Name: attracta
Message: I am new to dyeing. I want to dye a large number of well used towels a charcoal grey colour. I have not seen the colour I require in my local stores. I am living in Ireland, and Dylon is the product range available locally. I would prefer to dye in the washing mashine if possible.
Any suggestions for getting the deep shade I seek ?

Dylon is a dye company that produces several completely different types of dye. Among them is an all-purpose dye that you should avoid when dyeing cotton, called Dylon Multi Purpose dye; however, they also sell some much more suitable types of dye.

I am told that it is often easy to find Dylon Cold Water Dye and Dylon Washing Machine Dye in Europe; these are both high quality fiber reactive dye. Dylon Cold Water dye has been described by Dylon as containing fiber reactive dyes "like" Procion MX or Cibacron F, while Dylon Washing Machine Dye contains Drimarene K dye in a package that is particularly suitable for use in front-loading washing machines. Drimarene K dye is a good quality fiber reactive dye that can be used just like Procion MX dye, although with slightly higher temperatures (preferably 35 to 50 degrees C., which is 95 to 122 degrees Fahrenheit).

Dylon Washing Machine dye is not available in the US, so I have not used it for this purpose myself, though I have used the Drimarene K dyes it contains. The dye is sold in a color labeled Slate Grey, according to the Dylon web site. In some shops (e.g. FabricUK.com) it appears that this dye is available in a black mixture, but not a grey one. Using half of the recommended quantity of a black dye may produce a grey, or it may produce a dark green, dark purple, or some other color than grey, so it is best to search for a supplier that carries a mixture that has been standardized in a grey color. You can mix in other colors of the same line of dye to get a color that is different from any of those pictured, but this requires trial and error, and can be frustrating for a novice. The Dylon web site includes a "where to buy" page that should help you to find a suitable supplier. You will need to weigh your fabric, dry, to determine how much dye to use. One pack will dye up to 500 g or one pound, to get the pictured color.

Alternatively, you can mail-order other types of fiber reactive dye from other European suppliers. See my list of companies that sell dye in various countries around the world; scroll down to the section containing European sources.