How To Make Your Own Color Catchers. Tips?
 

I think that color catchers are amazing things to have around the laundry area and to help with bleeder fabrics. The problem for me is that our local stores don't carry them. So, I think that I might make my own. I looked up some "recipes" online and came up with using soda ash (washing soda) and water, soaking some scrap fabric, or felt, in it and letting the scraps air dry. OK, so how much soda do I need? Where do I get the soda ash? Anyone else every tried this? If so, tips are welcome. Thanks.

~ Cindy

Dharma Trading sells soda ash, but I don't think that is really what you want. I think a bottle of synthrapol would be a better choice for washing away excess dye.

Seems like it would be easier to just order Color Catchers online. I just checked Amazon and you can get them. I'm sure there are other resources. I'm a HUGE fan of online shopping.

Some of the stores don't know how to stock them in various shelves. Our local grocery and local Walmart have them in different locations all the time. Some of the discount stores have them. When I see them I buy atleast 2-3 boxes. I also use them over. I have done a quick wash in dish detergent like Dawn. Then rinse well til clear and reuse.

Walmart carries them and cost less. Do you have one nearby?

A non treated organic white cotton terry cloth will work to grab colors. The original catchers were made from this, no chemicals at all. But that fabric is expensive so may as well by the paper color catchers. Purex has a new no sorting detergent. No color catcher needed. Soda Ash is sold at pool supply stores. In grocery stores it is Arm and Hammer Super Washing Soda.

I know...I could buy them online, but now I'm intrigued about making them myself. I would imagine that would be the cheaper route and they seem pretty easy to make. I'll try Dharma for the soda ash. I found a recipe that called for only 1 tablespoon of soda ash to 1 cup of water. You just soak the fabric in the solution and let them air dry. The instructions called for felt, but I'm thinking of using an old, ripped, cotton towel.
~Cindy

A build up of soda ash in the wash will make your clothes very odd feeling over time and towels very nonabsorbent. It doesn't rinse out easy.

Interesting thread! How do the color catchers work? Someone suggested terry cloth....and other solutions. I use the CC's and have wondered just how they work.

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?

I get mine at Walmart so cheap that it wouldn't be worth my time to try to make them.

Here is a site with recipe for home made color catchers.


http://www.onegoodthingbyjillee.com/...-catchers.html

I would be worried that a home made concoction may damage a quilt. After spending all that money on materials and putting in all that time, spending a buck or two for a color catcher seems like a wise investment.

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

You can order Shout Color Catchers on the WalMart website to be shipped to your house.....box of 24 for just over $4.

I use a dye-setting product (not synthrapol) that I purchase online -- it's not expensive -- costs more to ship than the product costs per unit -- so I buy several bottles at a time, with the same shipping cost! I have no financial interest in the company that makes the product -- it's Ritz Dye Fixative and IT WORKS! I am particularly careful with full vibrant colors -- those are the ones most likely to bleed, but I check them all! It's worth the extra step and accomplishes two safety things in one operation -- if you dye-set your fabric, you're also causing it to shrink (if the fabric is prone to shrinkage), and you're also guaranteeing that your dyes will NOT bleed. Come to think of it, it also accomplishes fade prevention! JMHO!

Jeanette

I have been making mine as directed on the following web site. The white felt from Joann, arm and hammer washing soda from Walmart. You don't need the big box. Very pleased with it and can't tell the difference between mine and the purchased.

http://www.livingonadime.com/homemad...chers-laundry/

the soda ash from Dharma Trading is a dye fixative, it's what makes the dye stay in the fabric, otherwise it will wash out so that may be what you're looking for, it's not that expensive, I but it in a 10 lb. bag for my hand dyed fabrics, give it a try

Wal Mart carries these at great prices, Plus you can order online at the WM site.

Look carefully. Ask. I find it hard to believe you cannot find some brand of "color catchers" in California.

I am watching this thread with great interest. I am planning a red and white Irish chain. I do not usually prewash, but may with this to avoid a problem.

I also have been trying to find color catchers, you mention Walmart, what brand do they carry and what area did you find them in. I use to buy them at Joann's but have not been able to find them anymore. The brand I use to use was Cardona and it was a cloth that you used up to 30 times with a little wheel to mark off each time it got used. I used them many more than the 30 times and loved them but have not found them anywhere.

In order to save time, I would put the fels naptha soap chunk, along with about 4 cups of the water, into the blender and blend well. It doesn't really suds up, so that should work. Haven't tried it, just an idea. Maybe it would be better to cut up the soap into large chunks instead of putting in the one big chunk.

Well...California IS a pretty big state and I live out in the boonies. I could drive 3 hours to the city, but why?

~ C

I had been using the reusable color and dirt grabber by Carbona. As another person said it is made from terry cloth. I have been searching everywhere for them. Yesterday I found them at the grand opening of a new Hancock's Fabric here in Georgia.

I have been using a 100% cotton white terry cloth hand towel. This works great. The "old catchers" that I use to buy was a white terry towel. You do not need the soda ash.

If it a new quilt with a dark color,I use BLUE DAWN soap and a dye fixative,yes it works. I put the soap on the terry towel,use cold water only and wash on reg cycle. I have a front loader machine. The excess dye floats in the water and when the quilt is in a top loader for some reason the dye attaches to the quilt. The front loader the dye does not float.

For the first wash I would take it laundry mat and use their front loader machines. when you take the quilt out of the machine and you see any dye run off..wash it again with the soap and cold water. DO NOT DRY the quilt til all dye has been removed. It might take 2-3 washes.This will work

[QUOTE=tropit;7063011]Well...California IS a pretty big state and I live out in the boonies. I could drive 3 hours to the city, but why?

~ C[/QUOT

..but you must have some sort of grocery, supplies stores nearby....I live in a rural area...most stores 25 miles in any direction, but there is a walgreens and privately owned grocery store( well stocked) in town.....and I must admit, next town over...about 8 miles, does have a Walmart.....just curious.....

Off topic, but check out the cute curtains hanging behind her little clothesline of color catchers, if you scroll down, she gives link how to make em, sew cute! Would be darling for a sewing room!

You can get color catchers at the Dollar Tree, and General Dollar in my area. I have used the soda ash before when dyeing fabric, it helps set the color. We found it in the store where you buy the dye.

I buy them on Amazon; or sometimes at Joann's if I can't find anything else to burn up a 50% off coupon on.

Target carries them too, but as someone else said they seem to migrate around. Sometimes it's with laundry detergents, sometimes I find them an aisle over with the starches.

I have seen Carbona products in our Hancock's store. However, I frequently find Shout Color Catchers at estate sales - always really cheap there.

I did a google search to find the differene between washing soda and sosa ash. You need to use 2.7 times as much soda to get the same results as soda ash.

Super Walmarts carry them. At least in FL they do. You don't have one of those within driving distance?

Some stores carry their own brand. Our WalMart has a housebrand of color catchers. they are usually near the laundry or dish soap products.