Originally Posted by
JoanneS
Retayne of for setting hand/home dyed fabrics. Synthrapol is for MOST of the ones we buy in fabric stores.
No, not really. Retayne is for setting fiber reactive dyes in any cotton fabric, hand dyed or commercial. It is to be used before the fabric is combined with other fabrics (e.g., made into a quilt or washed with other fabrics), otherwise it may set the dyes from one fabric onto another. Retayne is a 'fixer'.
Synthrapol is a 'scrubber'. It suspends loose dyes (and other chemicals) found on the surface of cotton fabrics so they float away with the wash water. It can be used on hand dyes and commercial fabrics and is generally used for completed quilts when there may be a bleeding issue. It is also used to prepare commercial fabrics for dyeing (i.e., it turns any cotton fabric into PFD...prepared for dyeing).
Neither product is limited to cottons from any particular maker, dyer, source, country, etc.