Originally Posted by
snipforfun
Synthropol is for hand dyed fabrics and Retyne is for commercially dyed fabric. They both work well for their specific uses
This is not completely accurate if you are speaking to someone who is not dyeing their own fabrics. Dyers use Synthrapol during the dyeing process, but not Retayne, because they set their dyes with the product intended for the particular dye they are using. The statement is very confusing to the average quilter.
Synthrapol suspends loose (excess) dyes and other chemicals in the wash water so they do not adhere to other fabrics and are washed away with the rinse water. It is for use on any cotton fabric and is often used by quilters for completed quilts. It can also be used to prepare fabric for dyeing because it strips commercial fabrics of the finishing chemicals.
Retayne is an anti-bleeding rinse used to fix dyes during washing. It is for use on cotton fabrics before they are made into quilts because it will set loose dye on
any fabric in the same wash load. It will not necessarily set the blue to the blue and the yellow to the yellow in your finished quilt.