What is Acid Dye?

Question: What is Acid Dye?

"I want to dye a bunch of my wool yarn, but I don't know where to start. Someone suggested acid dyes. What are these and where can I get them?

Answer: Acid dyes may sound like the stuff of mad-scientists, but really the 'acid' is made up of common vinegar or citric acid. The acid assists in creating a bond between the fabric and the dye. Acid dyes also need heat and moisture to create this bond, which makes them more complicated to deal with than cold-water fiber reactive dyes that are popular for tie-dying.

Any fibers derived from animals, like wool or feathers, is called a 'protein fiber' [List of Protein Fibers]. In America, we use vinegar and food coloring for dying eggs each spring. This is a form of acid dying, and in fact, you can even dye yarn with food coloring and vinegar.

Nylon is a synthetic fiber, but it reacts very well to acid dyes, so an acid dye is often recommended for dying nylon and even nylon blends. More on how to dye nylon.

Inexpensive Acid Dyes Online:
• Jacquard Acid Dyes
• Food Coloring
• Easter Egg Tablets (usually only come in purple, blue, green, yellow, red, orange)

But how do you use these? Lets investigate as a reader asks How to Dye Protein Fibers. More Questions About Dyeing Clothing

Protein (Wool, Cashmere, Silk)
• What are Protein Fibers?
• How to Dye Protein Fibers
• Learn about Acid Dyes

Cellulose (Cotton, Linen, Hemp)
• What are Cellulose Fibers?
• How to Dye Cellulose Fibers
• Learn about Fiber Reactive Dye

Synthetics (Spandex, Nylon, Polyester)
• List of Synthetic Fibers
• How to Dye Synthetic Fibers