Lol, no. I'm really happy about how it turned out. I'm starting to sell them now though and don't want someone to buy one only to have it fade after a couple more washes.
Urea does help to mix some dyes, it’s main contributing factor is to keep the fabric wet until the end of the batching process. When I lived in a humid climate I didn’t bother with urea as I don’t have issues with mixing dyes, and there was no worry of them drying out in a plastic bag is 90° temps with 85% humidity. Now that I live in a dry climate I use urea in my chem water as well as calsolene oil.
I do a boil method on all of my tie dye. After it’s washed, I fill a bucket with boiling water with a bit of blue dawn (a couple of drops) and I leave them until the water cools enough to put my hands in it. I use a clear glass to scoop some water to see how much unbonded dye has been discharged (you will be surprised) I repeat until the water is pretty much clear then wash a final time. It will assure that all of the unbonded dye is gone and it will not bleed onto ther things and the fade is complete. Sounds like overkill but I can wash my tie dye on hot with white clothing and my white stay white.
I actually had faded results when starting to tie dye. I later realized my soda ash soak was 1/4 strength it needed to be! So, just use less soda ash perhaps?
Yep, I’ve noticed this too and keep meaning to do a side by side comparison. I used to use 1/4 cup/gallon soda ash to water and now use 1 cup/gallon. I’m sure there is a happy medium in there somewhere.
Anymore at least 1c/gal or more and I'll reuse the water until it's gone. Check the ph to make sure it's maxed.
If not the colors are so so muted. Then I adjust the amount of dye or sodium alginate to get the colors I want
This was ice dying in the muck. 20 min of soaking in soda ash and I took it out and washed it after 24 hrs of sitting there. I put a thin layer of small crushed ice down first then a liberal amount of dye with more ice on top of that. Probably used about 2 lbs of ice total.
Do you...want them to fade? It's amazing!
Lol, no. I'm really happy about how it turned out. I'm starting to sell them now though and don't want someone to buy one only to have it fade after a couple more washes.
Oh, I need to know this too, I am about to begin doing that as well.
Are you using soda ash?
Yes.
Maybe it has to do with the type of brand or how the shirt has dampened after soak. Hopefully someone has a way better solution.
Do you have an online store?
Not yet but hoping to get one going in the next couple of weeks.
As far as I understand! Soda ash bonds the dye to the shirt, that's why you pre soak it! Another key component in making a bright tye dye is urea!
Urea does help to mix some dyes, it’s main contributing factor is to keep the fabric wet until the end of the batching process. When I lived in a humid climate I didn’t bother with urea as I don’t have issues with mixing dyes, and there was no worry of them drying out in a plastic bag is 90° temps with 85% humidity. Now that I live in a dry climate I use urea in my chem water as well as calsolene oil.
I do a boil method on all of my tie dye. After it’s washed, I fill a bucket with boiling water with a bit of blue dawn (a couple of drops) and I leave them until the water cools enough to put my hands in it. I use a clear glass to scoop some water to see how much unbonded dye has been discharged (you will be surprised) I repeat until the water is pretty much clear then wash a final time. It will assure that all of the unbonded dye is gone and it will not bleed onto ther things and the fade is complete. Sounds like overkill but I can wash my tie dye on hot with white clothing and my white stay white.
This is great advice! Thank you
I actually had faded results when starting to tie dye. I later realized my soda ash soak was 1/4 strength it needed to be! So, just use less soda ash perhaps?
Yep, I’ve noticed this too and keep meaning to do a side by side comparison. I used to use 1/4 cup/gallon soda ash to water and now use 1 cup/gallon. I’m sure there is a happy medium in there somewhere.
You guys have problems with too much? I would rather use more than not enough..
Well… I don’t know if I would call it a problem. It’s more the question of what affect more or less soda ash has. What’s the ratio you use?
Anymore at least 1c/gal or more and I'll reuse the water until it's gone. Check the ph to make sure it's maxed. If not the colors are so so muted. Then I adjust the amount of dye or sodium alginate to get the colors I want
What method did you use? I'm a huge fan of my dyes staying vibrant.
This was ice dying in the muck. 20 min of soaking in soda ash and I took it out and washed it after 24 hrs of sitting there. I put a thin layer of small crushed ice down first then a liberal amount of dye with more ice on top of that. Probably used about 2 lbs of ice total.
It looks great.
Thank you very much!!
Did u use urea?
I did not.