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I used to do a ton of fabric dying using RIT. It will certainly "take" to the natural fibers you have here but can be very unpredictable, and the likelihood you will be able to get as dark as a medium chocolate brown is remote - particularly if you don't use hot water.

However, I would also be concerned that hot water might lead to shrinkage. Depending on the extent of the staining, I would simply try to darken the color of the chaise as much as possible, using water that is as warm as possible; multiple tries will also darken the fabric further.

Your chaise is slipcovered which means it could be washed. Or, where you purchased it, would they be able to order an additional slipcover, if they make them?

I purchased a white slipcovered sofa, chair, and ottoman from Pottery Barn. They sell additonal slipcovers in different colors and fabrics. But I prefer the white because if it gets dirty or stained I can always throw it in the washing machine and it comes out like new everytime.

Also, if the pooch has claimed that chaise I think white is easier to keep clean. If you dye it brown you'll have to wash it from time to time and the color might begin to fade. Hope this was helpful and good luck!

If you're going to dye, skip the RIT and go directly to Dharma. Read all of their instructions completely, several times, too.

RIT dyes too often transfer from dyed fabric to other things, like furniture and other clothes for me to recommend them.

when you dye anything, make sure to pre-wet the fabric! it helps the color take to the fibers more evenly.

also, when using RIT, dont be afraid to mix dyes to get the color you want, for example: when getting dark denim jeans back to that "crisp" look, i mix one packet of the denim/dark blue one packet of black. the blue alone makes it too indigo and the black helps it keep that expensive look. ya know?

good luck!

Is there any kind of fabric-happy paint that would do the trick?

i've got my eye on some ikea chairs whose upholstery options leave way too much to the imagination.

For years our dachshunds have claimed two loveseats (purchased from Crate&Barrel). Fortunately the white duck canvas slipcovers can be washed (with bleach when necessary). They never will look new again, but they at least look fresh after each washing. Were the slipcovers any other color the fading with successive washings would be obvious (and the dog hair would show, perhaps even more than it does prior to washing). As for a second pair of slipcovers, the C&B people suggested just that when I purchased the loveseats, but I balked at the high price. Since the loveseats' days are numbered the current replacement plan is to buy leather club chairs. Whatever makes the two dachshunds happy.

I don't know much about dyeing, but I know a fair amount of knitters who dye yarn and a brand that I've seen fairly frequently through them is Jacquard.

I agree with EIF's suggestion of washing them--they look crisp white--with either vinegar or bleach. I used to dye with RIT (clothes) and my concern is that often, the thread is treated so that it won't dye, so back then I'd end up with a black shirt with pink thread.

EIF--I have a slipcovered sofa too that I wash often. Do you have the same problem with denim jeans sitting on it and making it look dingy? I'm afraid to bleach because it's not white white, it's a creamy off-white. Maybe I should try vinegar?

Olga, take it from someone who's tried - painting fabric slipcovers/upholstery rarely works. Spraypaint is impossible to apply evenly and ends up looking blotchy/patchy, while other types of paints make the fabric stiff and scratchy, so it's no longer comfortable to sit on and doesn't hang right. Don't do it!!!

I recently dyed 3 slip covers for my Ektorp loveseat and chairs a warm brown color.

I used the RIT Dark Brown color mixed with the lighter brown color and I got a great result.

People came over for a party and said they had NO idea that I had dyed them. They loved them.

I followed the directions carefully. I washed them first, made sure all the detergent was rinsed away. I then used two huge tubs with equal mixes of HOT water, Dye and Rock salt. I made sure to agitate and cover the entire slipcover with dye.

I dyed them in three separate batches with the same formula and it worked out beautifully.

Good Luck!

I agree with Shannon that one risk is the threads not taking the color in the same manner as the fabric - this is a very common problem with dying something that is constructed. You may also have problems with the seams where fabric is layered.
In addition, many fabrics are treated - for example for color-fastness, wrinkle-resistance, stain resistance, what have you. Even if it does wrinkle, stain and fade - it still may have the product applied. (The industry does seem to like to spray stuff on their products!!) Even if you have washed it, you may not have removed all of the treatment.
If you really want to dye it, I would recommend approaching it like you would dye your hair - 1-2 shades darker than it is right now.
An alternate would be to make a pattern based on the existing slipcover and make yourself a new cover in the color you want. With a dog, you may want to consider a stain resistant treatment.
From the photo, the white looks great in your space. Perhaps you should just find a washable throw in a deep chocolate.

I have to dye fabrics a lot in my work, and while cotton and linen are your best bet, it is very difficult to dye large pieces evenly without streaking, blotching, or uneven coloring. It's very important to have a space to dye that's large enough for the fabric to not be bunched up too much, and you need to be careful to move the item around a lot to make sure coverage is even. A lot of the time the threads don't dye because they have polyester in them. You'd be more likely to be successful if you did a less saturated color...and I'd strongly recommend doing a swatch test if there's any little snippet you can cut off the inside of your slip covers.

If you have the option, the easiest way to dye something is in the washing machine. I've done lots of dying for work, and while the concerns voiced about RIT are valid, it's in all the stores because it's also pretty reliable. The only times I've had it transfer color were when I hadn't rinsed it thoroughly enough.

Shannon in SF ~ Yes, I've had this problem in the past especially if the jeans were new or dark denim. I just purchased my furniture and even though they can be washed I still put sheets on them. To wash 'em try using a bleach that is made for colors. Or, like you mentioned vinegar - my mom would/still uses vinegar (she soaks) many of her linens before she cleans them w/ a gentle detergent.

andiself...
any chance you know the fabric content of your ikea slipcovers? I just bought a Lillberg chair and have been researching and researching the best way to dye them, settled on cold water dye, but it's currently sold out. Maybe I'll reconsider RIT.

you could also try bleaching it to get it back to a very nice white state, then applying scotchgard to it. it doesn't change the feel of the fabric, but it does really help repel stains so that it'll wash up better in the future.

maybe train the dog to sit on the floor?

