list of topics |  forum top |  home page |  polls |  posting hints |  contact admin
how to tie dye|  hand dyeing FAQs|  dyeing Q&A blog|  mailing lists and forums|  about this site
Home » forums » Procion MX dyes and other fiber reactive dyes

extending the life of Procion MX dyes

I really love this dye, too bad no one has it in Taiwan (only H and HE's).

I got some dye in a solution, I was wondering would I be able to keep them indefinitely by freezing them?

I keep it in the fridge but not sure how long it will last.

I wish there's a conclusive way of testing if a dye is good or not, other than having to find out after ruining a piece of laundry.

By rahimiiii at 2012-05-18 09:59 | Procion MX dyes and other fiber reactive dyes | login or register to post comments | previous forum topic | next forum topic

extending life of reactive dye

Nice to see you again ! It's been a while, hasn't it?

Freezing the dissolved dye stocks will probably work. Be careful not to overheat them when thawing.

Refrigerated Procion MX dye stocks at 4°C (39°F) should last three times longer than they would at 14°C (57°F), and nine times longer than they would at 24°C (75°F). They should be neutral in pH. Do not allow any soda ash to get in, and don't use unusually acidic or basic water; use distilled water to mix your dyes if your tap water is weird.

The quick and easy test for whether a reactive dye is still good is to take a zip-top plastic freezer bag, put a small swatch of dyeable fabric inside with a squirt of the dissolved dye, add a little dissolved soda ash, squeeze out the air and seal the bag. Then put the bag into either the microwave or a bucket of very hot tap water, to heat it and speed the dye-fiber reaction. In the microwave, set it to heat for maybe half a minute, depending on the total amount of moisture, and watch closely; as soon as the bag inflates with steam, turn off the microwave, so the bag doesn't burst.

The high heat increases the speed of reaction between dye and fiber (and also between dye and water), so you don't have to wait until the next day to see your results. Let the dyed swatch cool, rinse out in cool water, then rinse with boiling water since that's by far the most efficient way to remove the unattached excess dye, which includes all of the dye that had already gone bad when you tried this.

Ruining a piece of laundry? Is that caused by washing the freshly-dyed item with other laundry, before you've gotten all of the unattached excess dye out of the new piece?

To test whether you've washed out all of the unattached dye, dampen the fabric, place a cotton on each side (or a cotton rag on one side and a wool rag on the other), then use a hot iron to press it dry. If any color transfer occurs, you need to wash the fabric again in hot water to remove more unattached dye.

-Paula

By pburch at Fri, 2012-05-18 10:21 | login or register to post comments

So how long does the dye last

So how long does the dye last in a solution at 24 degrees?

I use tap water but I am not sure what are the PH of the water...

By rahimiiii at Fri, 2012-05-18 19:19 | login or register to post comments

how long the dye lasts

It depends on how picky you have to be. If you have mixed dye colors that must produce exactly the same hue each time, they don't last nearly as long as they do if you just need some nice colors. One of the primary mixing colors will go bad before the others, shifting the hue of the mixture markedly. For me it's generally fuchsia that goes bad first, which isn't surprising since it's the most quick-to-react of the Procion MX type dyes.

I haven't made a study of this, but I've had mixed-up dyes for tie-dye go very bad outside after three weeks with daytime high temperatures over 32°C. Two weeks is generally okay for tie-dyeing. Refrigerated dyes stay good for a couple of months, as long as you don't mind some shifting of hues in mixed colors and some reduction in color yield.

pH papersDo you have access to pH paper? It's really handy for things like this. No use for checking the pH of dye solutions, of course, since you check the pH paper by looking at its color, but very good for checking the pH of water and of soda ash solutions. Procion MX dyes will go bad more quickly in basic or acid water. Neutral (pH 7) is best.

-Paula

By pburch at Sat, 2012-05-19 11:47 | login or register to post comments

I think to measure the ph of

I think to measure the ph of a dye solution you need a ph meter, but the problem is I have heard they require regular calibration with standard buffer solution to maintain accuracy, plus they're expensive.

I don't use fuchsia anymore because they have problems, I use "mixing red" instead (or at least what prochem calls it) and it has less problem with the dye not dissolving properly.

By rahimiiii at Sun, 2012-05-20 20:16 | login or register to post comments

Fuchsia dye

rahimiii, you can solve the problem of fuchsia not completely dissolving by straining the dye after you mix. I pour my dissolved dye through the toe of a nylon stocking to catch any undissolved dye granules. It has solved the problem of 'freckling' I used to have.
Judy

tiedyejudy's shop
http://www.tiedyejudy.artfire.com
blog: http://hippiewear.blogspot.com
"Life without tie-dye is waaaaaaaaaaaay dull!"

By tiedyejudy at Mon, 2012-05-21 06:44 | login or register to post comments

Comment viewing options

Select your preferred way to display the comments and click "Save settings" to activate your changes.

advertisements

Powered by Webmasters.com