I can get a dye made from grape skins. Will it work on cotton?

Name: Steve

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Message: I can get a dye made from grape skins used in food industry. Will this dye work on cotton? If not, how could I use this color/dye in some quantity with another permanent dye so i can advertise it is a wine dye?

No, the anthocyanins that make up the natural coloring in grape skins cannot be used as an effective dye for cotton. Not only will it fade quickly, but, until it fades, it will be brown in color, not the beautiful purple that the phrase "grape dye" implies. Grape-dyed cotton cannot be laundered without destroying the purple color.

Using grape skin pigments as a "wine colored dye" on cotton fabric would be misleading. I can't advise anyone to lie to their customers in this way. The proper purpose for this coloring agent is as a food coloring.

Good input. As you know Crazy Shirts and a few others do advertise shirts dyed with wine. Technical distinction "with" is the key. - Steve

For more on that particular scam, see my blog post from February 24, 2011: "What does it mean when a company claims to dye t-shirts with wine, rum, chocolate, or Florida Key limes?"

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Posted: Sunday - May 08, 2011 at 02:06 PM

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