Can you really dye a couch?? Here's what I learned! Rit Fabric Dye Tips/Hacks Painting Faded Sofa

Follow along as we dye this old faded couch!
I was given this old velvet couch that had been faded from decades of sitting in the sun. It was a yellowed mint green color.
#ritdye
Using Rit all purpose fabric dye we completely changed the look of this old couch!
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Instagram: thejoyjourney15
Etsy shop: Set Free Design www.etsy.com/shop/SetFreeDesign
Tags: Diy dyeing a couch, using fabric dye, updating a old couch, furniture flipping, velvet couch, painting a couch, can you paint a couch, can you dye a couch, how to change the color of a couch, Rit fabric dye, spraying fabric dye, updating a couch, Jess&Obie, using fabric dye to makeover a sofa, how to dye a sofa, how to dye a stained chair, I dyed my couch, how to dye an upholstered chair, Rit Dye, diy dyed couch, Rit Dye tips,

[@deanmohamed7575]

Now thats a mom that really loves you. How many times she musta pressed that spray bottle..

[@sherylperier6086]

Hello from the South of France. I was told that white vinegar will neutralize the dye for colorfastness and thus prevent the problems you have had. For cleaning, the French use white vinegar instead of bleach like us Americans. It’s also great for getting water spots and calcium deposits off of your faucets, glass shower surrounds, etc. (Just spray it onto these surfaces.) Thanks for the video.

[@Jennifer_Lewis_Beach_Living]

This is very good advice. I have also learned that adding vinegar in the dye help prevents the color from bleeding, and salt helps the color from fading.

[@Stacief1]

So would you just add vinegar to the mix?

[@aprilwilliams1918]

I’d like to know how too..

[@Mnicole.s]

Using a chalk paint wax will seal it. Using a sanding block will allow you to work the dye deeper into the fabric. Beautiful couch!

[@DIYDumpRat]

Well done turned out great! If you ever do it again try using one of those pressurised bottles with spray wands that people use when spraying their lawns for grubs. You’ll probably get a more even deep finish… and it will save your hand from cramping up 😁👍

[@faithprice4376]

Great job of modernizing quality furniture.

[@StacyKron]

So gorgeous!!!! Love it!

[@GGG.793]

Beautiful job!! You have an amazing mom!! You are lucky to have such a great mom💞thank you for sharing. It looks amazing💞

[@jene1203]

It looks awesome!!

[@k0walsk]

Thank you for this! It looks fantastic, I love the colour combination with the cushions too

[@k0walsk]

By the way, how did you deal with the dye residue?

[@adrianatkinson7665]

Vibrant! Keep it up!

[@madeleinecoleman3876]

Awesome job

[@kimberlychicago7608]

Good video. Thanks for sharing.

[@EethrEatr]

The after is ridiculously cool

[@deborahthatsme]

❤Cheese!😊kids doesn’t get any better! Great job Jess! The couches look beautiful 🤩 oh oh and look ma I’m on TV 😆 thx for the SO & ❤️

[@JessObie]

Thank you!

[@situationroom3090]

Wow 🤩

[@mdhuff1]

Amazing ❤

[@misstrue1000]

Nice!

[@SEVENISTHEMAN7]

I’m going to dye the inside of my white “Men In Black”/“Sleeper” Oval/Egg-Chair and this was amazing. Thank you so much. You Rock!!

[@alanpalmer3090]

I have a white couch I'm thinking of dyeing. How'd this work out?

[@lindaferguson593]

Scotchguard afterwards. Let dry thoroughly.

[@sandrasanders9290]

The couch turned out beautifully and what a nice store about how you received it. I like your new comment section. Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family!

[@JessObie]

Thank you!

[@lezliturowski2805]

I was scrolling for info on changing the color of a fabric headboard and came across your video. I found it to be interesting and truthful on the pros & cons of dying furniture. I’m so glad I watched yours first as it given me a game plan to start my project. And yes … having that home family touch with your son & hubby adds that homey comfort that we seldom see anymore. Love it. ♥️🥰👍🏽

[@JessObie]

So glad that my video could be a inspiration for your project! 😄 Good luck!

[@Eye.Am.Divine]

Yesssss I'm thinking about dying a fabric headboard as well! Glad to know I'm not the only one that thinks of things like that... It means its not impossible. Lol

[@jasmineworsley8911]

did you ever try this on your bed frame? if so, how did it turn out?

