How to Dye your Bongo Carpets

What you need?

Protective suit (i.e. decorators coverall)
Gloves
Dust mask
Goggles
Nylon brush (I used a scrubbing brush)
Dye (details below)
Spray bottle
Small funnel
Tarpaulin
Socket set
Screwdriver

Time Needed:

Allow half a day depending on final colour required and drying conditions. It took me about 3 hours on a warm May day to apply and work in three coats.

Difficulty Level:

Easy

To Complete the Job:

Step 1:

Firstly you'll need to remove the carpets that you want to dye. The grubbiest in my van were those under the driver and passenger seats and I chose to tackle those.

They are easy to remove - simply undo the five bolts holding each seat in place. Two bolts are located at the front, two at the back and one at the side behind each seat. Under the driver seat you will also need to undo the wires (this is simply a case of separating the chock block). There is also a small black screw both sides.

You will also need to remove the footrests (two bolts each).

Step 2:

Once you have removed the carpets make sure you vacuum them thoroughly to remove any grit and debris.

Step 3:

Set up the area you are going to dye the carpets in. As the dye is spirit based it is best to do this outdoors to avoid inhaling the fumes - as you will be using a spray bottle to apply the dye choose a still day.

I covered the area with a cheap sheet of tarpaulin and covered myself with a protective decorators coverall suit, vinyl gloves, dust mask and goggles. All these items can be found in most discount shops and / or on ebay.

Step 4 (prepare the dye):

I chose to use a dye produced by Auto Smart International which can be purchased from ebay or to find a local stockist visit their website: Auto Smart Dye Distributors

I went for Midnight (dark grey / black) to match the new upholstery on my rock 'n' roll bed.

You'll need to decant the dye into a small spray bottle - this is messy as the dye is a thin liquid and I found using a funnel helped (a bit!).

Step 5:

At this point you may want to test a small area of the carpet.

If you are happy with the test area then begin spraying the carpet. I found that spraying a small area at a time, then working the dye in with the brush was the easiest method. You'll need to work the dye in to ensure it works its way down through the pile; to do this work the brush in different directions.