Leta

We're in Texas here and know all about soda ash. Soda ash is sodium carbonate. Go to the hardware store or swimming pool supply store and buy sodium carbonate, NOT sodium bicarbonate, which is baking soda. Read this page:
http://www.pburch.net/dyeing/FAQ/sodaash.shtml

Don't even bother if you are using Rit dye, though. Soda ash will do nothing to help all-purpose dye. All-purpose dye is no good for tie-dyeing at room temperature (you have to almost boil the shirts in it for it to work reasonably well!). You should use a fiber reactive dye such as Procion MX dye. Jacquard Tie-dye kits are good, as are Rainbow Rock brand tie-dye kits. Avoid Rit tie-dye kits. Dylon Permanent dye works well and can be found at many fabric stores.

Dylon Permanent dye already has soda ash or its equivalent mixed in, but it costs more per shirt. Procion MX dye is very economical if you plan a couple of weeks in advance so that you can mail-order a "Tie Dye Party Pack" for fifty or a hundred people from PRO Chemical & Dye, in Massachusetts (see the bottom of their MX dyes kits page at http://www.prochemical.com/catalog/mxkits.htm).

Also see the recent blog entry:
"WE ARE CLASSROOM TEACHERS THAT WILL BE TIE-DYING WITH OUR FIRST GRADERS, AND WANTED TO KNOW THE BEST WAY TO KEEP THE COLORS BRIGHT", which has similar advice.

Question - why are you asking me about this only now, and not a month ago? It's kind of late to be just now getting the basic information about what you are doing. I very much fear that you don't yet have the dye you need to make this work.

Adapt the instructions on the Dylon dye package. Is it "Dylon Permanent" or "Dylon Cold Water" or "Dylon Multi Purpose"? There are different types of Dylon dye.

"Dylon Permanent" has the soda ash or equivalent already mixed in. (In some cases it contains TSP instead.) Once you mix it with water, you must use it immediately - don't premix it with water before the kids show up. You could place it in the bottles first and have premeasured bottles of water sitting ready to hand, to save time. Add water, shake the bottle up, start applying to the shirts. No need to presoak the shirts since the fixer is already mixed with the dye.

"Dylon Cold Water" dye needs the soda ash added separately, such as by presoaking in water with one cup of soda ash dissolved in each gallon of water, exactly the same as the recipes for tie-dyeing with Procion MX dye indicate.

"Dylon Multi Purpose" dye is the same type as Rit brand dye and must be applied to the shirts by dropping tied shirts for half an hour into a simmering pot of water mixed with dye, or at least the very hottest tap water you have access to. This could be a huge pain for a tie-dyeing class.

Good luck with your project. It must be very frustrating to get your supplies list at the last minute.

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