Asked on Oct 04, 2015

All hardwood floors, 1st time ever, I do not like rug color 12' X 15'

Laurie
by Laurie
70 year old oval rug in great shape It was my gram's faded dark brown, gold, and white I'd like to use it but I'd like to make it pretty. Can you dye over braided rug and what colors would I use to change up faded brown and gold? Rather I hoped to colorwash with dye or paint and end up with some new compatible brights working on and/or over the brown, gold, creating a new brighter pallet. Yes, yes, what colors could do that?
I am not a greige person but prefer brights and jewel tones. If I dye it, will it weep? Can I make it colorfast?
Has anyone used and successfully lived with a painted rug? Does it need a sealer? Could I still crawl on the rug with little ones after that?
Closer to this coloration with a bit more dark brown
This shape and style but faded and lighter
  22 answers
  • Janet Pizaro Janet Pizaro on Oct 04, 2015
    In order for the paint to adhere to the carpeting you need to use upholstry paint.
  • Z Z on Oct 04, 2015
    Being that it's a seventy year old rug, it would need a thorough cleaning before any attempt at dying or painting to help with adhesion. I'd recommend Simply Spray soft fabric spray paint. If you want the rug to have various colors as it does now, you could use contact paper as masking. You wouldn't have to follow the curves if you wanted a more modern design either.
  • Lyn Therese Lyn Therese on Oct 04, 2015
    You can dye it but first clean it. I clean them by taking them outside and flushing with dawn soap and hot water and use a broom back and forth. Than take the hose and rinse it down. Hang over a step stool and dry for a couple of days. Fill tub with Rit Dye (depending on the size of the rug you may have to use 2 or 3 boxes of dye), stir and insert rug. Because the rug is different colors, you will get a variation of colors. I went with the knowledge of what makes a color.....red and green make brown, yellow and blue make green.....etc. Than decided on what color the dye should be. Leave in solution until it tints to the shade you want. Keep in mind that when dry it will dry lighter...maybe by 2-3 shades. For a deeper color, leave over night, which I did. Remove from tub, rinse with hose, fill bucket with vinegar and water to colorfast it and pour over rug. Hang and let dry for a couple of days outside. I've done this and it works but it is a project but much worth it and you don't have to worry about the dye coming out. Good luck.
  • Cornelia Schott Cornelia Schott on Oct 05, 2015
    What about asking a dry cleaner to professionally clean the rug? This might lift dirt and brighten the rug.
    • Laurie Laurie on Oct 05, 2015
      @Cornelia Schott I have never liked the color. I was hoping to brighten it to something different. Thanks for your input
  • ReneJackson ReneJackson on Oct 05, 2015
    Go to the laundry mat and wash in their newest largest machine. We have a 25 year old rug that needed washed that is 8X12 and it came out fine. Just make sure it's washable by trying out a small spot on the back of the rug.
  • Jennifer Jennifer on Oct 05, 2015
    I would have a carpet cleaning company clean it. Only one that has a very large machine in the truck. The one like Home Depot isn't strong enough.
  • Amy Amy on Oct 05, 2015
    I agree cleaning it is a great idea, but I would NOT dye it. I know this is not a popular answer, but it a unique rug and I feel very nice as it is. If it is cleaned well it may brighten up a bit and then last another many years.
  • Penny Penny on Oct 05, 2015
    After you clean the rug, gentle soap, brush and garden hose, hang to dry; you can use leather dye to brighten up colors. I would use a dapper or soft bristle paint brush to dry brush paint on. It will take days to set and dry.
  • Taffetal Taffetal on Oct 05, 2015
    If you don't want to pay to have it cleaned professionally, you could do this: put it on your outdoor patio or driveway, mix buckets of Woolite and warm-ish water and pour enough on the carpet to soak it. Leave it for 1/2 hour, then turn it up side down and hose it down until the water runs clean. Timely if there was a terrential downpour of rain. You can suck out some of the water with a shop-vac and leave it to dry which will take days. OR . . . you can pay to have it professionally cleaned!
