Name: Carol
Message: Is it necessary to wash new fabric before putting in the soda ash rinse? I can't find the answer to this in your FAQ's. Enjoyed your website
thanks

Fabric or clothing should always be prewashed before any steps are taken in the dyeing process. It is impossible to predict whether some obstacle, such as sizing, dirt, or oil, is on the fabric and will prevent the dye from reaching the fabric evenly, or whether you will get paler regions where the dye was unable to fully reach the fabric. Even PFD ('prepared for dyeing') fabric may be imperfectly washed, and thus should be prewashed.

Many dyers advise that you use quite harsh conditions in prescouring fabric; ProChem recommends that you prewash in hot water, at 140 degrees F (60 degrees C), with 2 grams of soda ash and 2.5 milliliters of Synthrapol per pound of fabric.

However, when dyeing clothing blanks, whose care instructions may say to hand wash in cold water, it is possible to get good results in most cases by simply washing the clothing before dyeing, at whatever temperatures the clothing will tolerate.

Beware of any garments advertised as being 'stain resistant'. Coatings that protect fabric against stains also protect it, partially, against dye, as well. There have been reports that "stain resistant finish" t-shirts dye extremely poorly.