General information

How much product should I use?

The amount of dye you need depends on how the weight of the fabric you're going to dye and its composition. Keep in mind that using less fabric dye will result in a lighter color.

As a rule of thumb, use approximately 1 sachet every 250-500 gr of dry fabric, also depending on compositions and original colour. For example, cotton is generally easier to dye compared to Nylon and also needs less product.

The original colour of the garment is a crucial aspect of the whole process, as it will set the stage for what will be the final colour.

Ideally, the best thing to do is to always test the product first. To do this, dissolve a pinch of dye in a little bit of hot water and soak a small piece of fabric in it. You can usually cut a small piece of the fabric from an inside seam. Based on the result you get, you can tell how much product is best to use for you project.

In how much water should I dissolve the product?

Even when you're using more than one sachet of fabric dye at the same time, you can still dissolve them in the same amount of water as if it was just one.

Up to 6 sachets could be easily added to 250 ml of hot water, always making sure they completely dissolved before pouring the solution in your bucket or washing machine.

For how long can I store the dye bath?

If you dissolved the fabric dye in water but then ended up using just some of it, you can always put the rest in a glass container and store in a dark and cool place.

Fabric dye doesn't have a best before date, and sealed sachets, if stored properly, can last for years.

Can I refresh a garment original colour?

Absolutely! Dark colours such as black, dark blue and brown can easily fade over time due to frequent washing and sun exposure.

One sachet of fabric dye and a tablespoon of salt are usually enough to just refresh a full load of laundry, but for a more intense result you can always apply the general rule of 1 sachet every 250 grams of fabric.

You could never make a garment white using Aybel. If you're looking to do this, consider bleaching it completely with a specific product.

How can I prevent colour bleeding?

Aybel Fiske is a professional fixing agent anbd can be use on either brand new clothes or self-dyed fabrics.

You can simply add it to the water of the final rinse and let your fabric soak in it for about 30 minutes, or directly add it to the fabric softener compartment if your machine dyeing.

Find out more Aybel Fiske here.

Where do I find the instruction manual?

You'll receive an instruction manual at home with your order. It is currently available in the following languages: italian, english, german, dutch and french, and it also includes a list of all the 59 available colours.

Methods and techniques

Can I use for tie dye, dip dye or batik?

Absolutely! Almost all dyeing techniques can be achieved with Aybel products. Choose between our powder or liquid dye for endless possibilities.

Have a look at our blog posts to learn more about techniques and methods.

Can I apply the dye with a brush?

You can apply Aybel fabric dye with a brush or spray bottle on fabrics, upholstery, wallpaper and any other suitable material that can't be removed or submerged in water.

You can dissolve 1 sachet of colour in about 500 ml or 1 lt of hot water, add salt and vinegar to it as per instructions and then proceed by applying it as desired.

Leave it to air dry and then repeat the process for as many times as needed to obtain the desired shade/intensity of colour.

Lastly, you can apply one hand of fixing agent diluted in some water.

How does it work with mixing colours together?

Mixing fabric dye is no different than doing it with other pigments (think acrylic paint for example).

For example, you can combine red and yellow in different amounts to obtain a specific orange shade. Adding some blue to a yellow base will give you green and so on. The color combinations are truly endless and, if looking to create a specific shade, it takes some creativity and patience to get the right results.

Always follow these basic suggestions to start experimenting with colours combinations: take a large amount of water and start with a base color. It’s best to start with a lighter colour and start working up from there. To create a green shade, start with a yellow base and then add a little bit of blue.

Keep in mind that turning a light color darker is always easier than the other way around.

Can I dye muslin cloths with Aybel?

Muslin cloths are usually made of cotton, which normally gives some great results. However, hydrophilic cloths can sometimes be unreliable and, depending on the finishing treatments they got subjected to, give different results.


One of the most common issues that we observed is the persistent color bleeding, sometimes even after 5 or 6 washing cycles at 90 degrees.

Another one is the fact that some colours will give better results than others. As some customers noticed, pink and purple shades adhere well to the fabric compared to yellow shades.


If you are considering dyeing your muslin cloths, we recommend testing the colour on a single cloth first.


We certainly do not want to discourage our customers from dyeing hydrophilic cloths, as in many cases it works just fine. However, it is good to take into account a possibile less good result.

Can I use Aybel to dye my swimwear?

All depends on the fabric of which your swimwear is made of. This information can usually be found on the care label of your garment.

Most of the times swimwear is made of polyester or polyamide fabric. In the first case, our product will not work. In case of Nylon though, you can obtain excellent results.

Keep in mind that all existing prints, patterns or applications will always remain visible and the elastic seams wont take any colour.

Can I dye drapes and curtains?

