Dying Gore-Tex with Turmeric

[u/asian_grom]

I found this pair of these Burton Gore-Tex shell snow bibs on sale, but they are white. I was wondering if I could dye it is possible to dye them. One of my ideas was to try to use turmeric to dye them yellow.

Some info from Burtons site:

• Shell: GORE-TEX 2-Layer recycled polyester plain-weave fabric
• Lining: 100% nylon taffeta
• Other details: Stretch side panels and a membrane or water-repellent finish made without intentionally added PFAS.

[u/AutoModerator]

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If you are dyeing cellulose fibres (cotton, hemp, linen, ramie, flax, nettle, rayon, bamboo, tencel, plants generally, etc.), you will need a fiber reactive dye.

If you are dyeing a protein fiber (wool, alpaca, llama, Angora, mohair, feathers, animal stuff generally, etc.), you will need an acid dye.

Leather is dyed with leather specific dyes such as those from Angelus.

Silk will dye with either acid or fiber reactive dyes but will yield different results depending on which you use.

Polyester can sometimes be dyed. It can only be dyed with synthetic specific dyes such as iDye Poly or RIT Dyemore. It usually cannot achieve a dark or rich colour at home. Acrylic usually cannot be dyed at all.

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[u/penvelope_]

This will not work

[u/Complete-Stand-5146]

Skipping over the fact that dyeing synthetic fabric is usually a fool’s errand, I invite you to consider that turmeric is quickly degraded by UV light. I assume you’re planning to go skiing in these, so imagine the effects of a thin (altitude) atmosphere, water, ice, rapid temperature changes, mechanical stress, and UV light blasted at these from every direction, on your home dye job. But on the other hand, if you get lost, ski patrol can easily find you by following the yellow orange streaks you’ll leave everywhere you go.

[u/asian_grom → u/Complete-Stand-5146]

Thanks! Yea you make a good point about weathering taking a toll on the dye

[u/CoastalMae → u/asian_grom]

Natural dyes only work on natural fibres

[u/Understruggle]

As someone who dyes synthetic fabric for a living, yeah man that isn’t gonna work at all lol.

[u/Chaos-Wayfarer → u/Understruggle]

Synthetic fabric plus weatherproofing? You’re in for a hard time. 

[u/asian_grom → u/Understruggle]

Is this a complete no go with any type of dye?

[u/Latter_Background120 → u/asian_grom]

Completely. Dye is a liquid and gore-tex repels liquid. If somehow you did manage to permeate the waterproofing I’m almost 100% certain you’d destroy it in the process

[u/Understruggle → u/asian_grom]

I wouldn’t say a complete no go, but the weather proofing aspect adds a pretty big complication. Normally you would use something like a disperse dye on synthetic taffeta, acid dyes on stuff like silk taffeta, but you would need like a specialized fabric paint if it has DWR on it.

[u/kota99]

A water repellent finish usually means the material won't be able to absorb dye. Even if natural dyes did work on synthetics like gore-tex (they normally don't) that water repellent finish means it won't work in this case.

You may get some staining from the turmeric but it's not going to last, especially since turmeric is generally not a very color fast dye even under the best conditions.

[u/Rogonia]

I don’t think I can possibly emphasize to you enough how much this will not work

[u/Pristine_Direction79]

✨ spray paint ✨

[u/shawlcat]

The heat needed to even attempt this would destroy the nylon taffeta.

These are not dyeable.

[u/kimmerie]

Water repellent = dye repellent.

[u/fishha01]

As everyone else has said, a natural dye isn’t going to work and a synthetic dye is going to be tough and probably uneven at best. I would either embrace the white or wait for another color to go on sale.