[@debraneria4242]

Always a beautiful thing seeing toddlers having fun and Hey Jess I love how you staged the long couch with your Hubby 😂...and I Love the color of the sofas with an awesome back story...I have heard if fabric bleeds you can actually Pop some distilled vinegar and salt into the washer and this should set the Dye..I do know this works like a charm on red clothing and towels when New...hope this Helps stay blessed 🥰👍

[@JessObie]

Thank you for the advice! I'll probably give that a try!

[@debraneria4242]

@@JessObie ❣️❣️

[@jamesp.palamara6388]

Absolutely loved how simple yet through you were in your presentation. Turned out beautifully . Just wondering why, in your incredible home, you have left the walls all bare and white only. It just seems a shame you don’t try out some of the umbra painting techniques on KZbin, or if your a renter, removable wall paper. There are calk paint, and removable wallpaper with kids prints one can colour on, then wipe off promptly. It’s amazing what they have done for interior design solutions, that bring depth and character to any space, in a cheap and easy diy way. Wether renting or owning. I have even brought my removable wall paper from one home to another with amazing affects each time. I’m an interior designer, ( 6th generation of them) so I really know what I’m talking about. And I think you would appreciate that suggestion hugely. So I thought I’d share. Good luck in future projects. And again, thank you and your very humble mother, for your direction in this video. 🙏✨🌈

[@saygosaygo5557]

This turned out great, thanks. I was wondering how I would dye the "body" of the couch

[@katl6320]

Boy your mum sure worked hard on that! 😂

[@elmyra.jackson]

Great job. Maybe placing the cushions in the dryer will help lock in the color.

[@Queenoftheslots74]

Like a idiot I used fabric dye on my suede sofa . I didn’t know you could get dye for suede . So now I’ve gotta buy again !

[@angiemassa7136]

Hi from cutler bay fla when you spray couch did you run it with rag afterwards?? And how long to completely dry and use sofa?? Thank you ❤

[@JessObie]

It took a couple days to dry and I put on a fan to blow on it to help it dry completely. And I can’t remember how long we waited to use it but it wasn’t real long.

[@anthonyjones5965]

Never mind. I just got to that part of the video

[@mojorocketman]

Will it stain your white pants sitting on it?

[@TIEGENIUS]

Please can it get this same product in Abuja Nigeria? I love the finishing touch and looks of it🥰🥰

[@JessObie]

I used Rit fabric dye. It is sold on Amazon and other major retail stores.

[@velmag583]

Did you not rinse them in a washing machine before drying?

[@TheAfruman]

Really nice, where did you get the colours? How did it feel now after a time and is the colour still same? Nor Problems with a wihite shirt on it?

[@JessObie]

I made a custom color with a mixture of dye. The fabric did feel different after dyeing it and it did have some bleeding but not to bad. They do make a color stay product that would prevent any bleeding of the dye but I opted to not use it.

[@paigeymichal-ss2sc]

Sorry if this is asked and answered. Ive read down and if your inclined to answer id love to hear how the bleeding went? I just purchased my first couch BRAND new! It was a big thing for me cause its intended to be in my tiny home and fits the location with additional storage! But. When i purchased online. It looked sage green... Its apple green. Velvet! Id love to mute it and want to use your method? Think i could do so? And resolve the bleeding quickly with your method of cleaning it? Thanks and i hope to hear from you!

[@JessObie]

You could definitely give it a try. I would suggest that you test it out on a small place on the couch that wouldn’t be seen (on the back, if against a wall or on the underside of the cushions.) Rit dye has a color stay product that will prevent it from bleeding. I opted to not use it as I didn’t want to expose my child to chemicals. I did have some bleeding of the dye but it wasn’t a huge problem for me as we didn’t use that couch much. Also I’ll add that the places that were sprayed with the dye had more bleeding than the cushions that were dipped in the dye. Hope that helps! Good luck!

[@owenboller532]

Great vid! Why didn't you make one huge batch and use it for the whole couch vs smaller batches for each cushion?

[@JessObie]

The water needed to be hot so doing it a couple cushion covers at a time was the best option.

[@Sean-ws9je]

Disinfect It First❤

[@JessObie]

I cleaned it was an upholstery cleaner and washed the cushion covers.

[@donswords6671]

Looking to dye a "Swopper" stool suede cover black, like the other one I have. I worry about stains after. Has that been an issue or is the color locked in? (I must say Obie is one lucky fellow. You are beautiful!)