You can restore your curtains original colour or change it altogether by dyeing them with Aybel fabric dye.

Curtains are usually quite bulky so you will need a large amount of product. Keep these few things in mind to avoid disappointments and achieve good results:

  1. Not all fabrics can be dyed: In many cases polyester fabric is used to make curtains as it is a strong fibre that will last in time. If that's the case, then our products are not suitable to use and will give little to no results. The same applies to seams, which are usually made using strong polyester thread and to fabrics that present waterproof or stain-resistant treatments. Always check the composition label if present, or test the product on a small piece of fabric before proceeding.
  2. Always follow washing instructions: check the care instructions label to ensure you're using water at the right temperature. If it's not present and you're unsure about fabric composition, do a little test before proceeding. Keep in mind that ideally you should be dyeing at 90°C for optimal results. This is not always possible, especially when it comes to more delicate fibres such as silk or linen, so you can try and extend the soaking time to compensate the lower water temperature.

Can I dye seat covers and upholstery for my car, boat or campervan?

You can refresh the colour of your car, boat or campervan seats covers and make them look lie new.

Ideally, you'd want to remove and dye them by soaking the fabric in water completely. When this is not possible, you can opt for applying the colour with a brush or spray bottle.

Always check the care and composition label if present, or, if unsure, test the product on a small piece of fabric before proceeding.

Common issues

Chlorine stains

You can fix chlorine stained clothes by dissolving a pinch of fabric dye in 100 ml of water, add salt and vinegar if necessary, and apply the obtained solution on the spot with the help of a little brush or cotton swab.

You can combine small amounts of different colours to recreate the exact tone. When doing this, always start from a lighter shade and gradually darken it until you reach the preferred tone.

Let it dry and then proceed by dyeing the entire garment with the same colour to even it out.

Stains appeared on the fabric after dyeing it

These are some common causes of stains:

  1. Brand new garments/fabrics can be tricky to dye as they could be starched or present stain resistant treatments that inhibit the dyeing process. Because of this, you should always thoroughly wash your new clothes or fabric prior to dying them. For sturdy fibres like cotton or nylon, you can opt for a stronger detergent like dishwasher tablets. Add one of them to a load of washing to ensure a thorough degrease. For more delicate fabrics, run a couple of regular washing cycles instead.
  2. The same applies to old and worn out fabric that, on the other hand, could still present grease and dirt stains, even when not visible, that could emerge only once they've been dyed. Always make sure they're spot clean before proceeding.
  3. Another cause could be an overloaded washing machine. In this case, you will notice lighter stains/creases on the dyed garment. This is probably a sign that the fabric did't have enough space to move and soak freely and completely in water.
  4. If hand dyeing, make sure you continuously stir your fabric in water in the first 5 to 10 minutes. This will ensure that the colour evenly penetrates through the fibres and reaches all angles and creases. After this time, check and give it a stir every 10/15 minutes or every time you consider it necessary.
  5. If you machine dyed by adding the colour directly into the drum and got very light to no result, chances are your washing machine drained excess water at the the start of the cycle and flushing the colour away with it.
Final colour is different than I expected it to be

The result after dyeing can sometimes be different compared to the swatches provided on the instruction manual or our website.

Every fibre reacts differently to fabric dye based on its capacity to absorb and retain water. Dyeing some white cotton with any colour will give a different shade compared to silk or linen for example.

Another aspect to consider is the initial colour of the fabric, that will inevitably influence the final result. If you dye a yellow t-shirt in blue, remember it'll turn green, not blue. You should always refer to a colour combination chart to try and figure out what shade you'll end up with.

If you're going for a specific colour, it's always best to start from a white or super light base. You can decide to bleach your garment completely in order to obtain this.

The washing machine remains dirty

If you notice your washing machine remains a bit coloured after dyeing, you can choose to run a rinsing cycle to rid of any color residue.

Keep in mind that fabric dye will also stick onto any dirt or lime present in your washing machine, and then potentially release colour though the following cycles.

In order to avoid this, always make sure your washing machine is clean and free from any limescale deposits and dirt/lint in general.

Always choose to hand dye when in doubt or when it comes to delicate/expensive garments.

No results after dyeing

This can generally be linked to three possible causes:

  1. The fabric/garment you dyed is made out of polyester or acrylic. These fibres are not suitable for being dyed with our products and will give no results. However, if they're present in the fabric in small percentages only and combined with other fibres like cotton or wool, then you can still give it go but take into account a final result that will be lighter than the original swatch.
  2. The fabric has a water-repellent or stain resistant treatment. This will prevent the water (and colour) to get absorbed and adhere to the fibres.
  3. The washing machine drains excess water at the start of the cycle, and with it the colour you added directly to the drum.

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