Can You Tie Dye Rayon & Viscose?
Rayon takes fiber reactive dyes beautifully, and so do the fabrics we call bamboo, viscose, modal, and cupro — all different names for very similar things! When you take a plant fiber and chemically turn it into mash, in order to spin it out into new fibers, that’s what you’re doing, you’re reconstituting it.
It’s not exactly recycling, it’s more like making a chemical blender full of science experiment to make something new and useful to the fabric industry. There are a lot (lot lot lot) of blog posts & sites out there comparing the pros & cons of reconstituted (or semi-synthetic) fibers with naturally grown cellulosic fibers (cotton, hemp, linen).
But, that’s not what this post is for. I’m here to talk to you about what these fabrics are, if you can tie dye rayon and viscose, and also provide a step-by-step walkthrough of how to dye rayon!
What Is Rayon?
Rayon is one of the most versatile and commonly found fabrics on the commercial markets today. It feels fantastic and has a gorgeous hand, drape, and sheen.
To most consumers though, what it is exactly remains somewhat of a mystery. It has a remarkable ability to look, feel, and act like many other fabrics.
Rayon can be processed & milled to take on the properties of silk, cotton, wool, and others. It can also be used in nearly any type of clothing.
This can make it challenging to pin down exactly what it’s made from, how to launder it, etc. And for dyers, that raises even more questions, because there’s a lot we need to know, chemically and care wise, about our fabrics before we’re able to start coloring them.
What Is Viscose?
Okay, so if rayon is the big umbrella term, viscose is one of the types of ways that rayon can be manufactured and sold. Think of it as a brand name, or a different breed of the same species, if you will.
One of the most common types of rayon is viscose rayon, aka just “viscose”. It has a lot in common with cotton in terms of how it acts and feels.
It’s breathable, moisture-absorbent, and a popular choice for casual and athletic wear. It also shows up in dresses, blouses, and outerwear.
Secondary types or brands of rayon include modal rayon (typically made from beech trees) and lyocell (seen in everything from denim to dress shirts). Cupro is often lumped in with these reconstituted plant fibers. It’s made from recycled cotton, but yes, still requires chemicals like copper, ammonia, and caustic soda in order to be produced.
What Are the Differences Between Rayon and Cotton?
Naturally spun fibers like cotton are stronger when wet, because they’ve never been chemically reduced.
Hoo boy, there are some very strong opinions about natural cellulose fibers vs. these reconstituted (I prefer that term to “semi-synthetic”) fibers. Most of the debate centers around environmental issues, and rightly so.
While these fibers are grown from fibers that are natural, the processes sure ain’t natural. As dyers, we need to not only understand what these fabrics are but how they’re similar to and different from our beloved cotton.
Basically, if you know anything about making yarn or thread by drafting fibers out and onto a spinning wheel, you know that the longer fibers are the easier ones to spin. Cotton is spinable directly off the plant.
Nothing needs to be done to it in order to make it into clothing, except the spinning/weaving/knitting part. In essence, it’s all natural. Sure, it takes fertilizers to grow and uses lots of land and all that, but basically it’s already ready to be fabric the way it grows from the ground.
This is not the case with bamboo and birch and wood from other trees. Lots of chemical processes are needed to be brought into play in order to make those little fibers play nicely as threads that can be then woven or knitted into fabrics that we can dye.
For dyers working with fiber reactive dyes, most of us are very used to working with cotton, and we know that only plant fibers take the dye. Your sweatshirt that is a 50/50 cotton/poly blend? Those polyester fibers won’t take the dye at all, ever, nuh uh, no way.
It was totally a plastic before being spun into fibers, and it will always be a plastic. It’s synthetic.
But, rayon and its brethren started as plant fibers, so despite having gone through all the chemical craziness at the plant, they still take fiber reactive dyes brilliantly.
Kamali wearing bamboo spandex, ice dyed, then sewn.
