Short answer: Rit fabric dye can stain some leather, but the results are uneven and unreliable. A leather-specific dye is the better choice. Rit is made for fabric, and the hot water and soaking its instructions call for can damage vegetable-tanned leather.
Why Rit is made for fabric
Rit All-Purpose dye is made for natural fibers such as cotton, linen, wool and silk. Rit DyeMore is made for synthetics. Its instructions call for hot water, around 140°F (60°C) or hotter.
Leather is not fabric, so fabric dye instructions do not carry over. Rit’s directions do not cover leather, so do not assume the company endorses using it on leather.
Heat and soaking can damage vegetable-tanned leather
Vegetable-tanned leather can shrink and harden when wet at roughly 60 to 80°C. The exact temperature varies with the tannage. Chrome-tanned leather tolerates heat better, with a shrinkage temperature typically around 100°C or higher.
A soak in a dye bath can leave leather stiff, wrinkled or warped once it dries. If that happens, see how to soften hard leather. On vegetable-tanned leather, the hot bath is the riskiest part of the Rit method.
Finished leather resists Rit
Most finished leather has a top coat that blocks absorption. Soaking it longer does not help. You would need to deglaze the surface first.
Unfinished vegetable-tanned leather and suede absorb Rit best. Even then, the color is often lighter and more uneven than what a leather dye gives.
What results to expect
- Uneven color. The result is often lighter and patchier than with leather dye.
- No fixing step. Rit has no fixing step for leather, so color may rub off or bleed when wet.
- No lightening. Dyes darken or shift color. Rit will not lighten leather.
- A finish is needed. Seal Rit-dyed leather with a finish such as Resolene, then condition it.
If you want to experiment
If you still want to try Rit, do it on a scrap of the same hide or on a hidden area of the piece. Cooler water or brush-on use with concentrated Rit is possible, but results vary widely. Treat the test as a rough guide only. Seal the result and condition the leather afterward.
Leather dyes made for the job
Leather dyes such as Fiebing’s, Angelus, Eco-Flo or Tandy are made for leather. They are applied with a dauber, so no bath is needed, which avoids the heat and soaking problems. For the dye types, see water-based vs alcohol leather dye. For darkening methods, see how to darken leather.
Common misconceptions
- Leather is not a fabric. Fabric dye instructions do not transfer to it.
- Soaking longer will not darken a finished surface. Rit will not get through the top coat by soaking longer.
- Rit does not lighten leather. It only darkens or shifts color.
Safety
Hot dye baths can scald. Use gloves and a dedicated pot, not food cookware. Dye also stains skin, so wear gloves when handling it.
For the wider picture, see leather finishing.