Name: Mehar
Message: What is cold water dye and how is it used? I have Dylon cold dye and I want to use it.

Cold water dye refers to any dye which does not require very hot water for fixation. It does not necessarily mean using water that feels cool to the touch.

Most of the dyes in the Dylon Cold Water Dyes line are Procion MX dyes; one or two are from other classes of cool water reactive dyes. They work well on cotton, linen, rayon, and silk; they will not work on polyester. See the Dye Forum posting from September 27, 2006, entitled "more about Dylon Cold Water Dyes".

Unlike Dylon Permanent Dyes, the Dylon Cold Dyes require the addition of separate dye fixative, which is either soda ash or another high-pH chemical. You can use the Dylon brand, called Dylon Cold Fix, or you can use any other brand of soda ash or sodium carbonate for this purpose.

The best temperature of water to use for dyeing with Dylon Cold Dye is between 75° to 95°F (24° to 35°C). Higher temperatures are also acceptable, but temperatures below 70°F (21°C) should be avoided.

The instructions on the "Hand Dyeing - How to Do It: basic recipe for Procion MX dyes on cellulose or silk" page will work fine with Dylon Cold Dye. (They must be amended slightly for use with Dylon Permanent dye, which is a different kind of reactive dye with the auxiliary chemicals already added.)


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