[@JessObie]

I did have some issues with the dye bleeding but they have a Color stay product that would lock it in. I opted to not use it as I was concerned about the chemicals and didn’t want to expose my child to it.

[@donswords6671]

@@JessObie Yeah there are enough chemicals around but I might try it as it's just me and a pair of jeans. Thanks!

[@elenascott081]

I would think that once the color stay stuff dries it would be safe , im sure the dye is full of chemicals and since its visible on the hands when touched, i would think the color stay product would make it safer ????

[@mar4236]

Spray with a 1:1 mixture of vinegar and water.

[@steeno5257]

What if you spill on it once its been dyed? Does it rub off onto your clothes? Can you shampoo your couch in the future if need be without all the dye getting sucked away? Just wondering

[@JessObie]

As I mentioned in the video, where it was sprayed on, it did have some bleeding of the dye but the colorstay product that Rit makes would have taken care of that. As I mentioned, I didn’t use it because I have a toddler and didn’t want to expose him to the chemicals. As for cleaning it, I haven’t shampooed it since dyeing it so I’m not sure how it would take it. Thank you for watching!

[@candifluffbottom1712]

I have the same question but there are no replies to the questions.

[@Tayra696]

Was the couch in alcantara? Im trying to find a way to recolour my couch but it's alcantara and I can't use most stuff on it

[@JessObie]

My couch fabric was velvet. I’m not sure on what could be used on alcantara.

[@kfalco2406]

My mother always used salt in the rinse to "fix"" the dye.

[@debblouin]

I have a red microfiber sofa. Do you know what I can expect?

[@JessObie]

I’m not sure how microfiber would do but I’d recommend trying it out on a small inconspicuous place first.

[@lindaferguson593]

Could you have used your carpet cleaner to dye the attached fabric of the sofa?

[@charlotteoverall385]

Ooo good idea.

[@jammijam_]

Did you shampoo it after? How to prevent the dye from bleeding on peoples clothes?

[@JessObie]

No, I didn’t wash it after. There was some bleeding of the dye but mostly in the areas that were sprayed on. The cushions that were soaked in the dye didn’t have much bleeding at all.

[@tony.hunny.bunny.69]

Does the bleeding stop after a certain amount of days with the spray method of dyeing?

[@JessObie]

That’s a great question. I’m not sure if it stops after a while or not. As I mentioned in the video, I could have used Rits color stay product to prevent any more bleeding but with a toddler I didn’t feel comfortable with the exposure to chemicals.

[@tony.hunny.bunny.69]

@@JessObie my question is, are you still using the couch and if so is it still bleeding?

[@JessObie]

@@tony.hunny.bunny.69 I ended up selling the couch because I got a new one that fit better in my living room.

[@franceskeith4934]

if you sit on it can stain your clothes but looks goog i used the dye many times

[@ginastrati4937]

Have you thought about using a paint spray gun instead of a manual? Goes on faster and more even.

[@teddyhose]

Looks great! I am planning to dye my couch and so far have tested the dye on an old towel. I'm not sure how much you know about these things, but I'm using Procion MX dye mixed with soda ash per the employee at the art supply store's recommendation (plus salt per additional research), and when I tested on the towel it dried kind of stiff. Was there stiffness in the fabric at all for your couch? If so, did you soften it with some kind of solution?

[@JessObie]

You could try out different kinds of dyes to see what would work best for your fabric. After dyeing my velvet couch the fabric felt different but it wasn’t real stiff.

[@teddyhose]

@@JessObie Thanks :) I actually took a sanding sponge to it like most people online recommended, and that did the trick just fine.

[@Owa24]

Do you think you could dye carpet plus change black curtains to grey

[@JessObie]

We have used Rit fabric dye to change the color of the carpet in our camper. It was a mint green color and we dyed it gray. It worked great and has held up extremely well.

[@Owa24]

@@JessObie cause our carpet like red and cream and want to go grey you think it would cover it thanks for replying

[@beverlywinder8230]

Us older parents know how to do this. I still dye large items. Young ppl would have bought a new couch

[@beatricesanders4946]

When it dries and you brought it inside.. did it stain anyone's cloths when they sat on it? Like did it smear onto anyone's cloths??

[@JessObie]

As I mentioned in the video, it did have some bleeding in the places that it was sprayed on. Rit sells a “color stay” that would stop any bleeding but I didn’t want to use it as I have a toddler and didn’t want to expose him to the chemicals. Thank you for watching!

[@yahdahyahschosen5583]

Awesome! I have a couch to dye. Question: did washing the cushion cases help with the bleeding?

