Name: John

Message: Your tie dye web site is fabulous. It looks like it took a lot of time to put together plus you MADE ALL THOSE TIE DYE CLOTHES!!!  Amazing.  You have given me lots of ideas.  I don't know what soda ash is though. Can I buy that at the store or the garden shop?

Thanks.  Keep up the great work.  You're an inspiration to me.

Soda ash can be purchased wherever you buy your dyes. If you're buying fiber reactive dyes at your local crafts store, you might be buying a brand of dye that has soda ash or a substitute mixed in already. These brands include Rainbow Rock, Tulip, and Dylon Permanent. Check your package instructions carefully to determine whether they want you to add a separate fixative; this is almost always soda ash.

There are some dyes that do not work any better with soda ash than without. These include the unfortunately ubiquitous all-purpose dyes, which can be found in many grocery stores and pharmacies. There's no point in using soda ash with all-purpose dye, but then there's no point in using all-purpose dye at all, in tie-dyeing. All-purpose dye requires an extended immersion of your fabric with the dye in near-boiling water, its colors tend to be poor, its price per garment is very high, and it bleeds forever in the laundry. Do not use all-purpose dye for tie-dyeing.

The most economical way to buy your soda ash, once you've started mail-ordering Procion MX or another good fiber reactive dye, is in a 5-pound plastic jug from the local hardware store or any other store that sells swimming pool supplies. Check the fine print on the front of the label to be sure that you are buying sodium carbonate. You do not want to buy sodium BIcarbonate (also known as baking soda), because it will not increase the pH enough. You can also just include soda ash in your order, when you buy your fiber reactive dye.

For more information, see my FAQ: 
What is soda ash, and what's it for in dyeing?

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