  • Linda Johnson Linda Johnson on Oct 05, 2015
    I wouldn't get it soaking wet. Neither would I dye it. You can use a steam cleaner with Woolite to clean it, if it's wool. Then make sure you rinse it well. If you have stains or spots that are real dirty, pre-treat these use a mixture of BIZ and water to spot clean first. (The enzymes in Biz will continue to work, even after the rug has dried. Then steam clean.) Let the first side completely dry before cleaning the other side. You do not want mildew or mold. That being said, I'd clean the rug when it's not raining. You want your rug to dry quickly, as dust mites grow in damp rugs/carpets. The longer it takes to dry, the more risk of dust mites and mold growth.
  • Nancy D. Nancy D. on Oct 05, 2015
    I have never done it but I have seen several posts here that folks have painted their rugs. Might be worth it to check it out. I would like to see what you do with it. Good luck!
  • Barbara Barbara on Oct 05, 2015
    I agree with Linda, I wouldn't drench it. Since it is a heritage piece, I wouldn't dye it. It's a very unusually shaped rug and I think after cleaning I'd love it the way it is. Besides, it looks great where you have it! Because of the natural oils in wool, paint may chip or peel after some wear. Not sure about dye, depending on what type is used. Sure wish I had one of my gram's old braided rugs! Many of the newer ones aren't wool anymore and don't have the quality of the older ones.
  • Duv310660 Duv310660 on Oct 05, 2015
    If the rug is that old, it is very possibly cotton. (Approx. test: a natural fibre burns; polyester melts.) Natural fibers take dyes and pigments the best; polyester will not dye. I would recommend discretely testing your plans on the downside first to ensure success. I would start with gentle, cool water cleaning with gentle dilute cleanser and work up to stronger, warm water cleaning because 1. hot water can set some stains, and 2. strong cleaners can set stains and affect the feel of the fabric. You'll want to wash outside using a brush and a hose. My fav way to dry large heavy textiles is to drape them over a sun-warmed black car on a warm day. The water drips quickly from all sides; squee-gee with your hands; the stored warmth from the car helps it dry. Plus you can rinse with hose in this position; saturated textiles that are large can be very heavy to move - especially natural fibres, which retain water and dry slower than synthetics. PLAN accordingly; swift drying (1-2 days) gives the best results. 'Burrito' your rug, shift it out of puddles, and unfold in the opposing direction to get the underside into the sun or to move it onto a fence or ladder for more air-dry. Dyeing (which stains the fibre) and painting (pigments that sit on top of the fibre) or a combination of the 2 are both options for you. Though dyeing is harder to predict, it is transparent colour which makes for an interesting background. I would consider dye in a spray bottle (if you get the pump and point type your hand won't fall off) or a pail-drench on the driveway if you want to even out and/or change the colour of your 'canvas', heat set as indicated, and then using paint stronger coloured areas with stencil or freehand brush, etc., to get more punches of colours. Using a transparent/gentle colour in the background, allowing the nature of your vintage rug to show through in between the overlay of bright jeweled paints would create a tension that could look very interesting and still 'pay hommage' to the historical nature of your rug. If you are looking for a fewer-step process, I would focus on cleaning and then using something as an over-all stencil, choose a couple of colours of spray paint, create 'air brushed' areas that fade in and out of the background and blend with each other. (Please note that if the surface of your rug has a larger/stronger texture of colour, smaller/weaker coloured stencils will tend to appear 'lost' in the ground texture. Size will matter!) Leaves, geometric shapes, dollar store objects or an unwanted piece of lace or snowfencing all make for creative stencils to spray over with either a puff of paint for a soft impression or a strong, hard edge of spray. Objects that lay flat will give you a crisp outline; ones that hover above the surface will give you a softer, more 'in the sun' type edge.Try a test run however you can, either on the downside of your rug or other surface or by 'mocking up' by using an outline printed on a transparency and using a marker to simulate where your spray paint will fall around the outline of the stencil/object. Put the transparency down on the rug to 'preview' the look. Or use a whole discarded sheet to practice. For Materials, ideas and advice I suggest the impeccable on-line service of dharma trading company, to which I have no affiliation - they are just great!