[@JessObie]

I actually never got around to washing them again. 😬 But the other couch that I dyed and didn’t spray the dye onto the cushions but dipped them, it didn’t have any trouble with bleeding.

[@tony.hunny.bunny.69]

So is that couch just not able to be sat on then? 😆

[@nikithenoob8039]

Does it feel rubbery like when you use paint ?

[@JessObie]

No, the only texture change was the velvet getting a little stiff.

[@sifridbassoon]

all the videos I have looked at say to determine the ratios between the various colors and then to add them to hot/boiling water, but nobody says what the proportions between the how much water for a particular amount of dye. Help?

[@JessObie]

You will have to consult the directions on the dye. They have the proportion amounts in the directions.

[@sifridbassoon]

@@JessObie I thought I looked there and didn't see anything. But I'll look again. Thx.

[@candycane5077]

You can use a air compressor with air gun with the rit dye , that’s why I went on here to see if dying a couch with rit dye was doable

[@fgbraz]

does it stain if gets wet or stain clothes?

[@JessObie]

I did have some issues with the dye bleeding but they have a Color stay product that would lock it in. I opted to not use it as I was concerned about the chemicals and didn’t want to expose my child to it.

[@bandolero6968]

Hey what kind of carpet cleaner is that !!?

[@JessObie]

It is a Bissell Big Green Machine.

[@scottiepotter6777]

It says not to wash bc they want us to go out and buy a new one every time they get duty true

[@thesummerland6165]

Can you dye a microsuede couch

[@JessObie]

I’m not sure but you could test it on a obscure area and see how it does.

[@abefroman7855]

Add a cup of salt to RIT dye baths for more even dyeing and better colorfastness.

[@candifluffbottom1712]

I left a comment I want to remove because I didn't see the responses. But I can't find a comment. Anyway I made a comment earlier about no responses. Please disregard and my apologies.

[@anthonyjones5965]

Does it ever get on ur clothing ?

[@iamdacrazydimples]

I was wondering the same.

[@221b-Maker-Street]

Vinegar helps set it if you mix it in with the dye.

[@cocolola007]

@@221b-Maker-Street would the dye work on patio fabrics?

[@AM-xo7lr]

Unfortunately, using fabric dye as if it were a fabric paint will never be successful for a project such as this. Dye must be fixed to the textile fibres, usually with a combination of time, heat, and sometimes another chemical such as salt, and then the textile must be rinsed through to remove all unfixed dye before it can be used. Here, the sofas have been essentially 'painted' with dye, but not fixed or rinsed. The project will NEVER be colour-fast, and any moisture will cause bleeding of the unfixed dye onto clothes, skin and anything else it comes into contact with. A spill onto the sofa that drips onto the floor could stain that too. The cost of all the items ruined will far outweigh the cost of the dye.

[@KH-hc6sy]

Yes, exactly

[@wooblebloom1]

Looks good but sounds like it’s gonna come off on clothes so not really a fix

[@Klutzy68]

It looks nice, but I sure wouldn’t sit on it.

[@KH-hc6sy]

You need to rinse the entire couch. You literally sprayed the dye and just left it there. Yiu wanted to stain it, so give it a rinse.

[@sarahkpeck]

You didn't rinse out the dye at all? Typically with RIT dye you soak it and then rinse it and run it under water for a long time until it runs clear -- I imagine the couch will dye people's clothes and hands until you're able to rinse it clear.

[@JessObie]

No, I just let the covers air dry and didn’t have much issues with the dye bleeding. The areas that were sprayed with the dye did have bleeding of the dye. There is a color stay product that can be used to lock the dye in and prevent bleeding.

[@amaninasr12]

😂 it is two different sofa the white old one is curves' arms and lower arms this misleading

[@JessObie]

The “curve arms” you’re talking about were just pillows on the couch. I didn’t like the pillows so I didn’t put them back on after I dyed the couch. I think it’s hilarious that you would think I’d try to mislead anyone!

[@Steven-gl4cw]

Aah she didn't video the dye process. So did she really do it or was the sofa always that colour? Is she a sales rep for the company that makes the dye? The plot thickens. I don't even know how eggs came into this!!! I won't use eggs on my sofa!!! She's a egg sales representative too. Many fingers in my pies 🥧. She could sell snow to Eskimos.

[@stumpy1703]

She literally shows how she dyed it! Dipped the cushions in a bucket and sprayed the dye onto the couch frame. You must not have watched the video.