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Ideas & Advice > Rug Size Guide > How to Dye a Rug

Rug Size Guides

How to Dye a Rug

When you’re tired of your rug, you’ll likely consider buying a new rug. But one underappreciated option is the possibility to dye your rug. No, it’s not an overly expensive or complicated process: it’s fairly simple and the end results can be stunning. However, when you do decide to dye your rug, it’s important to take the proper steps to achieve your desired results.

Learn More About Rug Dyeing

  1. Why You Should Dye Your Rug
  2. What Rugs Can be Dyed
  3. Preparing the Rug
  4. Choosing the Right Dye
  5. Dyeing Techniques
  6. Dyeing Process
  7. Post-Dyeing Care

Why You Should Dye Your Rug

Dyeing your rug is a great way to give it a facelift to fit a new color palette or style. You can do this to a rug that you’ve owned for years, or you can dye a rug you recovered from a thrift store. Dyeing rugs is a great way to personalize your room’s decor and present your artistic flair. Whenever you DIY any decor in your home, you can take pride in the work and artistry you’ve poured into your home’s aesthetic and create a one of a kind space.

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Queen Size Runner Rug

What Rugs Can be Dyed

Only certain materials are dye-friendly. Wool and nylon are two materials that can naturally take in the dye and hold it without the dye running and staining your flooring, nearby furniture, or anything that comes in contact with the rug. You may be tempted to dye other materials like cotton, polyester, or polypropylene, but these materials will not react positively to the dye and you’ll wind up with a mess and a ruined rug.

Choosing the Right Dye

Even if your rug material can be dyed, it’s still important to carefully choose the right dye. Fabric dyes and textile dyes are two popular options that are compatible with rugs and carpets. Dyes come in different forms like powdered dyes that are mixed with water. This also gives you the freedom to create your own color, since diluting the mixture with more water will soften the color while more powder will result in a darker dye. There’s also the matter of how you’ll dye your rug. Continue on for the specific steps in dyeing the rug to see which dye solution may be best for your method.

Round rug for queen size bed

Preparing the Rug

Before you start anything, it is absolutely paramount that you clean your rug thoroughly. Shake/beat out any dirt, vacuum it thoroughly, and treat any stains. Any lingering dirt and stains will impact how well the rug can absorb the dye, so a good, thorough cleaning cannot be skipped over. Along with that, you should prepare the rug’s fibers so that they will absorb the dye better. Dampening the rug or using a pre-dye treatment solution will help prepare the rug for the dyeing process.

Queen Size Runner Rug

Dyeing Techniques

There are multiple ways to dye rugs, and your preferred method will depend on the space you have, how large the rug is, and what end result you’re looking for. 

Submersion Dyeing: Submersion dyeing is the process of soaking the entire rug in a dye bath or large container. This method will help you evenly soak the rug and distribute the dye so that it has a cleaner, more consistent color at the end. 

Spot Dyeing: Spot dyeing is specifically applying the dye to certain portions of the rug. The most common way to spot dye a rug is to use a brush or sponge to apply the dye to the rug in creative designs and patterns. 

Spray Dyeing: Spray dyeing is used for over dyeing rugs and creating an ombre or uneven gradient effect. With this method, you’ll use a spray bottle or an airbrush to apply the dye in a fine mist.

Dyeing Process

The dyeing process is fairly easy, but it’s still essential to follow the instructions to ensure that you’ll successfully dye your rug. 

Mixing the Dye: Whether this is your first rug or your fiftieth, it’s important to follow the manufacturer’s instructions when it comes to preparing the dye. If it is a powdered solution that is mixed with water, the instructions will likely come with recommendations of different dye to water ratios to help you create your ideal tone. 

Applying the Dye: Apply the dye with whatever method you decided to follow, whether that is submersion, spot dyeing, or spray dyeing. Wherever you do this task, be sure that you have plenty of room to maneuver the rug and be sure that nothing else could accidentally be sprayed or dyed with the mixture. To avoid dyeing your hands, wear a pair of plastic gloves, even if you’re using a more “hands off” method like spraying. It is far better to be safe than sorry when it comes to working with strong dyes. 

Setting the Dye: After you’ve applied your dye and are satisfied with the rug, it’s vital to set the dye. This will improve the rug’s color fastness, or its ability to hold the dye without fading or spreading it to anything that it touches. Steam setting and heat setting are two methods that can be used to help the dye adhere to the rug’s fibers. 

Round rug for queen size bed

Post-Dyeing Care

Once the dyeing and setting process is complete, there are still a few steps to take to take care of the rug. The first step is to rinse your rug extremely thoroughly. If you do not wash out the excess dye, then the rug is more likely to stain anything that it comes in contact with. The next step is to allow your rug to completely dry. During this phase, avoid excessive exposure to sunlight and heat. Otherwise, the rug’s colors may fade. One more final step is to apply a scotch-guard spray to your rug to encourage it to hold its dye. You may also want to use a rug pad beneath the rug in order to protect the floor from any dye that may not have been thoroughly rinsed from the rug.


Dyeing a rug can help you create a one of a kind accent for any room of your home. Whether you’re dyeing a bathroom rug, a large living room rug, or another fabric, it is important to take the proper steps and precautions to achieve your desired results. There’s a lot to take in when it comes to dyeing rugs, but with the proper knowledge and technique, you can create your ideal area rug.

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