Name: Gayle

Message: I hope this hasn't been answered before.  I am a Red Hat Lady and I want to use Procion Dye for white jeans, shirts, sweaters, etc.  Purple clothing is so hard to find.  Question:  After the salt, soda ash and dye are mixed does it have a "shelf Life"?  From what I can gather about a week with the soda ash.  Do I have to use the soda ash to dye rather than mixing up a new batch each time?  What is the best way to utilize left over dye?  

If you do not mix in the soda ash, the Procion dyes will stay good, dissolved in water, for at least a week at room temperature. However, once you do add the soda ash, the dyes' lifespan is measured in minutes, not days. Do not add the soda ash until you are just about to apply the dye!

Procion fiber reactive dye is an excellent choice for changing the color of cotton, rayon, linen, hemp, bamboo, and silk. It will produce much brighter colors and last much longer than inferior dyes such as all-purpose dye.

If you want to dye a bunch of things the same solid color, the best way to do it is in a top-loading washing machine. It will not ruin the washer. See "How can I dye clothing or fabric in the washing machine?". You will need to buy two or more ounces of Procion MX dye, several boxes of salt, and some soda ash. You can dissolve the dye in water the day before if you prefer, but do not add the soda ash to it.

If you prefer tie-dyeing, mix up your different shades of purple in plastic squirt bottles, no salt needed (but urea is a good addition), and presoak your clothing in a bucket of soda ash dissolved in water. You can squirt the dye directly on the presoaked fabric, tying first, or not, as you please. See "Hand Dyeing - How to Do It".

A factor you need to pay close attention to is the clothing you are planning to dye. Do not try to dye polyester or polyester blends! Also, do not try to dye acrylic or acetate. If you try to dye a 50% cotton/50% polyester blend purple, you will get a pastel lilac, instead of purple. Look for 100% cotton, linen, silk, or rayon clothing, preferably sold specifically for dyeing. (80% or 90% cotton will work well enough.) You can dye nylon separately from cotton, but only if it lacks surface finishes, and only if you substitute an acid such as vinegar for the soda ash. (Never use vinegar when dyeing cotton.) For white clothing that you can be sure will dye well, I recommend that you check out Dharma Trading Company, which sells a wide variety of clothing blanks for dyeing.

Do not try to dye anything that is permanent-press or stain-resistant, as these surface finishes will repel the dye. Always prewash clothing before dyeing, in the hottest water the clothing can tolerate, with detergent plus some extra soda ash for added cleaning power (the soda ash used in prewashing will rinse out, and will not help to set the dye, but it helps in removing stains and oils).

You can dissolve soda ash in water and use it again and again indefinitely. Soda ash itself does not spoil. Only the dyes spoil, but that is within an hour of having soda ash added to them.

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