How can I dye old clothes with black? Thinking of using natural dye (coffee, charcoal)

Name: Fariz

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Country or region: Malaysia

Message: How can I dye old clothes with black? I think of using natural dye (coffee, charcoal) but I estimate it won't be success. So, maybe I can use Dylon dye. But I just so scare if the judges would questioning me about the Dylon dye. It is safe for us or environment? What is the pros and cons? Please answer me. Thanks!

Tell me more about these judges. What are the rules? Is this for a contest?

Charcoal is not a dye. It is a pigment and must be mixed with some sort of glue to get it to stick to fabric. Otherwise it will just wash out.

Coffee by itself is not a good choice for dyeing fabric black, since it will leave only a light brown stain. It might be better if used with iron as a mordant. Iron makes any dye it is used with darker in color. It is very important to be extremely careful with iron mordant, ferrous sulfate, to make sure than children cannot access it; it has caused many deaths when people (usually children) have accidentally swallowed overdoses of it.

There are good natural dyes that work for dyeing black, such as logwood, when used with iron as a mordant. Logwood, significantly more expensive than a synthetic dye, is native to Mexico and Central America, so it's no more indigenous to Malaysia than synthetic dyes; I don't know much about the dyes that have been used in past centuries in Malaysia. From everything I've gathered, synthetic dyes are very commonly used in every country, but there may be different rules for a specific program.

Other natural black dyes include any rich source of tannins, such as pomegranate, when used with iron, but the large amounts of iron required for a dark black may shorten the life of the cloth, causing damage to it. You can get a very good black by dyeing first with indigo, and then, in a separate process, dyeing the same fabric with the natural dye cutch, mordanted with iron, but dyeing with indigo requires a different process and will be more challenging for a beginner to learn.

Dylon Permanent dye is not dangerous to use (though you should wear waterproof gloves with any dye, including logwood). The quantities of dye required are far smaller when you use synthetic dyes; a few grams of synthetic dye will produce a color as deep as would require a kilo of natural dyestuff. The soda ash or trisodium phosphate Dylon Permanent dye contains for an auxiliary chemical is less of a concern for disposal than the metal-ion mordants you would need to use with natural dyes. A very big advantage of a fiber reactive dye like Dylon Permanent dye is that it lasts far longer on clothing without fading in color.

If you are dyeing only your own old clothes, then the small amounts you will be disposing of will not be a problem; you can safely put your wastewater down the drain. If you are starting a business, however, dyeing clothes every day for other people, you will need to consider water treatment requirements for your waste water, whether you use synthetic dyes or mordanted natural dyes.

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Posted: Saturday - July 21, 2012 at 09:33 AM

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How can I dye old clothes with black? Thinking of using natural dye (coffee, charcoal)

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