Dye Instructions - Fiber Reactive

I like to dye fabric. A lot. It is a huge amount of fun. I've got a cart with all the chemicals and dye colors and a folder full of instructions and notes. But what if I lose the notes? What if I need them when I'm not at home? Well... here they are.

Fiber Reactive Dye Process

Cotton, Linen, and Rayon

1.      Pre-wash fabric in hot water with textile detergent.

™ ¼ cup detergent per load.

2.      Fill the dye vat with warm water.

™ I use a turkey fryer to warm the water while it is in the vat.

3.      Soak the fabric in water.

™ Combine with step 2 to get enough water and soak the fabric. Remove fabric from vat before step 4.

4.      Dissolve the dye in warm (not boiling) water.

™ Use a small amount of water to wet the powder first, then gradually add more water until dye is dissolved.

™ Some colors can be hard to dissolve (especially reds). Use warm water with 1 TBSP urea dissolved in it to paste these colors.

5.      Add the dissolved dye to the dye vat and stir.

6.      Add the required amount of salt to the vat and stir to dissolve.

7.      Add calsolene oil.

8.      Add wet fabric.

9.      Stir gently but frequently for 20 minutes.

10. Dissolve soda ash in warm water.

™ Best done gradually – a little soda ash, a little warm water, a little more ash, etc. The hotter the water the better.

11. Gradually add the soda ash water to the vat.

™ This should take about 15 minutes.

™ DO NOT POUR DIRECTLY ONTO FABRIC! Move the fabric to the side, pour in some of the ash-water, stir the water, and then stir in the fabric. Repeat as needed.

12. Stir frequently for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

™ The longer the fabric is in the vat, the deeper the colors.

13. Rinse fabric in cool water until it runs almost clear, or run through 2-3 rinse cycles in the washing machine.

14. Wash fabric in hot water with textile detergent.

™ For darker colors like black or red, a second wash may be necessary.

How Much Do I Use Per 1 pound of Dry Fabric?
Dye	See Dye Yields chart***
Salt	3 cups
Calsolene Oil	2 tsp
Soda Ash	1/3 cup

*** Chart on Dharma Trading Company website: https://www.dharmatrading.com/techniques/fiber-reactive-dye-yields-estimator-tool.html