iDye for Natural and Poly Fabrics

For 1 lb. Poly Colors, please call us for availability and lead times. (800) 542-5227
Natural Colors are no longer available in 1 lb. size

46 brilliant colors for quick and easy dye jobs in the washing machine or on the stove. Much better than typical "grocery store" dyes.

The best way to dye fabrics and garments for longevity and brilliance is, hands down, using professional dyes like Dharma Procion Fiber Reactive Dyes, or Acid dyes for silk, and going through all the steps, chemicals and measuring. But, we don't always have the time and/or energy for doing things the 'long way'. Maybe we need a 'quickie' for a party or costume, or to renew a faded or stained garment, or, gosh darn it, we only want to dye one or a few garments and we don't want leftover dyes and chemicals. So we have a new product - iDye - for a no muss-no fuss basic dye job. Just pre-wash your items, toss a packet into your washing machine** with hot water (or a large pot to simmer it on the stove for a bit), add some household salt or vinegar depending on the fabric, and that's it. Dyeing has never been easier. **New HE machines are hard to dye in - the water doesn't get hot enough for these dyes, and the fabric doesn't swim freely for even dyeing, since the machines are meant to use super low water levels.

iDye comes in 46 colors: 30 colors for 100% natural fabrics such as cotton, silk, rayon, and linen, and 16 colors for polyesters and nylons. Each iDye packet contains 14 grams of pure dye powder (no fillers like grocery or drug store dyes) and for the lighter colors it will dye 2 to 3 pounds of fabric. For the black or darker colors, more intense color or synthetics, Jacquard recommends that twice the amount of iDye be used and that you simmer garments on the stove to maintain a constant heat.

For those of you who remember Deka L, this dye is the closest thing for sale in this country to that old favorite. Like Deka L, iDye is also what is called an "all purpose" dye. It is a combination of Direct Dye for plant fibers and Acid Dye for protein fibers. It has reasonable washfastness and lightfastness, is not as fade proof and color fast as Procion or pure Acid type dyes, but way better than the brands you will find at your local market whose names shall remain nameless. In our tests it worked very well on silk, cotton, and rayon. The iDye Poly worked fine on our nylon fabric and a polyester garment one of our employees had, as long as we simmered that one on the stove. **But CAREFUL, all Polyesters and Nylons are not created equal - some are made to be dyed and a few aren't. Has to do with patents and treatments and molecular structure. Unfortunately, there is no way to tell by tags or by looking. If it's important you just have to TEST first. We did not get such great results on feathers or wool and still recommend Acid dye as the dye of choice for those. We also found that we got better results when we dyed each batch all the same type of fabric, ie. didn't mix rayons and cottons in the same dye bath. But we did get very even level results and pretty bright colors! We do recommend washing finished garments in cool water with like colors after the initial washout in hot water to get out the excess dye.

One of the great things about iDye is that the packet dissolves in water, so there is no handling of messy dye powders or chemicals. Just throw the dye packet in the hot water, add household salt or vinegar, depending on your fabric, stir or agitate in your machine 30 minutes, then wash it out. It is the ultimate easy way to get color!

Conforms to ASTM D-4236. Keep out of reach of children and pets. Avoid inhalation and contact with eyes. Made in the USA.

iDye Instructions

Easy to use soluble dye packet. For all natural fabrics plus many polyesters and nylons! Dyes 2 to 3 pounds of fabric. (1-1.3 kg.) Keep in mind that for lighter colors, you can dye more fabric, and for black or darker colors, double the amount of iDye and use the stove top method to keep the heat constant.

Which Dye Should I Use?

• for 100% natural fabrics (cotton, rayon, silk, etc.) use iDye.
• for 100% polyester or nylon use iDye Poly **IMPORTANT - some polyesters and nylons just won't take dye - we don't know why. Most will, but some won't. You just have to TEST!
• for polyester or nylon/natural blends use iDye and the corresponding or closest color of iDye Poly.

For best results:

• Pre-wash garment to remove any sizings, softeners, finishes, grease and oils, etc. (Dharma Dyer's Detergent works well for this.)
• Use the stove top method and double the iDye for dark colors (black, brown or olive) or very intense colors (bright yellow, reds, etc.) Items dyed with the stove top method will be more washfast than items dyed in the washing machine because you can get more heat. Also use the stove top method for iDye Poly, or when dyeing blends.
• For deep colors on silk/cotton blends Jacquard recommends using the stove top method and keeping the heat up as high as the material will allow. The addition of vinegar or salt is not crucial when dealing with a blend as the heat is the trick with these.
• Use constant agitation for uniform color.
• Use Jacquard iDye Fixative to improve wash fastness, color retention and reduce bleeding.
• Wash finished garments with like colors in cool water.

Note: utensils and pots for dyeing should not be used for food.

Top load washing machine method for natural fabrics:

1. Fill washing machine with JUST enough HOT water for the fabric to move freely. Important not to use too much water, but also for the fabric to move freely.

2. Add the iDye soluble dye. Agitate for 30 seconds to dissolve packet. The water in a washing machine won't be as hot as on the stove top, so make absolutely sure the packet and dye are COMPLETELY dissolved before adding any clothing or fabric.

3. Add one cup (237 ml.) of salt for cotton, linen and rayon. Add 1/3 cup (78 ml.) of white vinegar for silk. Make sure everything is thoroughly mixed and/or dissolved.

4. Add pre-wetted fabric.

5. Extend the dyeing time by resetting the wash cycle before the rinse cycle begins.

6. The longer the dyeing time, the darker the color and better the fixation. Unless you want a really light color, we suggest a minimum of 30 minutes agitation. Run it through a rinse cycle and then wash the garment(s) in a regular cycle with HOT water and a mild detergent and dry.

Front load washing machine method:

Follow top load method, except add everything to beginning of cycle.

Stove top method:

1. Fill a stainless steel or enamel pot with just enough hot water for the fabric to move freely. Turn on medium to high heat.

2. Add the iDye (for natural fibers) or iDye Poly (for Polyester or Nylon) soluble dye packet to water and stir.

2a. For iDye Poly; open the included Color Intensifier packet and empty into dyepot.

3. Add pre-washed wet garments or fabric and raise temperature to a simmer.

4. Add one cup (237 ml.)of salt for cotton, linen and rayon. Add 1/3 cup (78 ml.) of white vinegar for silk. Avoid pouring directly onto fabric.

5. Maintain temperature and stir frequently for ½ hour (or up to an hour for darker colors or iDye Poly).

6. Rinse, then wash the garment with HOT water and a mild detergent and dry.

For Polyester or Nylon/natural fiber blends:

1. Choose an iDye Poly color closest to the iDye color you are dyeing and add both packets to dye bath.

2. Follow stove top method. Allow dye mixture to come to a simmer for ½ to 1 hour. Since you are using 2 packets, keep in mind you could dye twice as much fabric.

Polyester Sublimation!

Here is a handy how-to video Jacquard has put together for those that love heat transfer and iDye Poly!

iDye for Natural Fabrics

50/50 Dyeing with iDye Natural and iDye Poly