Lady Dye - Fabric Dye - Cold Water Dye - Cocoa
COLD WATER MACHINE WASH:
Get prepared
Although all our dyes are non-toxic, care should always be taken when handling any chemicals
Avoid prolonged inhalation of dye powder, as this can cause an allergic reaction in some people
If you are concerned about the appearance of your hands, wear latex gloves for protection against temporary skin staining
Read and stick to the instructions
Make sure you have all of the required equipment before you start, and enough time to complete the process
Please make sure that your washing machine:
ROTATES AUTOMATICALLY during heating to ensure even dyeing
If it does not rotate automatically, interrupt the cycle periodically and turn the switch to rotate
After a few rotations, resume the heating stage
Prepare the fabric
Identify the fabric type before dyeing
Natural fabrics dye best (cotton is the best); other fabrics give mixed results
Poly-cotton mixtures give reduced shades and can result in blotchy results
Synthetic and acrylic fabrics cannot be successfully dyed in the home (these require very high temperature and pressure conditions not attainable in the home)
Silk can be dyed under specific conditions (you will have to use an acidic agent, like vinegar)
Wool can be dyed, but we do not recommend it, as the high temperatures often cause shrinkage and shape loss of the garment
Weigh the fabric before dyeing it
The weight of the fabric determines how much dye you should use
Each pack of Lady Dye fabric dye is designed to dye 250g of dry fabric to the shade indicated on the pack
Varying the amount of dye to fabric ratio will make for lighter or darker shades (i.e. 1 pack of Lady Dye fabric dye to less than 250g of dry fabric will result in darker shades, whereas 1 pack of Lady Dye fabric dye to more than 250g of dry fabric will result in lighter shades)
If your garment weighs less than 250g, use a proportional amount of dye and water (e.g. if your garments weighs 125g, use half the pack of dye and half the amount of water. See Weighing Table for more detail)
Get the fabric ready for dyeing
Wash all fabric before dyeing (any impurities will affect the dyeing process); this is true for both brand new and old fabrics
The closer to white the fabric, the better (Lady Dye Colour Remover or a bleach and water solution are recommended)
Prepare the solutions
Make up the dye solution
Boil 1 litre of water for every sachet of Lady Dye fabric dye
Dissolve the dye powder in the water you have just boiled (making a paste with some of the water first helps)
Strain the solution through a cloth into another container large enough to contain your fabric AND the dye bath solution (a large pot is best). Please note that the cloth that you strain the solution through will be discoloured by the process, so a clean, old cloth is best)
This solution is now what we call the Dye Solution
Make up the salt solution
Boil another 1 litre of water for every sachet of Lady Dye fabric dye used
Dissolve 4 tablespoons (60ml) of salt for every sachet of Lady Dye fabric dye used; make sure the salt dissolves completely
Dye the fabric
Dye the garment
Strain the dye solution through a cloth into a jug
Pour this directly into the washing machine drum
Pour the salt solution directly into washing machine drum as well
Run through the cycle for 15 to 20 minutes. DO NOT INCLUDE A PREWASH
Fix the colour
Interrupt the cycle (i.e. turn off the machine but leave the wash cycle dial in its current position)
Dissolve the sachet of fixative in 1 litre of boiling water
Add this fixative solution through the detergent chamber of the washing machine
Re-start the machine and run for another 50 minutes
Fabric needs to be in the dye solution for at least 50 minutes. You may need to run another cycle if the current cycle is too short
At the end of the cycle, reset the machine to do a normal warm water wash with washing powder
COLD WATER HAND WASH:
Get prepared
Although all our dyes are non-toxic, care should always be taken when handling any chemicals
Avoid prolonged inhalation of dye powder, as this can cause an allergic reaction in some people
If you are concerned about the appearance of your hands, wear latex gloves for protection against temporary skin staining
Read and stick to the instructions
Make sure you have all of the required equipment before you start, and enough time to complete the process
Prepare the fabric
Identify the fabric type before dyeing
Natural fabrics dye best (cotton is the best); other fabrics give mixed results
Poly-cotton mixtures give reduced shades and can result in blotchy results
Synthetic and acrylic fabrics cannot be successfully dyed in the home (these require very high temperature and pressure conditions not attainable in the home)
Silk can be dyed under specific conditions (you will have to use an acidic agent, like vinegar)
Wool can be dyed, but we do not recommend it, as the high temperatures often cause shrinkage and shape loss of the garment
Weigh the fabric before dyeing it
The weight of the fabric determines how much dye you should use
Each pack of Lady Dye fabric dye is designed to dye 250g of dry fabric to the shade indicated on the pack
Varying the amount of dye to fabric ratio will make for lighter or darker shades (i.e. 1 pack of Lady Dye fabric dye to less than 250g of dry fabric will result in darker shades, whereas 1 pack of Lady Dye fabric dye to more than 250g of dry fabric will result in lighter shades)
If your garment weighs less than 250g, use a proportional amount of dye and water (e.g. if your garments weighs 125g, use half the pack of dye and half the amount of water. See Weighing Table for more detail)
Get the fabric ready for dyeing
Wash all fabric before dyeing (any impurities will affect the dyeing process); this is true for both brand new and old fabrics
The closer to white the fabric, the better (Lady Dye Colour Remover or a bleach and water solution are recommended)
Prepare the dye bath
Make up the dye solution
Boil 1 litre of water for every sachet of Lady Dye fabric dye
Dissolve the dye powder in the water you have just boiled (making a paste with some of the water first helps)
Strain the solution through a cloth into another container large enough to contain your fabric AND the dye bath solution (a large pot is best). Please note that the cloth that you strain the solution through will be discoloured by the process, so a clean, old cloth is best)
This solution is now what we call the Dye Solution
Make up the salt solution
Boil another 1 liter of water for every sachet of Lady Dye fabric dye used
Dissolve 4 tablespoons (60ml) of salt for every sachet of Lady Dye fabric dye used; make sure the salt dissolves completely
Make up the dye bath
Add the dye solution to the salt solution
Add enough cold water to cover the article to be dyed (up to a maximum of 3 litres per sachet of Lady Dye fabric dye)
Well done - your dye bath is now ready!
Dye the fabric
Dye the garment
Wet your fabric
Immerse the garment in the dye bath
Put the dye bath onto the stove and slowly heat it
The shades of colour are best close to 60°C, but do not heat beyond this
Move the fabric around continuously so that the dye can penetrate all the folds and creases (it also ensure an even distribution of heat, and thus colouration)
Keep the garment fully submerged for the duration of the dyeing process (at least 20 minutes)
Fix the colour
Dissolve the fixative (provided in the Lady Dye box) in 250ml of boiling water; this is called the fixative solution
Lift the fabric out of the dye bath (you can hold it above the dye bath) whilst you add the fixative solution; stir this into the dye bath
Lower the fabric back into the dye bath
Keep the temperature to as close to 60°C as possible
Move the fabric around for approximately another 45 minutes
Rinse in cold water until the water runs clear
Warm wash with washing powder
Re-rinse
Dry