What’s this mean for us? Just because rayon takes the dye well, doesn’t mean you can treat it like cotton. This is because rayon and other semi-synthetic fabrics are very delicate, especially when wet.
Dyeing Reconstituted or Semi-Synthetic Fabrics
This definitely deserves to be a section of its own. Is there anything worse than tying up a super intricate geode on a gorgeous, flowing, expensive rayon top, and then after the first washout you discover that it’s full of holes?
Or seeing that the stitching on that cool woven top is causing every seam to fall apart and just pull right out of the fabric? That’s rayon for you. Because of the nature of its structure, being chemically manufactured and all of that, when the fibers get wet they become very weak.
Be extra careful when tying, pulling, rubber banding, cutting resists off the fabric, and washing out your rayon fabrics. I absolutely do not recommend skipping the hot wash.
As a business owner whose livelihood depends on selling quality dyed apparel, I prefer to take the risk before selling, and go ahead and wash & dry our products on hot, the way I would with cotton. If it’s gonna shrink or rip, I want that to happen on my watch, not on my customers’.
I have found that knit rayon plays nicely with the washing machine, but woven rayon is a tricky, tricky little rascal. Your mileage may vary, so test, and test again.
Literally every piece of rayon clothing I’ve ever seen has had a care tag that says you can only wash it cold, and hang dry, forever. Myth = busted! But risk = heightened.
Yes, I process my dyed rayon and bamboo items exactly the same way I do my cotton. Hot wash? Yes. Hot dryer? Yes. Because I want all the shrinking to be done before my customers ever feel or try on the items.
I tell them they can now wash their pieces however they want, because I got the shrinking out of the way for them— but they do need to handle these items with care when they’re wet. No yanking them out of a tangled washing machine.
This might be scandalous to some dyers, but honestly, it’s essential to my process. I don’t want to send anyone home with a “dry clean only” garment. That’s just not my style.
Be super cautious when removing sinew, especially if you’re cutting it off with scissors. Teeny snags and holes can become big, because reconstituted plant fibers are so delicate when wet!
The stretchy maternity top and the stitching on these jean shorts are made from polyester, nylon, or spandex fibers: they don’t take the dye at all. The whole piece was dyed at once, but only the cotton took the dye!
What Fabrics Can You Tie Dye?
If you’re using fiber reaction (or procion type) dyes, aka low-impact dyes, then your best bet is to use only cellulose fibers. Of course, you can use these dyes on protein fibers like wool and silk, but the results will be shifted from what they usually are expected to do, because protein fibers need an acidic fixative solution whereas cellulose fibers (and the dyes designed for them) need an alkaline solution — aka soda ash.
Can You Tie Dye Rayon?
If you’ve skipped everything above until now and just need the shortest answer possible: yes! Rayon dyes beautifully with fiber reactive dyes.
You can prep it and treat it like cotton, except that it’s fragile when wet, so handle with care. If you want to know how to set the dyes for rayon, follow your usual instructions for dyeing cotton with fiber reactive dyes. You can also grab this FREE download on Six Steps to Better Tie-Dye!
Can You Tie Dye Polyester?
With fiber reactive dyes, you can’t! Polyester is a plastic and it absolutely will not take the dyes unless you’re using dyes made specifically for synthetic fibers.
I have never used those types of dye and I want to stick to my zone of expertise, so I won’t start advising you about what you should use. Instead I’ll recommend you find blanks that are made from as close to 100% cellulose fibers as possible.
Can You Tie Dye Nylon?
Nylon is also a synthetic fabric, but nylon production is more expensive, which results in a higher price for the consumer. Both fabrics are flame retardant, but nylon is stronger, while polyester is more heat-resistant.
Either way, whatever percentage of your fabric is made from these synthetic materials, aim for as low as possible. Only the natural fibers are going to take the dye.
Can You Tie Dye Spandex?
Ah, Spandex! The magic ingredient that makes our crop tops, leggings, and other form-fitting clothing so comfy and stretchy.
