Asked on Nov 05, 2018

How to dye sunbrella fabic?

John-Paul
by John-Paul
  4 answers
  • Suzette Suzette on Nov 05, 2018

    Hi John, You really can't dye sunbrella fabric. Here's a link that will explain: http://www.pacificoutdoorfabrics.com/commonquestions


    Good luck!

  • Michelle Leslie Michelle Leslie on Nov 06, 2018

    I don't believe so John-Paul. You would have to soak the canvas with a heavy detergent for a few days to break down the fabric weatherproofing and then you need to find a dye that's weather resistant and will last through the season.

  • Linda Sikut Linda Sikut on Nov 06, 2018

    Hi John-Paul,

    The problem with sunbrella fabric is that it is water proof. That means that it won't absorb water. If it won't absorb water, it also won't absorb dye. Rit dye does have one product that they say will work on sunbrella fabric but I'd definitely find a way to test it before doing the whole thing. You'll do best if you're going from a light color to a dark color. Even if you do that though, it might turn out splotchy. Here's the link to the Rit dye page. Scroll way down to find the sunbrella results.

    https://www.onlinefabricstore.net/makersmill/rit-dyemore-synthetic-fiber-dye/


    Another option might be to paint the fabric. Hunker website has a tutorial about how to do that, but again, I'd try to test it before doing the whole thing. The biggest problem with painting outdoor fabric is that it tends to dry and crack. That's why this tutorial recommends using fabric medium to help the fabric absorb the paint.

    https://www.hunker.com/13412653/how-to-color-outdoor-fabric


    Hunker has another tutorial about refreshing the color of an outdoor umbrella. It does not mention sunbrella specifically. It is a different method and perhaps one to try - again after testing. For this tutorial they are using fabric dye paint which has the fabric medium already in the paint.

    https://www.hunker.com/13414513/how-to-dye-a-faded-patio-umbrella


    And just to add to the choices, here's one more tutorial from Hunker using an oil-based primer and spray paint.

    https://www.hunker.com/13404357/how-to-paint-an-outdoor-umbrella


    It looks like you have a lot of different options. I personally haven't painted or dyed sunbrella fabric and their website does say that the fabric can't be dyed in their FAQ section. The choice is up to you. I'd start with these articles and do some more research specifically for the item you want to freshen or color. You could google and use youtube.com to see if you can find more articles that will give you more information about your specific item. Good luck and wishing you the best.

  • Lynn Sorrell Lynn Sorrell on Nov 06, 2018

    try this- https://www.onlinefabricstore.net/makersmill/rit-dyemore-synthetic-fiber-dye/ go all the way to bottom of page to see results most sites said it cannot be dyed but this says yes results were not as bright as on regular cloth but if your going for same color because it's faded this will help.