carpet ... dye-removal emergency!

C

chris0626

New member
Some of you may recall that, in addition to the beautiful (to me) white '75 Jag coupe, I have a red '75 coupe. We're treating it as the "beater." I'm in a sort of Felix-and-Oscar relationship. I'm Felix: spend more time studying a problem than solving it. My partner in crime is Oscar: jumps in without study and sometimes without much thought. So ... the red Jag has tawny/beige carpets, which are threadbare in a couple of places. So yesterday afternoon, Oscar jumps in there with RIT dye, and slathers it all over the carpets. YEEEEEEEEOOOOOOWWWWWW!! :scared The results are truly hideous. Looks like somebody smeared a dirty brown baby diaper all over the carpets, with tons of streaking.



OK: to the question. We've agreed it would be nice [BIG understatement!] if we could get that dye off. It's been on for under 24 hours, and it's been humid here. I have EFHI (don't think that will work) and Megs APC+. APC+ suggests 20:1 for cloth upholstery, 12:1 for carpets. Do you think APC will make a dent in this dye? And, if so, what strength would you recommend? Oh, and we also have a wet-vac on hand, so extraction should not be a problem.



Tried searching before posting. Other similar problems have related to coffee, red kool-aid, etc. Didn't find anything that sounded quite like this. But if you refer me to another relevant post, that'll be great too.



I'd really like to do this soon! .... But am also prepared for the sad news that replacing the carpets may be the only acceptable solution.
 
You will have to the research the makeup of the dye to determine the best course of action, some are removeable and some are not. Some are water based (easier to remove), some are solvent/chemical based (ehhhh, you ain't gonna remove this ;) ). The majority of carpet dyes are "Permanent", so be prepared to buy new carpeting. :(



I'd throw a mild solution at it first and get stronger as you go. Chances are the carpet is toast anyway.
 
Lynn,



I hate to tell you this, but you're not going to remove the dye. The best thing to do is to have it professionally done in a darker color. Most carpet pros use a spray system that will permanently change the color.



Sorry for the bad news... this is a good learning experience. Tell Oscar a little more investigation would save tons of grief!



db
 
Thanks, SRL and David.



David, you need to add a smiley[NOT!]/icon for holding one's head in one's hands, weeping inconsolably! :(
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top