It depends on whether you are attempting to dye nylon in industry or at home and what kind of dyestuff you are using. Nylon is dyed with acid, disperse, & reactive dyes. It can be solution dyed (color added to the fiber spinning solution), so the color is an integral part of the fiber when it is formed. Solution dyed nylons are usually very colorfast. Dyestuff that work for nylon also work for wool because they have similar dye accepting sites on the chemical molecule. However, wool has many more sites than nylon. Nylon is hydrophobic--doesn't absorb water easily--so it is harder to dye than cotton or other cellulosic fibers, but not as difficult as polyester which is dyed in industry under pressure.
Author: Jan Stone, Extension Specialist
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