So i spilled HCl on my brown chino pants, not while wearing them. They are still intact without visible corrosion or holes, fabric is intact. Sad part is that the parts of the pants the acid soaked is now permantly discoloured, with light red stains. What does HCl do to the brown pigment to make it red? Chemical reaction with lightabsorbing aromatic pigments that changes its structure and therefore absorbtion spectrum?
This might sound really minor, but i really liked those pants, they fit me like a glove.
When it happened, i soaked them ASAP in a bucket of cold water, then washed the pants in the washing machine. The stains are still there, unchanged. The dye of the pants itself seems to be changed. No holes though, the fabric is intact.
Is there anyway to reverse the process and turning them brown again?