Dyeing cotton and linen should work well but as someone said above, as this is furniture it may well have had a fire-retardant treatment added which will prevent it taking up the dye evenly (in fact it should have if its fabric on furniture). If you do decide to go the dyeing route use a washing machine - you don't want to do it in your tub as its likely to stain everything in the room - you just can't help it splashing around! I'd suggest getting a new throw for the dog-end of in the colour your after making sure it is big enough to touch the ground on either side so it looks more like part of the chaise. Personally (being a sewer) I would source some nice fabric and sew a new cover myself - it looks like a really easy square shape

Some (all?) of you will roll your eyes at this, but truly I've gotten some amazing, non-hippy, unique, and beautiful results with this: if you're dying a large piece, the likelihood of it coming out perfect are close to zilch; there will be streaks at folds, and darker blotches, even if the piece is thoroughly wetted beforehand, and agitation in the dye bath is constant. Therefore, one can go with the flow and not only allow but encourage this. A bathtub is best for it. Wet the fabric thoroughly. Fill the tub (about 6") with the dye solution. Sqush in the fabric, push it in, agitate it, press it down, and leave it for maybe half an hour. Sqush it around again, then let the tub drain and squeeze out the fabric. Do the rinse thing. The piece will have a softly marbled effect, as dark or as light as you want.

For what it's worth!

Hi, Jacinta. We had the same problem. Here's how we solved it:

First, wash the slipcover (in a large machine at the laundromat) using a full gallon of liquid bleach. Make sure you use a type of bleach that has a fabric protector in it (Javex with Fabricguard or some such thing.)

Next, put the slipcover through the wash again. Instead of soap, use Rit ColorRemover, which can be found wherever you buy Rit dyes. In the the same type of box, just a different color.

Third, start giving doggie little treats whenever he/she sits on the floor.

Janine

I've done a lot of dyeing as a hobbyist, including two large slipcovers (for our Ikea Beddinge, which serves as a couch and a guest bed). The Beddinge cover is padded, which makes it pretty damn bulky, but it looks like your slipcover is a single layer--it should be do-able in a bathtub or in a top-loading washer. If you have enough control over the washer that you can keep it from draining and dial it back to "agitate" again, it'll be a lot easier than laboring over your tub all day.

It's true that it's very hard to dye large pieces evenly because the fabric bunches. This can be prevented if you're really conscientious about shifting the fabric around while dyeing.

Also, most dye colors are mixtures of different colors--you can get some "marbling" or variation if add dry dye directly to the tub/washer. Dissolve it completely in water first and then add the solution to the fully wetted fabric.

Rit dye may be easy to get, but it's still likely to bleed (like if you spill water or something on your couch) because the dye molecules only stay in the fabric because they get "stuck" between the fibers. The color bleeds when the dye molecules wiggle out, like when they're wet.

Something like Procion fiber-reactive dyes, like what you'd get from Dharma, actually chemically link the dye molecules to the cotton, so the color is fast. That's what the soda ash/sodium carbonate stuff is for, that is needed to pretreat the fiber--it gets the fiber ready to accept the dyes. Once the excess dye is rinsed out, the dye on the fiber is permanently attached and won't bleed/fade (unless you bleach it directly).

The soda ash is pretty alkali and will make your skin feel "slippery" if you touch it, but it's not toxic or bad for the environment or your pipes. This is a project where you'd probably want to wear big ugly dishwashing gloves anyway, just to prevent yourself being dyed, so you can keep it off your skin if you're still worried. But take it from me, it really is OK. I'm a chemistry professor and a big part of my professional life is protecting absolute novices from hazards of the chem lab. I wouldn't advise drinking any dye or soda ash solution, but I'm assuming folks wouldn't do that anyway.

Good luck! Dyeing is fun. I also concur with doing a test swatch, and watching out for (or living with) contrasting thread on the hems.

Wow guys, thanks for all the input!! AngieK especially, since you put my fears of weirdy chemical stuff to rest... I think I WILL try the Procion dye. It's not even so much the dirt showing up as I actually prefer the chaise to be some sort of mocha shade. And uh, thanks to the dog people for the training tips, but my dog knows the command Off, but more appropriately, I actually INVITE her to join me on the chaise. It's bonding time, ya know? ;)

It's your house, it's your couch, and if you want to sit on it with your dog, don't let anyone give you a hard time about it.

I'm glad to be of help and hope your project turns out just how you want it. A few more thoughts about it, after thinking about it all day...

My experience is that the color of my slipcovers have turned out a few shades lighter than the "target" shade. I think it's because I"m not using as much dye as maybe I ought, for the weight of the fabric (that's usually how they make recommendations for "vat dyeing", as in a washing machine). I aimed for a chocolate brown and got sort of a cafe-au-lait. Even so, the dyed covers don't show dirt as much as the offwhite "natural" color of the original.

Also--I've only ever done this project in a washing machine. The Procion directions call for long periods of agitation and the idea of doing it in a bathtub makes me weary just at the thought. I also would worry about the color being persistant on, say, a white bathtub!

Good luck! Post pics when you're done!

OK I used RIT to dye a bed skirt and the only thing it dyed was my bathtub. I tried bleach, Ajax, CLR and RIT Cloour Remover and the only thing that worked was the later however the used to be white tub is still mauve. Any ideas or suggestions besides getting the tub refinished?