Easy and cheap way to change your carpet's color (writeup + pics)
07-03-2004, 03:44 PM
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Easy and cheap way to change your carpet's color (writeup + pics)
I actually did this a while ago but I had to wait for my trial status to go away before I could share this. Hopefully this will help people who are looking to do something similar.
I love my car ('97 Integra) but the carpets were just god awful. Here's a before picture of the passenger side:
Pretty dirty, and that's one of the cleaner sections. With about $10 and about an hour later I ended up with this:
I picked up one bottle of black liquid RIT dye for around $4. One bottle is all you need, I got mine at Safeway. You also need a spray bottle, a nylon scrubbing brush, and some latex gloves so your hands don't get dyed during the process. Mix the liquid dye and water into the bottle, I used a ratio of 1/4 cup of dye to 2 cups of water. Then just spray the solution straight on to your carpet and follow up with a few brushes from the scrubber to really work the dye into the fibres. I did this for my entire interior and it looks really great. It hid every stain and now it looks factory fresh. There's no funky smell to the dye either and dries pretty quickly (mine was bone dry in less than two hours).
That's all I did to get my results. Of course nothing beats getting new molded carpet in the color of your choice, but I'm poor and lazy.
One more note, this method probably is not the best for drastic color changes or from going dark to light. In that case definitely go for new carpeting. In my case I just wanted to hide some stains, so black was perfect.
** edit: geocities wasn't letting me post images, but i think i got that fixed now **
I love my car ('97 Integra) but the carpets were just god awful. Here's a before picture of the passenger side:
Pretty dirty, and that's one of the cleaner sections. With about $10 and about an hour later I ended up with this:
I picked up one bottle of black liquid RIT dye for around $4. One bottle is all you need, I got mine at Safeway. You also need a spray bottle, a nylon scrubbing brush, and some latex gloves so your hands don't get dyed during the process. Mix the liquid dye and water into the bottle, I used a ratio of 1/4 cup of dye to 2 cups of water. Then just spray the solution straight on to your carpet and follow up with a few brushes from the scrubber to really work the dye into the fibres. I did this for my entire interior and it looks really great. It hid every stain and now it looks factory fresh. There's no funky smell to the dye either and dries pretty quickly (mine was bone dry in less than two hours).
That's all I did to get my results. Of course nothing beats getting new molded carpet in the color of your choice, but I'm poor and lazy.
One more note, this method probably is not the best for drastic color changes or from going dark to light. In that case definitely go for new carpeting. In my case I just wanted to hide some stains, so black was perfect.
** edit: geocities wasn't letting me post images, but i think i got that fixed now **
07-03-2004, 03:49 PM
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Re: Easy and cheap way to change your carpet's color (dellanooch)
thats funny cause i was thinking of doing the exact same thing! haha. but i was going to remove the carpet.. dye it.. let it sit.. and hose it off to get the dye outta the carpet. then carpet cleanr to suck the remaining water out.. i was just curious what it would look like.
i have light grey carpet so it should dye black easily
show some pics!
i have light grey carpet so it should dye black easily
show some pics!
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07-03-2004, 04:50 PM
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Re: (jdmsiR20)
<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by jdmsiR20 »</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">wow!!! no issues of rubbing off or anything?? this is great </TD></TR></TABLE>
As long as you don't oversaturate your carpet you won't get any. I myself got a little spray happy, so there is slight, slight, SLIGHT rub off. And that's only if you lick your finger wet and rub pretty harshly, and I was doing that when the dye had only been in for a few hours. So considering that there's virtually no rub off.
</TD></TR></TABLE>As long as you don't oversaturate your carpet you won't get any. I myself got a little spray happy, so there is slight, slight, SLIGHT rub off. And that's only if you lick your finger wet and rub pretty harshly, and I was doing that when the dye had only been in for a few hours. So considering that there's virtually no rub off.
07-03-2004, 05:33 PM
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Re: (Hella_JDM)
<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Hella_JDM »</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">dood that looks really ******* good
more pics!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
i think imma do this to my carpet and rear seats</TD></TR></TABLE>
I only have those two pictures, but I'll post some more tomorrow with my mats in.
more pics!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
i think imma do this to my carpet and rear seats</TD></TR></TABLE>
I only have those two pictures, but I'll post some more tomorrow with my mats in.
07-03-2004, 06:28 PM
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Re: Easy and cheap way to change your carpet's color (dellanooch)
damn thats a good idea...no one would ever suspect u dyed your tan carpet to black instead of swapping it out to black
07-03-2004, 07:09 PM
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Re: Easy and cheap way to change your carpet's color (dellanooch)
i hope you took the console and seats out... and pulled up the edges so it all got died. you shoulda just tokk the carpet out.. it takes like 10 min
07-03-2004, 10:09 PM
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Re: (ef93si)
<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by ef93si »</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">i still wanna know wether it makes the carpet feel all grainy and crap afterwards</TD></TR></TABLE>
not really, we did it to a friends car and it worked well, didn't change the texture of the carpet at all.
not really, we did it to a friends car and it worked well, didn't change the texture of the carpet at all.
07-04-2004, 06:59 AM
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Re: (sweetcarz02)
<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by sweetcarz02 »</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
not really, we did it to a friends car and it worked well, didn't change the texture of the carpet at all. </TD></TR></TABLE>
hmmm, could u do armrests and stuff?
not really, we did it to a friends car and it worked well, didn't change the texture of the carpet at all. </TD></TR></TABLE>
hmmm, could u do armrests and stuff?
07-04-2004, 12:09 PM
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Re: (juanb)
<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by juanb »</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">is that safe to do on seats also?</TD></TR></TABLE>
You can do this on seats, but the better method was stated above.
Taking the cloth / carpet out. Dying it and letting it absorb the color, then washing out the water/excess dye. Then putting it back in.
You can do this on seats, but the better method was stated above.
Taking the cloth / carpet out. Dying it and letting it absorb the color, then washing out the water/excess dye. Then putting it back in.