Can I use a fabric dye (RIT), and just paint it on the 3quot; wide border? Want to change from present light blue to dark brown.jackie
I have worked with Rit dyes quite frequently and although they are good dies for natural fibers, I am not sure painting a boarder will net the results you desire. First of all, the dye has to be mixed with salt. Because you will not be able to rinse and spin the dye out of he rug, that salt will just remain in your rug when the dye has dried. This may leave salt crystals in your rug along with making it quite stiff. And,because the dye is wet, it will certainly bleed outside of the boarders of the rug. Another problem is the dye bleeding onto the floor causing permanent damage. Even if you can jump over these obstacles, the dye will remain in the rug, full strength because it can not be rinsed and spun out, so it can easily transfer the color from the rug to your shoes to other areas of the house. And, heaven forbid, if the rug gets wet at a later date it will reactivate the dye and boy I will hear you cursing from here. So, you see, using this type of dying process is really full of challenges and there is too much to go wrong so I do not think it is worth the risk. However, there may be other dyes I am unaware of. Do an internet search on dyes and also rug dying to get some helpful hints and possible products that will net you the results you are after. I have lots of resources that I will check on and edit my answer if I get more information.
