Methods to Redye Carpets

When Cleaning Isn't Enough

• When accidents happen, a quick wipe up will prevent stains soaking into the carpet fibers, but seldom does it eliminate all traces of the spill. If expensive replacement isn't an option, consider redyeing the carpet. Matching the color is the tricky part. Ink or wine -- even ketchup -- leaves stains difficult to hide with dye unless you go to a much darker shade, or to a color change. If the discoloration of your carpet is caused by bleaching, getting a color match is easier, but you will have better luck if you go to a shade darker than the original dye. Prep the carpet by applying the dye only to the stained areas first. Then, when the dye is applied to the entire carpet, the intensity of the color will be a closer match to the undamaged areas.

Redying Methods

• Dye can be applied with a pressure spray, or with a machine with rotary brushes. The circular motion of the brushes works the dye into the carpet. With the pressure spray method, a heavy-duty pump is equipped with a wand for spraying. The pump siphons the dye from a container. Containers come in 1- to 3-gallon sizes. Spot-dyeing is another option. If you can match the color of your carpet, you can restore the color to bleached areas by rubbing the dye in by hand. Clean the carpet first; all methods used for dyeing should begin with a clean carpet. Apply dye to the faded area with an applicator. With a circular motion, rub the dye in, blending it carefully at the edges of the undamaged area to ensure matching intensity of color.

Another Method of Dyeing

• There is history behind the Sarouk carpet . . . and another method of applying dye. In the early 1920s, a carpet dealer in New York imported these handmade rugs from Sarouk, Persia. According to the website Woven Accents, the carpets were made of wool dyed in colors of deep rose to blue, and designed with a center medallion and intricate border. The Persian rug makers then washed the rugs in an alkaline bath to clean and soften the wool. The rose faded, but to the Persian market, this was a natural and accepted part of the rug-making process. Thinking his New York customers would frown on the fading, the dealer armed his staff with dye pots and little paintbrushes to restore the original color. Today, dye sticks are available to do much the same thing to a patterned carpet.

The Fiber Matters

• Whether you plan to hire a professional to redye your carpet or do it yourself, before attempting to dye, know what type of material the carpet is. Carpets are made of various kinds of fibers -- wool, cotton and synthetics such as polyester and acrylic. Neither polyester nor polypropylene will absorb the color well. Some fibers will actually prevent the color change you expect. If a carpet has been treated with a stain-resistant coating, it will react differently to the dye. A good industrial grade dye should always be used.