensils.

This is how you can dye wool yarn, yarn for machine knitting.
The contents of the package (10 grams), designed for 300-500 grams of clean dry wool or fabric, first dissolve in 0.5 liters of warm water (40 degrees). Then strain this dye concentrate through cheesecloth into an enamel non-food container and add enough water so that the material to be dyed is completely covered with the dye solution.
The total volume of the coloring solution should not exceed three liters. Be sure to add 2-3 tablespoons of vinegar. Gently immerse the pre-soaked products in the dye solution and heat for 40 minutes at a temperature of 80-90 degrees over low heat, without bringing to a boil. Periodically turn the balls in the container.
Dry dyed skeins of wool or fabric in a shaded place, avoiding direct sunlight.

In order to obtain various intersecting light stripes on a darker background after painting, twist the item intended for painting into a rope in such a way as if you were wringing it out after washing. Then place rubber rings on the tourniquet. Dip the rolled rope into the paint and keep it there until you achieve the desired color. The more rings there are, the more colored spots and stripes you will get as a result.

Mixing two colors together will result in a third color. For example, red and blue dyes form purple.

And one last useful tip: freshly dyed fabric usually fades a lot when washed. The first few times after you dye the fabric, wash the item only by hand, separately from other fabrics. Wash in cool water.

Dyeing fabric at home using aniline and other dyes will not be as durable and bright as factory dyeing of fabric. This is just a way to slightly refresh or darken soiled clothes, change the color and shade of fabric and woolen threads.

In every home there are things that have lost their original color over time, or due to improper or repeated washing. Painting these items will bring them back to life and make them look like new. Many people throw away light-colored items first because they quickly turn gray or yellow, but with the use of paints they can be turned into interesting and bright ones.

Dyeing synthetic fabric at home is a risky undertaking. It is completely unclear what result awaits in the end. Often attempts to dye synthetics yourself ended with the quality of the product suffering. So how to dye fabric at home without damaging the clothes?

Only natural fabrics are ideally dyed: cotton, wool, linen, silk. As for synthetic material, you should be careful and use special dyes intended for such fabric. Colors must be selected that are almost identical to the original shade of the material, then the risk of spoiling the item will be much less.

First, carefully study the instructions for the dye. There should be information on what kind of fabric it is used for, and also a point-by-point description of how to use it for home dyeing. Items and other contaminants must be washed before the procedure. This is especially true for old stains, which will remain after painting. That is why it is imperative to remove all contaminants before painting begins.

Decorative decorations must be removed from the item. If you plan to alter clothes after dyeing, you should rip them apart along the seams in advance. In order to know exactly how much dye is needed, the product is pre-weighed. This will help you calculate the correct proportions of dye and water.

How to dye fabric at home

Dyes intended for fabric come in two varieties: powder and liquid. They can be purchased in any hardware department of a hypermarket or in specialized stores. The paint package should be accompanied by detailed instructions containing all the important information regarding the upcoming painting.

There are quite a few manufacturers of dyes. You can choose both domestic and foreign ones - it all depends on your own preferences and the advice of friends. You should also read the reviews; perhaps this information will be useful in choosing a dye brand.

The only important criterion is the choice of paint designed specifically for the type of fabric that will be dyed. For example, aniline dye from the Russian TM “Lukar” is used for dyeing natural fabrics, fur and wool, and it is also suitable for leather. But it is strictly forbidden for them to paint synthetic material. There are even special dyes for.

Hardware stores have a large selection of dyes for natural fabrics. If you need to dye synthetics, you will have to look for the necessary dye. The American brand “RIT” has positive reviews. The dye made in the USA “Jacquard Idye poly” has also proven itself well. It is intended exclusively for coloring synthetic material, and it has few analogues.

Synthetic fabric dye is an innovative solution to transform clothes at home. If these dyes are difficult to find, you can use the domestic paint “Priboy”, which is designed for dyeing not only natural, but also mixed fibers.

Methods for dyeing synthetic fabric

Having prepared the item for painting, you can proceed directly to the procedure itself. You will need water, dye and vinegar solution (5%).

In a small container, preferably enameled, with water and vinegar, you need to dilute the paint, following the instructions. The container must be intact, without traces of scale, chips, or cracks. It is better to dilute the dye in hot water in advance so that no lumps form, and then, after straining it with gauze, pour the solution into water. When dyeing synthetic fabrics, water should never be brought to a boil. The temperature of the solution should not exceed 45 degrees.

In order for the dye to evenly paint the entire surface, the item needs to be straightened. There should be no folds, creases or corners where the paint may not adhere. When straightening the fabric, your hands should be wearing rubber gloves. The item must be constantly turned over for better coloring on all sides. For these purposes, use a stick or spatula.

The paint should be several shades darker than desired. When the product dries, the color will become lighter. The fabric is kept in the solution for 15-20 minutes, after which the item must be removed, wait until the solution drains, and rinse thoroughly. Rinse in clean water until the water becomes clear.