F.A.Q. & Videos

Americolor Dyes are professional grade, permanent dyes. They are for use on Nylon and Wool rugs only. (Silk fabrics are also dye-able)

If your carpet fibers turn to a yellow or white color when it is bleached then you have nylon or wool carpet. If you do not currently have any bleach spots then run a test by collecting a few face fibers ( or tufts) and putting in shallow bowl of bleach overnight ( at least 12 hours). If the tufts turn yellow or white ( or disappear completely) you have nylon or wool carpet and you can proceed with dyeing. If the tufts do not turn color or turn pink or purple, you do not have dyeable carpet and should not proceed with carpet dyes.

YES, it is permanent dye. It will stain almost anything it touches.

No. As long as you follow the directions and do not apply more than 2 oz of carpet dye per gallon, it will not change the texture of your carpet.

Getting a professional is always a great idea because they have more experience with dyes then you. Additionally some dyeing projects are harder than others and need a professional touch. However, if you are dealing with a smaller and easier dye project, you are a DIY’er or do not have a dyer in your area; then try carpet dyes.

Dyes are not like paints. Dyes are translucent and cannot cover up any darker colors that are underneath. Therefore if you have beige carpet with a black stain, using beige dye will not cover up your stain. The only way to fix a black stain on a beige carpet , with dye, is to dye your entire carpet black.

In a way, Yes. Most carpet manufacturers’ warranties are void if bleach is spilled on the carpet. The only options you have to fix a bleach spot are the following ( and we suggest option 3 ).

1. Replacement of Carpet (costly, not environmentally friendly)

2. “Cut and Plug” or “patch” (not the best option if there are multiple little drops of bleach or you do not have extra carpet to replace it with)

3. Dye your carpet with permanent and professional carpet dye (ding, ding! We sell that!)

YES! Bleach Neutralizer stops the chlorine from reactivating in your carpet. If you do not use this product then your bleach stain will come right back after your beautifully done dye job is complete.

PS- there is no household remedy for bleach neutralizer like using vinegar; this simply will not work.

Unfortunately we cannot guarantee that you will purchase the exact “right” color for your carpet but we can help narrow the choice down.

We suggest buying one color that you think is the color of your carpet, one that is lighter and one that is darker. This gives a variety of choices and the ability to mix the dye colors on your carpet. We never suggesting only buying one color dye pen.

The most popular color carpet these days is “Beige”. Unfortunately this is also one of the hardest bleach spots to fix. The first thing to discover is whether your carpet truly is Beige. It could be Tan or Taupe which are just as popular. These 3 colors are all very similar but the deciding factor between the 3 is the underlying hue beneath.

Beige has an underlying hue of  pink.

Tan has an underlying hue of yellow.

Taupe has an underlying hue of gray.

Light gray color is often added to carpets so less dirt is shown. This means that if there is a fair amount of gray in your carpet , adding a light gray pen ( and using a small amount ) can be extremely beneficial. Watch video to learn more:

If you chose the right color dye pens then your carpet will look better, NOT PERFECT. Generally the more colors you have on a dye job the better your results will be. Additionally an artistic sense and the ability to see the full color spectrum (ie: not being colorblind) are extremely helpful when working with dye pens.

Yes, Heat dye to a minimum of 140 F. Cold dye will not react properly to fibers and therefore will not have the same longevity as hot dye. Reheat as necessary in microwave or on stovetop.

1) Test to make sure the carpet is Nylon or Wool.

2) Watch the Full Room Dye Video and peruse instructions.

3) Measure the area to be dyed.

4) Buy dye and chemical needed.

5) Gather equipment ( rake from janitorial supply store, sprayer that sprays evenly, towels, helper, source for very hot water, extractor or carpet cleaning machine to extract excess dye).

6) Reread instructions.

7) Clean carpets

8) Follow instructions and dye your carpet.

Proper chemicals are imperative for dye jobs large or small. Use Dye Set Penetrant & pH Stabilizer ( or One Step Dye Prep) in your dye bath.

How many sq feet are you trying to cover? See graph below:

Disclaimer : This graph shows examples of going from same color to same color on medium density carpet. Avoid running out of dye mid dye job because doing so can lead to color differentials.

Use 1 oz. of Dye Set Penetrant and 1 oz. pH stabilizer per gallon of dye bath. The pH of the carpet should be 4 or below. Use 1 oz pH adjuster per gallon to lower pH points.

Carpet Dyes can only dye colors darker, never lighter. Also, you are always going to be dealing with the original color underneath the new coat of dye. It is usually best to stay within the same color family as the original carpet color ( for example sky blue to royal blue or medium gray. Not sky blue to medium brown) Bigger color conversions ( example: sky blue to dark gray) will require more applications of dye, will be more challenging to get penetration into the depth of the fibers and will not hide overlapping mistakes as easily.

There is no way to 100% know the exact color that you dye job will turn out unless you run a test sample on your carpet.