Stained and Faded Before and a Brand New Color Change After Carpet Dyeing

Did you know most existing carpeting in homes,  including Oriental rugs, can be dyed? Well, actually re-dyed onsite. Existing faded and stained color can be restored to original beauty or color completely changed to a brand new color. Many homeowners will be sprucing up their home this spring, whether to place it on the market for resale, to remodel, redecorate, or simply do a thorough spring cleaning. The most noticeable casualty of a "lived-in" home is often the appearance of the carpet. Eventually, all carpets develop problems, whether the issue is ugly matted traffic patterns, food stains or pet stains, sun fading, chemical spills, or bleach spots.

All carpet fades (loses color) over time. Typically 2% to 8% annually. Repeated cleaning often does not help. In fact, cleanings done too often can accelerate the aged appearance of a carpet and fading. Carpet cleaning may not remove stubborn stains, or the stains and high traffic patterns return soon after the carpet cleaners have gone. Even the best carpet cleaning cannot successfully address the issue of fading, chemical spills, or bleach spots. Eventually traffic patterns and matting just get worse. Many homeowners think that their carpet needs to be replaced simply because it's unsightly from the discolorations or matted down. New carpet seems to be the only solution. Only if the carpet is not structurally intact (threadbare in large areas, or torn in many places or burnt in large areas) is buying new carpet the only alternative.

Why Dye Carpet?

Some homeowners are dissatisfied with outdated colors, and prefer to dye their carpet to achieve a totally new color scheme. Others are unhappy because they are tired of the color, or it is incompatible with their decor. Many homeowners become frustrated with their attempts to keep their carpet clean (often a color choice which was recommended by a decorator or homebuilder, as a "safe neutral choice, good for resale value", but which proves to be too light, and therefore nearly impossible to maintain). Others are convinced that their carpet appears to be worn out. But "worn out" is perceived wrongfully because of the matted down and faded areas - which seems like fiber loss, but there are seldom missing fibers, the matted areas can almost always be "fluffed" back up once properly cleaned and groomed.

Actually, most residential carpet does not wear out, it simply "uglies out." Carpet dyeing can make your carpet look like new by restoring, protecting and preserving the beauty, color and life of your carpet. Carpet dyeing, should only be performed by a professional with  expertise in carpet dyeing. Such an expert can restore an existing color, achieve a slight color change, or create an exciting new color by color restoration, tone/tint, color matching, true dyeing via color change, or spot dyeing. Patterned, multicolored, or sculptured carpet can also be successfully dyed, as well as virtually all Oriental rugs.

When Not to Dye

Although less than 10% of all carpets and rugs cannot be dyed successfully due to inferior fiber composition, such as the low end types made of polypropylene (Olefin) or polyester,  the remainder of the carpets today are excellent candidates candidates for re-dyeing. All carpet made of Nylon and/or wool are able to be re-dyed. But dark carpets cannot be made lighter.

Carpet Dyeing Saves Money For Homeowners

Expert carpet dyeing can save a homeowner a great deal of money, as the cost is from 50% to 80% less expensive than the cost of premature carpet replacement, depending on the grade and condition of the carpet.  In a home that has 1500 square feet of carpeted area, the cost of replacing the carpet with a medium grade may cost $8,000. Redyeing the existing carpet could cost $2,000 or less, thus realizing a savings of $6,000, (75% less than new carpet). Spot dyeing is very economical and can save a precious rug or patterned carpet from being discarded. To restore elaborate designs, a needle tipped syringe, a handheld spray container, or a special air gun and pen is filled to apply the specific color of proprietary dyes.

Questions to Ask Before Selecting a Carpet Dyer

There are only a few dozen full-time carpet dyeing specialists in the USA, with only a handful who are Certified Dye Masters and Colorists. Carpet dyeing is an art and requires extensive academic and technical training. Suffice it to say that "a savvy consumer would not take their car to a car wash to have it painted." When searching for companies who do carpet dyeing, it would be wise to ask the following questions:

• Is carpet dyeing the primary focus of their business?
• Are the technicians who will be actually performing the work Certified in carpet dyeing?
• Is the training and credentials of their technical staff specifically in carpet dyeing techniques?
• Do they provide bonded and insured staff who will perform the work on your property?
• Are the dyes guaranteed to be permanent and colorfast for the life of the carpet?
• Are they able to achieve exact color matching? Will they perform a sample demonstration?
• Do they have a portfolio of letters of reference and endorsements?
• Are you provided with Materials Safety Data Sheets to prove the safety of chemicals?
• Are they able to attain even coloring and color matches by providing samples?
• Are liability limits and complete job description written clearly on the contract?
• Do they provide a written guarantee to attest to the workmanship and the quality of work? 
• Do they use liquid dyes as opposed to powder dyes? (Liquid dyes do not leave a powdery residue behind) Will the dyes leave any kind of residue?
• Do they provide an after job follow up within 30 days after the work is completed?
  

Very few carpet cleaners are proficient in the science of tough stain removal. Most stubborn stains even if removed by a carpet cleaner will result in removing original carpet color too. And, they can't put the color back! Only an expert carpet dyer should be called to remove stubborn stains because they can often remove the stain without taking additional color from the carpet. Or if original color has to be removed to eradicate the stain completely, then the carpet dyer can match and restore the original color.

Caution: There are a very small number of carpet cleaners who claim to be able to dye. But, their business is really carpet cleaning, not carpet dyeing. Consequently, any of the few carpet cleaners who profess to be able to dye, do so as a very small part of their business. Which should lead you to the obvious conclusion they are not and cannot be considered as "carpet dyers". Be sure that you check references and have a sample or demonstration done before you engage carpet dyeing services.