It’s totally okay to dye clothing that has some spandex in it, like our crop tops: they are 94% cotton, 6% spandex. Ninety-four percent is very high, so you don’t even see a reduction in color vibrancy on this fabric blend!
Any more than 10% spandex and you’re going to start seeing a slight pastel effect because again, only the cotton will dye.
Can You Tie Dye Modal?
Modal is just another brand name or type of reconstituted wood pulp fiber, and it takes the dye beautifully, as long as you’re using fiber reactive dye. Follow the steps below to get great results for tie dye on modal, but make sure you handle your wet fabric with care, since it’s more delicate than cotton when wet.
Enjoy how beautifully rayon, bamboo, and other cellulosic fibers take the dye!
How To Tie Dye Rayon and Viscose
The steps below walk you through a very brief workflow for using fiber reactive dyes with semi-synthetic, reconstituted fibers like rayon, modal, viscose, cupro, and bamboo.
If you want even more info, go page through my blog post on ice dye vs tie dye, watch my free videos, definitely join the Dyenasty (our mailing list), and consider taking an online textile dyeing course!
Step 1 - Prewash Your Item to Dye
Scour your fabrics before dyeing, which means wash them with water as hot as they can stand (remember, use warm, not hot, with reconstituted fibers!) and use a good, no-frills detergent.
Blue Dawn is awesome and cheap — a little dab will do ya. AVOID soaps that will add chemicals to your material, like scents and softeners.
We want those plant fibers as naked as possible so that they can take the dyes. If you dry, avoid any dryer sheets or fabric softeners.
Step 2 - Prepare Your Soda Ash Soak
This is the key to bright, vivid colors that do not fade with washing: the almighty soda ash. A cousin to baking soda, “soda ash” is what we in the dyeing biz call sodium carbonate.
It’s an alkalizing agent and a simple pool chemical. I encourage people to put their gloves on before they start using soda ash, just because it can really dry out your hands.
It has wreaked havoc on my already weak fingernails! Sodium carbonate isn’t poisonous, but you don’t want pets or children to get too curious. We keep ours in big buckets and put lids on them when the studio is open to the public.
Step 3 - Soak & Wring Out Your Item
You can let your piece(s) soak anywhere from 10 minutes to overnight. Nothing bad will happen if they’re in there for awhile. When you’re ready to dye, get as much of the soaking solution out of the fabric as possible.
If you have a washing machine, it really saves you a lot of time to put them on a high spin cycle. If not, use your hands to wring every last drop out of the fabric, but be extra gentle with rayon, bamboo, etc.
The wetter the piece is when the dyes touch it, the more watered-down your results will be. Also, if your piece is too wet, you'll see a lack of crispness in the patterns that you fold or tie.
Step 4 - Tie, Scrunch, Bind, or Fold Your Pattern
The options here are limitless! Tie-dye is like origami for fabric.
Depending on how you twist it (like the basic spiral), fold it (to create ladders and stripes anywhere on the garment), scrunch it (like our beautiful ice-dyed dresses), bind or cinch it with string or rubber bands or clamps (Shibori style), or a combination of all of these, there are literally thousands of variations on how you could manipulate each piece of fabric.
This is where studio workshops and 1-on-1 guidance come in handy, as each new variety can be a world unto itself. (Plug for our online courses here! We're ready to rock.)
Your own hand-created designs, or patterns, are really where each of our individual aesthetics can shine. No two dye artists will fold the same way, even if they’re doing the same pattern.
You can do the same fold to twelve different shirts and have them each come out slightly differently… or you can do the same scrunch in different places on each garment and have a small line of tie-dye fashions that are all related but never identical.
Just remember this: no matter what you do to it, bind up tightly while still being gentle with rayon fabrics.
Step 5 - Apply Dyes
Once it’s all folded or twisted and tied, etc., it’s tempting to flood your piece with color since this is the part you’ve been dreaming of! We tell our clients and students, “there are two ways to mess up your tie-dyeing: to use too much dye, and to use too little dye.”
