How do you treat fabric that bleeds?
 

The Quilting Article today about pre-washing new fabric stated it is important to treat fabric that bleeds with a salt or vinegar rinse to insure colorfastness.

I would like to know how to make the vinegar and/or salt solution that is used to treat bleeding fabrics.

ANY RECIPES OUT THERE IN QUILTING LAND TO SEND TO A NEWBIE TO QUILTING??? Thanks for your help!

copycat

Salt or vinegar won't do a thing to stop chemical dyes from bleeding. They were mordants for organic dyes but organic dyes aren't used anymore.

Bleeding dyes are only a problem if another fabric picks the dye up.

Use Retayne, available at many quilt shops and online, for instance:
http://www.amazon.com/Retayne-Color-...ywords=retayne
Treat the fabric as stated on the label, then wash again. If it still bleeds (rare, but it happens) discard it or use it in a wall hanging!
I agree that vinegar, salt etc. worked in the past on the dies that were used then. Most new chemical dies are not affected by any home made treatments.

I've always used vinegar and it's worked every time. I even made a red and white quilt with JoAnn's Country Classic solids and I've machine washed it since I've finished it and there is not one single spot of red on the white. I just fill put the fabric in the washing machine, dump in half a gallon on white vinegar, fill the machine with cold water just to cover the fabric and let it sit for at least an hour. I then empty out the water, and wash with laundry soap on hot. I throw in a piece of white fabric just to be sure and I've never had a color transfer to the white. I'll probably get flak for this, but, just saying, it has worked for me for years.

This is what I do, too!

I follow the instructions on the Retayne bottle, which includes using very hot water for 20 minutes before rinsing in cool water. With a small piece, I sometimes cheat and do it in the sink without much agitation. However, I do let it soak for at least 20 minutes.

Dayle

I soak the fabric in 140° F water, with Synthrapol added, overnight. This is what a lot of fabric dyers do.

I've not used Retayne yet (have not found it yet) but have had good luck with Synthrapol.

(note: retayne "sets" the dye, Synthrapol will let the fabric bleed but the off cast dye is held in state where it won't adhere to other fabric).

I also wash a second time (without synthrapol) and add a color catcher, then I continue to wash until the color catcher is clean.

I've not found any real rhyme or reason to what colors bleed more, and what fabrics bleed more. I've had reds that bleed a lot, and reds that didn't bleed much (including a red batik). I've had solid black Kona that bled not one bit, and a solid black from Northcott that bled for 3 washes. I've had a stripe bleed for several washes. I've had some batiks not bleed at all. So I handle ALL fabric the same - as if it will bleed, and I keep washing until I have a clean color catcher. I had one bad experience with a multi-colored print from Cothworks that I washed once, added to a quilt, then it bled all over the yellow border. I won't be fooled again.

I use Rit Dye Fixative. It is not carried by JoAnns, Wal-Mart, K-Mart, Hobby Lobby or any other store -- and I've been to all of them in Marion County, Florida. I went online and ordered it directly from the company. The first time I ordered it, it cost me more to ship it than the product actually cost, but that's okay! After putting that much work into a quilt I sure don't want to lose it due to bleeding dyes!

Jeanette Frantz

You can get the it Dye Fixative on Amazon -- it qualifies for Prime shipping if you have that.

And did you test all those fabrics first to see if they actually were bleeders to begin with? Why go through that whole process if the fabric is not going to bleed anyway? Vinegar will definitely result in no bleeding if the fabric wasn't going to bleed in the first place.

It is a chemical impossibility for vinegar (or salt) to prevent todays dyes from bleeding. You have simply been lucky, not used any bleeders, and gone to a lot of extra trouble.


ETA: And what is this Quilting Article that is spreading VERY outdated information to our novice quilters?

I stand by my post about vinegar! I soak all dark fabrics in vinegar before I prewash. Why would I prewash the fabric, only to risk it possibly fading before I soak it in vinegar? The "whole process" takes about 5 minutes of my actual time as I don't stand there and watch it soak for an hour. Unless you have tried vinegar and had it fail, you are spreading false information about vinegar and advocating dumping more chemicals into our already polluted water supply. I knew I would get flak about this, but, as I said, vinegar has NEVER failed me and I buy a lot of fabric at JoAnn's, WalMart, and Hobby Lobby. Again, I suugest you not knock vinegar unless you've tried it and had it fail. Geez!

How do you keep your water temperature at 140°?

Thanks! (:

I'm still wondering why we even need to have this discussion about commercially dyed fabrics!

Other than getting the excess dye rinsed out, why should we have to spend more money to finish the manufacturer's job?

Vinegar WILL work on acid dyes, however acid dyes are never used on cotton anymore. Acid dyes are used on protein fibers...wool, silk, alpaca, etc. Vinegar has NO effect on the fiber reactive dyes used on celulose fibers...cotton, linen, etc. Do the research...the information is not false, it is fact. The choice to use it or not is up to each individual.
http://www.pburch.net/dyeing/FAQ/settingdye.shtml
http://www.pburch.net/dyeing/FAQ/lightfastness.shtml

And I just googled over 400,000 sites that says it works, and that's a fact, too. Whatever, again, I'll keep using my vinegar as it's worked for over 50 years for me and y'all do what you want, but, please, stop responding to my posts.

I heat it on the stove. I know a few quilters who love to dye, they set their water heater temps that high, but I have kids who aren't always paying attention when they get in the shower.

If I was doing my "OWN" dying, I think taking all these extra steps would be fine and dandy.

In my opinion, if a commercially dyed fabric doesn't stop releasing dye after two or three rinses or washes, it's defective and should be returned to the store.

(Unless there is a disclaimer on the end of the bolt - Madras plaids used to notorious for bleeding - but there was a statement to that effect on the end of the bolt. I don't know if they still are or not - )

I use Retayne for all my reds, blacks and blues. Let soak in the sink with super hot water then wash in hot water with color catchers. No bleeding on the color catchers when it comes out of the dryer.