  • Danielle Danielle on Oct 05, 2015
    If this is an honest to goodness 100% wool braided rug I wouldn't drench it because when it dries unless you stretch it and block it it can twist and shrink in weird ways and not lay right. My grandmother made rugs all the time I was growing up, and she was very careful cleaning them, never let water soak all the way through and blotted up as much as she possibly could. If this needs a deep cleaning I would totally recommend spending the money for a professional cleaning if you can possibly afford it, even if you have to wait and save up. As for dyeing it, no clue how that would work. Painting it might work if you add fabric medium to your paint, but it will change the texture some. If you're thinking of that I would get a test piece of wool at a fabric store, paint half, leave the other half alone and see how you like the texture when it dries.
  • Lauren365 Lauren365 on Oct 05, 2015
    Take it to a company that cleans, repairs and preserves wool oriental rugs. They would have the equipment, dyes and know-how to change the color if it's feasible. I wouldn't make something of this age and sentimental value into a craft project!!
  • Bonnie Bonnie on Oct 06, 2015
    There are two dry carpet cleaning products that can be safely used to clean and brighten, "Encapsulate" and "HOST" dry carpet cleaning. Wetting cotton or wool will damage the fibers. This is a fabulous rug, I wouldn't try dyeing or painting it.
  • Shar Shar on Oct 06, 2015
    Not sure about cleaning but I agree with those comments regarding the rug's sentimental value and authenticity - if you paint it that will be a quick fix that is currently 'trendy' and will not last. It won't look good after a short while as you are actually using it and walking on it. I'd be inclined to clean it up and appreciate its classic design. (this coming from a person who has never liked braided rugs)
  • Linda Johnson Linda Johnson on Oct 06, 2015
    One of the problems with dying it, is this is a big rug. It will weigh a lot when it's wet. Water weighs 8 pounds per gallon. You're looking at a lot of weight. The other problem is the dye can bleed - even it seems to be set - into the flooring underneath. You don't want to ruin your flooring. If you don't like the way it looks, roll it up and bring it out on special occasions. Put another rug down for everyday use.
  • ReneJackson ReneJackson on Oct 07, 2015
    Our laundromat has a very large dryer that can hold one very large rug. The other option is to hang it outside to dry. The only thing is to turn it over a few times to dry evenly.
  • Liliana Wells Liliana Wells on Oct 09, 2015
    Beautiful rug!
  • Shaza Lee Shaza Lee on Oct 09, 2015
    I agree.. do not try to either paint or dye this rug. and do not try to wash or dry it at a laundromat. it will be ruined. the faded colors from age have a special quality you cannot buy in any store the colors are beautiful. the neutral tones go anywhere. in later years you will be glad you left it alone. plus you cannot dye a brown/grey and turn it into jewel tones. the type of fiber dictates the type of dye. acid for wool, procion fiber reactive for cottton do not try rit dye but all dyes need a lot of rinsing to remove the excess dye that did not become attached. impossible t do with a rug that large. if you want a bright jewel rug get a piece of canvas and paint it. use acrylic paints and they do not need to be sealed.
  • Jean Jean on Oct 12, 2015
    Laundromats have large capacity washers and dryers you might try - it hasn't lasted this long without some type of cleaning. I don't think washing and drying it will hurt it. You do it with smaller hooked rugs of this type (well, I have). Otherwise for a price the dry cleaner will take care of it. I've had great good luck with dry cleaners and larger items (heavy quilts, feather duvets, feather pillows, large sets of drapes, throw and area rugs), albeit having to pay a bit. Has always been worth it. After cleaning you could also try a sail (curved) needle and some colorful rug yarn to brighten it up a bit maybe just edging it with new yarn. Happy heirloom!
    • Laurie Laurie on Oct 13, 2015
      @Jean I hadn't thought of weaving in additional color. I will check it out with a different eye and see if inspiration strikes.. Thank you.