Faiding RED---Help
 

I am working on a quilt and bought a bright "Husker" Red for the backing and it is fadeing. I have washed it a couple of times soaked it in salt water. Soaked it in vinegar. ......What can i do now. I have used the same fabric in a dark blue and it didn't fade at all so i thought it would be OK.....WRONG! Suggestions Please!

You can try a product called Retayne which will set the dye. Vinegar and salt will only work to set a dye if it's an organic dye.

If you use Retayne, I would still give it one more wash with a color catcher just to check the color catcher is clean.

Or ... if you can't find Retayne ... just keep washing in HOT water and use either a color catcher or Synthrapol to catch the dye - otherwise the dye just keeps creeping back into the fabric. Keep washing until you have a clear color catcher.

Some people will give up on reds if they continue to bleed ... I won't. I'll just keep washing and washing and washing.

Reds can be buggers some times.

If you use the Retayne it will also set the red that has bled onto the other fabrics - ask me how I know :0(
So then I washed the Retayne out using HOT water, and I ended up using Synthrapol. It kept the red from bleeding any more, but it faded all of the beautiful batiks too.
Huge reminder to prewash fabrics, especially reds.

The products mentioned here are all good ones. If you haven't already quilted the sandwich, consider another fabric color choice. Better to not use the red fabric and risk ruining the quilt top.

if you can not find retayne locally you can purchase it from Dharma Trading company on line- Rit also makes a 'Dye Fixative' I recently bought a bottle at the local Joannes when i ran out of Retayne half way through a large dye job- it worked too. Reds are generally the most difficult dye to set- and as DogHouseMom stated vinegar & salt are simply wasting money on the dyes of today- they worked way back in the 70's & before- but in the late 70's dyes changed- due to (epa regulations) among other reasons...the new dyes are created differently & require different techniques. Retayne sets dyes, Synthropol suspends dyes in the water- meaning it will not stop a dye from running-but when it does run it will keep it from getting on other fabrics in the water- it keeps the dye suspended in the water.

Hope it helps it is in the wash again with color catchers.