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Member since 7/9/10
Posts: 9
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Posted on: 7/5/11 0:37 AM ET
I bought a beautiful aquamarine cotton/silk fabric to make into a dress. During prewashing, a lot of dye came out ... and is still coming out. I've soaked and rinsed it 4-5 times so far*, including a couple of salty water soakings, and the dye seepage shows no sign of abating. Normally, I'd soak and then rinse until the water was clear ... but that just isn't happening!

Some websites say to use salt &/or vinegar, but others say that doesn't work. (Adding salt certainly didn't for me!)

Any ideas?



(*note: I didn't put it through the washing machine)
  
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Member since 7/1/08
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Posted on: 7/5/11 8:49 AM ET
In reply to dizrythmic
If the salt didn't work then I would try the vinegar. After that - it may just be a "bleeder" and you'll have to just know it.
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Sewing: A creative mess is better than tidy idleness. ~Author Unknown
  
Member since 8/26/07
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Posted on: 7/5/11 9:30 AM ET
I have had good results with a product called Retayne. Not sure if it's available there in NZ- try the quilting store for it or something similar.
  
Member since 11/7/09
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Posted on: 7/5/11 11:08 AM ET
In reply to dizrythmic
I recently bought a few yards of red cotton fabric to use in making pillowcases. I soaked it twice in vinegar and salt water and it still ran badly. I went to various stores, including a quilting store and could not find Retayne. Finally I ordered it from Joann's. I did a test applique with a scrap of the red fabric on a white t-shirt, then washed it, and saw no dye transfer, so I assume it worked.
-- Edited on 7/5/11 10:04 PM --
  
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Posted on: 7/5/11 1:03 PM ET
In reply to Invisigal
Nice to know! Thanks for posting.
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Sewing: A creative mess is better than tidy idleness. ~Author Unknown
  
Member since 3/11/03
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Posted on: 7/5/11 3:00 PM ET
Did you try a soak in soda ash? When the dye is running, are you noticing an appreciably lighter color of your fabric? If so, it sounds like the dye didn't fix to the fibers. I would use a sale and soda ash bath. Typically you need 3 cups of salt and 1/3 cup of soda ash per pound of fabric.
  
Member since 3/16/07
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Posted on: 7/5/11 9:49 PM ET
In reply to dizrythmic
I was having this problem recently with a set of sheets. I don't remember all the information I found, but I do remember that if indigo is suffering from "dry crocking", then you're just out of luck. That is the color transfer that takes place from overly, poorly, cheaply dyed indigo when the fabric is dry.

If you search for "dry crocking", you'll get some knowledgeable sites about dye fixing.

As I recall, Retayne and Synthrapol are good general purpose solutions for other dye-fixing problems. I believe both are available by internet purchase from Manhattan Wardrobe Supplies
  
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