Depending on if you’re using an ice dye kit, liquid dyeing, low water immersion dyeing, or Shibori, your process of applying dyes to fabric happens here.
Step 6 - Cure For 24 Hours
Once you feel satisfied with as much or little dyes that you’ve chosen to add to your project, it’s time to cure. Most dye manufacturers recommend a 24-hour period of wet curing (which means cover your piece with plastic wrap or a grocery bag or stick it inside a plastic container) at room temperature. Just wait it out!
Step 7 - Do the Washout Process
Watch my quick video tutorial on how to wash out your tie dyes! After 24+ hours, using cool water, rinse your project and the container in the sink.
Rinse & squeeze fabric until water runs mostly clear. These dyes are safe for city sewer or septic systems, and can be rinsed into the grass (not gardens).
You can now wash your dyed item in the washing machine on hot, with a little detergent. Choose the small load size with extra rinse.
Or, to wash by hand, with hot water, add a small squirt of dish soap and hand wash in the sink until water runs clear again. Rinse as much as you need to get rid of all extra color in the water.
It might seem unending... but don't worry, eventually it clears! Your project is now ready to be laundered & worn as you would all other cottons. Congrats!
Can You Tie Dye Rayon Mixed With Other Fabrics?
Totally, and it’s a great idea. A cotton/rayon blend will lend cotton’s strength to the mix. A rayon/spandex blend will add stretch.
Even a poly/rayon blend can turn out nicely, since polyester is super strong and rayon isn’t— but remember, the poly portion won’t take any color, so stay away from anything over 50% polyester (or any synthetic).
An important note: often, fashion companies will brand their rayon garments as being made from bamboo, but they’re not necessarily lying! Bamboo is one of the main fibers used in rayon production.
But “bamboo” sounds so much more natural than “rayon,” doesn’t it? Semantics… it’s all the same thing.
Have you found a mystery blend that you’re not sure about? Comment below and let me know what blend you found! I’ll let you know how I think it’s going to dye.
A knit rayon bamboo dress, ice dyed by WAXON in 2018. Look closely at the stitching on the sleeve hems: white threads are a sure sign that this piece was sewn with nylon thread.
Can You Tie Dye Rayon and Spandex?
The spandex won’t take the dyes, but usually there’s just a wee bit of spandex blended into the fabric, and it’s so essential for form-fitting stretch garments, we don’t even worry about it!
Spandex has great stretch and great recovery, so if you find a rayon fabric with some spandex in it, snatch it up. It will look gorgeous and probably fit super well.
Can You Tie Dye Rayon and Polyester?
Actually, this blend is getting more and more popular in the last few years! Global chains especially carry rayon/poly blends in their budget fashion lines.
Just like the blends mentioned above, the polyester won’t dye, but the rayon will, so watch your percentages and handle with care when wet or washing.
Can You Bleach Tie Dye Rayon?
I do not recommend doing reverse dyes on reconstituted plant fibers unless you’re already experienced working with both bleach dyes (or other color removing agents) and dyeing color on rayon. Yes, it’s absolutely possible, but please don’t try this right out of the gate as a beginner.
There are too many factors that can add up to destroying the fabric, leaving you with something full of holes (or worse, something that looks fine but falls apart after you sell the piece to someone and they wash it a few times). Expert reverse dyers will tell you all about how you need to neutralize the color remover in order to stop the bleaching process, so don’t skip that step.
Remember, rayon is way more delicate than cotton, especially when wet, especially especially when wet and being subjected to harsh chemicals!
If you have a project where you want to tie dye rayon or viscose, you are in luck because rayon (and other similar fabric) is something you can tie dye, and the colors will come out beautifully.
The lucky thing here is that these fibers need the exact same prep, dye, and chemicals as when you dye good old cotton. There is one thing to take into consideration and that’s how delicate reconstituted fibers can be when wet, so handle with care, especially when tying, untying, and washing out!
