You've moved into your first home. You are now as poor as you have ever been, you can't afford to install heating, never mind eat but at least the decor is reasonable - apart from the carpets.

For some reason the previous incumbent of your cosy new home saw fit to install wall-to-wall once-dayglo-green carpet with brown and orange flecks. Do you consider spilling a gallon of red wine and calling the insurers? Or do you reach for the carpet dye?

That's it! Leave the carpet where it is, dilute the dye powder, brush it on, leave it for a couple of days, presto it's navy blue and the flecks are hidden.

The "mysterious" bit is that I can't seem to buy this product anywhere.
-- spider, Nov 21 2001

RIT fabric dye http://brands.bestf...com/rit/default.asp
One of many... [phoenix, Nov 21 2001, last modified Oct 04 2004]

Many carpet cleaning companies will be happy to come out an dye your carpet. If you're looking for a DIY kit, I suggest you don't. Color-on-color is hard to get right and best left to professionals.
-- phoenix, Nov 21 2001


trouble is - he has run out of dosh - these professionals come expensive. I was going to suggest paint.
-- po, Nov 21 2001


Eh? Where's that friggin' Language Clarifier?

If he really wants to do the job himself he should be able to find fabric dye at the local grocery or department store.
-- phoenix, Nov 21 2001


dosh = cash

friggin = ?
-- po, Nov 21 2001


[po] My amazing intellect allowed me to postulate that dosh=cash from context. 8^)

friggin' = polite expletive
-- phoenix, Nov 21 2001


yeah I worked that one out too
-- po, Nov 21 2001


All right, so we don't need the friggin' Language Clarifier after all...

Just don't get me started on lorries, boots, spanners...
-- phoenix, Nov 21 2001


Tear up the carpets and paint the floors. Carpet is evil. It is never, ever, ever clean. It is evil. It smells bad. It is evil. Even Martha Stewart's carpets are filthy underneath. It is evil.
-- quarterbaker, Nov 21 2001


I haven't tried dumping RIT into a rental carpet steamer (incidentally, since you are presumably new at this, the cheap steamers aren't worth the fees) because I have an aversion to testing my ideas with other people's equipment -- like, I would never friggin pay an unscrupulous mechanic to turn back the odometer on my rental cars and shat.

I'd recommend doing stripes of about one foot wide, alternating with an undied stripe for contrast, then turn 90° and repeat for an enticing country quilt effect. Perform the same striping until all the offending colors are gone, or until you're satisfied by the appearance of your carpet. You're going to love your new look.
-- reensure, Nov 22 2001


Get your cat to throw up on it. Soon it'll all be a dull greyish brown colour.
-- angel, Nov 22 2001


You are all wet. Carpet dye is to die for. Inexpensive, simple to use, and your carpet will look NEW when finished. Go to www.jccarpet.com. Order One Shot and dye, print the instructions and go for it. You won't be sorry.
-- lbn, Jul 17 2002


why don't you bleach it first, to remove the colour then dying a consistant shade should be easy. Maybe you could conside naturl dyes to keep the price down- eg beetroot, mud etc.
-- timo, Jul 18 2002



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