Experience with carpet/interior dyes?

I can't for the life of me find the thread I am thinking of, but someone with an E30 used some carpet dye to turn a beat tan carpet black. I don't need to do anything that drastic, I just need to make my 944's hatch carpet black again.

Any folks doing a build or restoration have experience? Does it work, or will it just look like spray painted carpeting? I would just replace it, but I'd rather spend that $ on suspension upgrades.

That would be me! Carpet stuff is on page 3 of my build thread here: http://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/build-projects-and-project-cars/the-ugly-e30/50113/page3/

a ha! Thank you Tom, that is what I was looking for. So you liked the results? The good thing I have going is that it's already black, but it's such a wide area of carpet that I just want to make sure it comes out even.

I used the spray stuff on black carpet to cover up some faded spots. Worked out ok, dried pretty stiff and crusty, but it has held up.

For the floor mats I had, which were tan and brown, I scrubbed, then shampoo'd well with purple power and a rug doctor. I got a big storage tub, boiled a couple pots of hot water, added some hot water from the tap, put a couple of packets of RIT black dye, a packet of UV protectant and I think it was laundry detergent (whatever the directions on the dye said) and soaked them, agitating every now and then, pretty much left them till the water was cold. Rinsed them off and sun dried. They're black, even and held up for 2 years now.

Did my cousin's and his wife's floormats, Miata ones were faded black, we bleached and dyed royal blue, Rav4 ones we bleached and dyed pink. Still holding up as well.

I recently sprayed a 944 rear hatch carpet black and it turned out great! It was REALLY faded, like almost to the point of looking light blue in places. I used the $8 spray can from autozone for carpet. I don't remember the brand or anything, but I used the whole can on the rear carpet and the side carpet pieces.

If you can find it, I recall SEM being a pretty good product.

I think this was the one I used.

16vCorey wrote: I think this was the one I used.

That's what I used, too.

I didn't bother with the spray for my carpets. I just bought some regular RIT fabric dye from Joanne fabrics. After vacuming and running the carpet through the washing machine I chucked the carpets in the bath tub. Filled it with hot water, added two bottles of RIT then stired it up and left it. Worked perfectly.

Adrian_Thompson wrote: I didn't bother with the spray for my carpets. I just bought some regular RIT fabric dye from Joanne fabrics. After vacuming and running the carpet through the washing machine I chucked the carpets in the bath tub. Filled it with hot water, added two bottles of RIT then stired it up and left it. Worked perfectly.

Purple to match your seats?

Adrian_Thompson wrote: I didn't bother with the spray for my carpets. I just bought some regular RIT fabric dye from Joanne fabrics. After vacuming and running the carpet through the washing machine I chucked the carpets in the bath tub. Filled it with hot water, added two bottles of RIT then stired it up and left it. Worked perfectly.

It didn't stain your bathtub?

This is kind of a long thread, but it is germane to your desired information. I haven't made it all the way through yet, but was looking specifically for recommendations on refinishing some of the plastic-y interior parts on my BMW. He also dyed his carpets.

http://forum.e46fanatics.com/showthread.php?t=725670

I can't seem to find a decent carpet dye these days. They all seem to fade after some sun exposure. Maybe I should dye them again then tint my windows.

I got some crappy spray bomb dye in 2000 for my mismatched vinyl interior. The red started showing through the black after something like two weeks. I had red asscheek marks to match the black dye marks on my friends asses. I won't do that again on something I plan to sit on. The doorcards were a similar failure, but there are probably better products out there.

Maybe I should dye them again then tint my windows.

In Texas there is no good interior ANYTHING that will survive untinted windows. Window tint down here is 80% to keep you from frying and 20% to keep your interior from turning to E36 M3.

I took a sample of my interior to Just Dashes and they matched the color with some interior vinyl dye. It seemed really cheap when I sprayed it, but three years in the SoCal sun and some cargo abuse didn't seem to affect it. It sprayed on like a high-build paint. I expected it to be a dye, but it was more of an overcoating.

berkeleying expensive though

I'm itching to try a cheaper version like duplicolor.

Tom_Spangler wrote:

Adrian_Thompson wrote: I didn't bother with the spray for my carpets. I just bought some regular RIT fabric dye from Joanne fabrics. After vacuming and running the carpet through the washing machine I chucked the carpets in the bath tub. Filled it with hot water, added two bottles of RIT then stired it up and left it. Worked perfectly.

Purple to match your seats?

La la la I can't hear you

Tom_Spangler wrote:

Adrian_Thompson wrote: I didn't bother with the spray for my carpets. I just bought some regular RIT fabric dye from Joanne fabrics. After vacuming and running the carpet through the washing machine I chucked the carpets in the bath tub. Filled it with hot water, added two bottles of RIT then stired it up and left it. Worked perfectly.

Purple to match your seats?

The price was very right for those purple seats, sir.

Powar wrote: The price was very right for those purple seats, sir.

It was, but with all this ribbing I think you should have paid me for the pain!!!