Maybe you’ve bought a new house, and the carpeting isn’t exactly what you would’ve chosen—but replacing it all simply isn’t in the budget right now. Perhaps you have kids who leave a trail of juice spills behind them or dogs or cats who consider the carpet their lawn. No matter your reasoning for needing a carpet glow-up, dyeing your carpet is an easy way to make it look new in a matter of a few days.
Before you pick up your supplies, here’s everything you need to know about how to dye carpet.
Prepping to Dye Carpet
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The first question you need to answer is can I dye my carpet? The answer is entirely dependent on the material. Carpet dyeing works best when you have carpet made from nylon, wool, or silk; it is not, however, an option for thicker carpet fiber, like polyester, that won’t absorb the dye evenly. If you have red wine stains or other dark sections of the carpet that a dye won’t cover—or the fiber isn’t conducive to dye in the first place—you could consider adding a large area rug or two, or removing the carpet if you don’t mind the carpet removal costs.
Remove Furniture and Prepare the Room
Before carpet dyeing, it’s important to prepare the room. Since you’ll need to deep clean the carpets, you should remove all furniture from the room. Also, be sure to cover any permanent items in the room that the carpet dye could damage.
Pick the Right Color
Once you know your carpet is a good candidate for dye, you can proceed with the step-by-step dyeing process. What carpet dye you use will come down to your budget and color preference, though you need to be sure to use actual carpet dye (versus a fabric dye). There are thousands of carpet dye colors from which to choose, but you’re limited by your carpet’s current shade.
While you can go over a light carpet with a darker dye color, you cannot reverse the process. So if your carpet is, say, red, and you want to transform it to a lighter shade like a beige, you’ll need to consider replacing the carpet entirely instead of simply dyeing it. If you’re covering substantial stains, it’s imperative you pick a dark enough dye that will sufficiently mask any trouble spots you’re trying to hide.
Clean the Carpet
Cleaning your carpet is vital before using carpet dye. If the carpet is dirty, the dye may not take; if it does, it could have an uneven appearance. You can DIY carpet cleaning by renting equipment, or you can hire a carpet cleaning pro to handle it. Consider cleaning the carpet several hours before dyeing it.
Allow the Carpet to Dry
The carpet should be slightly damp when you dye it. If you cleaned it in the morning, you could dye it late afternoon/early evening. If you do carpet dyeing the day before, you may need to dampen the carpet slightly when ready to dye.
Do a Test Swatch
After you have your dye color chosen—or at least narrowed down to a few options—you’ll want to test it out on a small section. Before you commit to covering your entire carpet in dye, make sure you don’t need to add more color or, conversely, dilute it to lighten up the hue. Test the dye in a spot, perhaps, behind your couch, that you can easily hide if things don’t go as planned.
Mix Up the Dye
The dye you buy will have instructions on the bottle, but you’ll likely need to mix it with hot water as well as a pH Stabilizer that comes with the kit you purchase. Wear gloves to protect your skin from coming in contact with the dye, and prepare the dye in a space that has been covered by cardboard, newspaper, or a drop cloth to avoid errant droplets from staining your floors.
Since you need to keep the mixture at a high temperature—the water should remain between 160 and 180 degrees Fahrenheit—apply the dye immediately after mixing with water and only work with a small amount of it at a time. You should also be sure the room is well ventilated.
Apply the Dye to the Carpet
Start by coating a section of the carpet evenly with water, preferably with a light mist from a spray bottle or pump sprayer. This step will ensure uniform absorption by creating a thin layer on top of the old carpet. Then, add the dye with a sprayer, closely following the instructions on the bottle.
Rake the Dye Into the Carpet
A carpet rake is an essential tool when learning how to dye carpet. This inexpensive tool will help the dye spread evenly throughout the carpet and produce a seamless appearance. Raking the carpet also pushes the dye further into the carpeting for deeper penetration.
Repeat the Process for 2 More Coats
Once you’ve fully covered the entire carpet with one coat of dye, you’ll repeat the process at least once more, as you’ll need to add two to three coats to complete your carpet dye job. After the first coat is dry, apply a second coat, let it dry, then determine if your carpet needs a third.
Let the Carpet Dry
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Before moving your furniture back into the room, the last step is letting the carpet fully cure. Depending on ventilation and humidity, your carpet could take one to three days to completely dry. You can walk on it at this time, but wait until it’s no longer damp before moving the furniture back into the room.
DIY Carpet Dyeing vs. Hiring a Pro
Carpet dyeing is a DIY job you could fairly easily handle on your own, assuming you have the time and patience to follow the instructions. However, if you simply aren’t into DIY or are nervous about dyeing your precious floors, a local carpet dyer will be able to do the job for you quickly and professionally.
Tools and supplies to dye your carpet will run you between $100 and $200, while hiring a pro to dye your carpets will cost around $585. However, if you have the tools on hand, you’ll only need a carpet dyeing kit, which will run you around $50 to $100.
Dyeing your carpet typically costs around one-third of what it would cost to replace the entire carpet, and the overall price is dependent on how much surface area you’re covering. Carpet dyeing is the more economical choice if you have stains but are looking for a temporary fix to last a few years before replacing your carpet entirely.
If you have a dark carpet and are going for a lighter look, you should replace it, rather than dyeing, since you can only go darker with dye. If your stains are too heavy to mask with carpet dye or the carpet is more than 10 years old, you should also consider replacing it.
You can use chlorine bleach to lighten a colored carpet or clean a white carpet. Bleach will naturally lighten your carpet no matter its color; however, there’s no guarantee the color will be even throughout the carpeting.
If you decide to lighten your carpet with bleach, apply it using a carpet cleaner to provide a more even application. After applying it, be sure to suction it out from the carpet fibers and rinse thoroughly with clean water.
How long carpet dye lasts depends on the quality of the dye and the application process. At a minimum, dyed carpets keep their color for a year, but some can last longer. Many factors affect how long carpet dye lasts, including the amount of UV rays that hit the carpet, causing it to fade. However, the good news is you can have your carpet dyed annually to keep up the color.
Samantha is a full-time personal finance and real estate writer with 7 years of experience covering real estate and home renovation topics. She has publications on popular sites, including Rocket Mortgage, Quicken Loans, and Bigger Pockets.
Samantha is a full-time personal finance and real estate writer with 7 years of experience covering real estate and home renovation topics. She has publications on popular sites, including Rocket Mortgage, Quicken Loans, and Bigger Pockets.
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