Originally Posted by
lildinks2013
As someone suggested a terry cloth. Would a terry wash cloth (white) work along with some arm n Hammer on cold cycle? Then maybe set the color with vinegar after that wash?
Vinegar is great for freshening/ disinfecting your laundry, but has no benefit to set modern commercial dyes used on cottons. It is used with acid dyes, like wools& silks- animal based fibers.
Soaking your fabric in soda ash helps the fabric absorb dyes when dyeing fabric, but washes away when laundered, so kind of seems like it wouldn't be very beneficial. Tossing in a white washcloth would do as much or more than a fabric soaked in soda ash.
Visit Dharma Trading Company, they have a lot of helpful information on their site explaining all of the products related to dyeing, dyes, fixatives, etc.
You could also just buy a bottle of synthrapol. Which keeps fugitive dyes suspended in the water so they do not ( bleed) onto other fabrics in the wash. It takes very little, so is cost efficient