From Amusing to Advanced: New Ideas for Cleaning

A carpet is an invaluable investment to have when it comes to enhancing your home's interior décor and insulating your indoor environment. While carpets are meant to last, they can discolour with time due to excessive sun exposure, spills, or even pet mishaps. Fortunately, you can restore your discoloured carpet by dyeing it. Dyeing your faded carpet can be a rewarding experience because it is a simple and cost-effective alternative to buying a new carpet. However, before you get too excited about what carpet dyeing has to offer, you need to know a few things about the project to avoid costly mistakes. To get the most out of your DIY carpet dyeing project, here are some key things you need to have in mind. 

Determine If Your Carpet Can Actually Take Dye

Not all types of carpet fibre are dyeable. Generally, nylon and wool are the types of carpet fibre that can be dyed. If you are unsure about the kind of carpet you have, you can perform a little carpet dye test. For this test, you need to cut a swatch of the carpet from an inconspicuous spot such as the corners and set it alight carefully. If your carpet is made of nylon, it will melt and form a hard plastic-like bead. This will happen as it curls up and solidify and may produce a celery smell as it burns. Wool, on the other hand, will burn slowly with a burning hair smell and leave dark ashes once burnt. If you still feel that your results are inconclusive, you can get a professional to test the carpet. 

Preparation Is a Must

Once you ascertain that your carpet is dyeable, the next step is to prep it. You need to clean it thoroughly. You can shampoo it or use a vacuum cleaner and steam cleaner. Cleaning is crucial because a dirty carpet won't absorb the dye efficiently. If you shampoo it, allow it to dry first before you proceed. However, it doesn't have to be completely dry, so you can use sponges or paper towels to pad it to dryness. 

Be Careful With The Dye You Choose

Carpet dyes are available in different colours. As a general rule of the thumb, you need to go for shades that are darker than the previous one for the best results. If your carpet has heavy stains, you need a dye with a darker colour than the stains to conceal them. The colour you intend to achieve at the end of the project also matters. For instance, if your carpet is blue and you need it to be purple, use a red dye.