ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Acid dye

Imagine you're painting a picture with very bright, bold colors. Now imagine that instead of using paint, you're dyeing a piece of fabric with those same colors. But instead of just any old dye, you're using something called an acid dye.

An acid dye is a special kind of dye that works best on certain fibers, like wool and silk. To use an acid dye, you need to start by dissolving it in a liquid, like water or vinegar. Then, you soak your fabric in this liquid and let the colors soak in.

But here's the cool part: the acid in the dye actually helps the color stick to the fibers more tightly! That means that even after you wash your fabric (or wear it a lot), the color won't fade as much as it would with a regular dye.

So, in short, an acid dye is a special type of dye that is super bright and bold, and won't fade easily thanks to the acid that helps it stick tightly to the fabric.