Who knew?
Posted: Thu Feb 15, 2007 10:30 am
Anybody here know that you can use Rit clothing dye to change the color of leather? Specifically, I darkened up my J. Crew Vintage work boots with Dark Brown Rit dye.
When I got a pair of the boots from a gracious member here I wasn't too crazy about the color. I tried using Meltonian and Kiwi polish to tone the orange down a bit but everytime I kicked the dog (joking) or the door or something, the polish came off. Even tried heating the boot and polish to make it flow better but got the same effect. Frustrated, I started thinking about Rit clothing dye. It's cheap and readily available around here and I gave it a shot.
Here's what I used:
One box Rit Dark Brown clothing dye (powdered) $1.49
One spray bottle $1.99
One 3M Scotchbrite Pad (found it under the sink)
Mild dishwashing soap (same as above)
Latex gloves (dye stains skin too!)
First, I took a Scotchbrite pad and removed all the old polish from the boots. This step is essential because if not, the polish will do it's job and protect the leather. Use a little water and mild soap if necessary. Of course, if you start with new boots you may just need to scuff the leather surface. Don't scrub the leather too hard, just enough to clean and remove old polish and rough up the leather. Once you've finished cleaning the boots get them outside or in a place that won't be hurt by dye overspray.
Before I started cleaning the boots I took my spray bottle and filled it with water. Distilled or spring water is best. I dumped the water into a metal pot and heated it on the stovetop. When it started to simmer I added one box of Rit dye and stirred well. When I was finished cleaning the boots the dye had heated nicely and so I poured the contents into the plastic spray bottle. (Let it cool down a little.) I guess the bottle held about 36 ounces so this dye mixture was really strong.
I took the dye and started spraying the boots. I had plastic shoe trees (to hold the form)in the boots and also stuffed newspaper inside to soak up any dye that may get in. The boots should still be damp from the washing process so the dye will soak in pretty quickly. I made several passes around the boots until I got the color I was looking for. It's hard to judge because the leather looks dark when wet but you'll definitely see where you didn't get all the polish off. Afterwards I put the boots inside to dry completely. Several hours in a warm room and the boots were dry. I wiped them off with a soft cloth and then put on a coat of polish to seal the leather. They shined up nicely and have worn very well. The dye seems to be holding, just an occasional application of polish is all that's needed.
This may not be everybody's cup of tea but I like the results. I don't think this has hurt the boots or affected their longevity either. I have pictures at home and I'll post them here if anyone is interested.
Matt
When I got a pair of the boots from a gracious member here I wasn't too crazy about the color. I tried using Meltonian and Kiwi polish to tone the orange down a bit but everytime I kicked the dog (joking) or the door or something, the polish came off. Even tried heating the boot and polish to make it flow better but got the same effect. Frustrated, I started thinking about Rit clothing dye. It's cheap and readily available around here and I gave it a shot.
Here's what I used:
One box Rit Dark Brown clothing dye (powdered) $1.49
One spray bottle $1.99
One 3M Scotchbrite Pad (found it under the sink)
Mild dishwashing soap (same as above)
Latex gloves (dye stains skin too!)
First, I took a Scotchbrite pad and removed all the old polish from the boots. This step is essential because if not, the polish will do it's job and protect the leather. Use a little water and mild soap if necessary. Of course, if you start with new boots you may just need to scuff the leather surface. Don't scrub the leather too hard, just enough to clean and remove old polish and rough up the leather. Once you've finished cleaning the boots get them outside or in a place that won't be hurt by dye overspray.
Before I started cleaning the boots I took my spray bottle and filled it with water. Distilled or spring water is best. I dumped the water into a metal pot and heated it on the stovetop. When it started to simmer I added one box of Rit dye and stirred well. When I was finished cleaning the boots the dye had heated nicely and so I poured the contents into the plastic spray bottle. (Let it cool down a little.) I guess the bottle held about 36 ounces so this dye mixture was really strong.
I took the dye and started spraying the boots. I had plastic shoe trees (to hold the form)in the boots and also stuffed newspaper inside to soak up any dye that may get in. The boots should still be damp from the washing process so the dye will soak in pretty quickly. I made several passes around the boots until I got the color I was looking for. It's hard to judge because the leather looks dark when wet but you'll definitely see where you didn't get all the polish off. Afterwards I put the boots inside to dry completely. Several hours in a warm room and the boots were dry. I wiped them off with a soft cloth and then put on a coat of polish to seal the leather. They shined up nicely and have worn very well. The dye seems to be holding, just an occasional application of polish is all that's needed.
This may not be everybody's cup of tea but I like the results. I don't think this has hurt the boots or affected their longevity either. I have pictures at home and I'll post them here if anyone is interested.
Matt
