Surface Preparation for Vinyl Dye
- If possible, remove the vinyl pieces that you want to dye from the vehicle or furniture that they belong with. If the vinyl is upholstery, you should not remove it from the furniture, but you can take it outdoors. Car seats can be unscrewed from the vehicle. If you do not feel comfortable with this step, then you can skip it. Just be very careful not to spread dye onto other surrounding surfaces when the time comes.
- Most vinyl has been dyed at least once. To remove this old dye, you should apply a lacquer thinner over the surface of the vinyl. Any kind of lacquer thinner will work. Many lacquer thinners can be purchased from hardware or home supply stores. Follow the directions on the container. Paper towels, or soft cloths, work well at removing old dye. Prepare to get very messy and sticky when performing this step. Allow the lacquer thinner to dry for about one hour before moving on.
- Once the lacquer thinner has dried, follow it with a thorough cleaning of the surface of the vinyl. Use a solution of soapy water. Adding a few drops of dish liquid to a quart of water is a good amount of soap. Rub the water into the vinyl with a soft brush. Rinse with clean water. Follow this application with an application of ammonia. Place a little ammonia on a soft cloth and rub it over the surface of the vinyl. This eliminates any remaining grease or dirt.
- After the cleaning stage, the vinyl should be allowed to dry for 24 hours. This removes all traces of water from the vinyl. After the cleaning, the vinyl will probably feel stiff. To combat this, purchase a vinyl preparation solution to rub over the surface of the vinyl. Some preparation solutions work in conjunction with vinyl dye, while others work before the dye is applied. Pay careful attention to which kind you purchase. Follow all instructions on the package.