You're going to have to use Retayne. Salt and vinegar will NOT do any thing at all for modern chemical dyes.

I use Kona cotton a lot, and never had a problem. I think you got a bad bolt. It should not turn your water pink after all those washing. I would take it back.

Ditto.

I found this it may be helpful


Retayne actually SETS errant dyes so they'll stop bleeding, the Synthropal
"floats" out any unfixed dye and keeps it from "fixing" itself onto areas
of the fabric that you don't want to be stained. I used my entire gallon of
retayne as a "prewash" for my new fabrics, Now that it's gone, I'm using
the synthropal for the same purpose. Just from my own "bleeding thread"
experience, I'd say try it first with the Synthropal - you don't wnat to
"fix" the dye that's already moved to the wrong areas of the quilt, you
want to "float" it away. Mary Beth

Synthrapol is a "super surfactant" meaning it scours fibers of sizing, oils
and other stuff that might interfere with dyeing. You use it to prewash
fabric prior to dyeing. Its other function is to remove UNREACTED dye from
fiber after you finish dyeing something. So dyers wash freshly dyed
material in it to get rid of unreacted dye--which is the cause of most
bleeds. Synthrapol DOES NOT work to set dyes. The soda ash or salt that you
add to the dyebath has that function. What it does do is get rid of excess
dye that will, if not removed, bleed the next time the fabric is wetted. So
the Pro people were right -- it doesn't set dyes. But you still need it if
you want to use it to prewash quilt fabric to remove any unreacted dye
before you put the fabric in a quilt. It would be heaven if all fabric
manufacturers used something like Synthrapol to remove the bleeds. But they
don't. And some intentionally leave the excess dye in the fabric to make it
appear darker when you buy it. So that's why prewashing with Synthrapol is
a good idea for suspicious fabrics or even those that you can see will
bleed a little.

Trivia story which does nothing to solve your problem: I have a pair of pink pants (made in Bangladesh, I think); they started out red and bleed every time I wash them; I can only wash them with other reds and I've had these pants for over 15 years; I can't even guess at how many times they've been laundered. My DH wants them burned, but I love them; they're thick & soft & comfy. I bought a green pair at the same time ... made in the same country; now they're a sort of pukey brown after being washed and bled for so many years.

If Retayne does not work magic, I think you need to find some other use for your red fabric and replace it with one that does not continually bleed. This sort of thing is how I learned the hard way to never throw away my sales receipts.

Bella Boo: What great detailed info. Thank you very much.

So as I read it then, since this isn't a whole quilt where the red has bled into white (for example) but yardage of red fabric, Retayne should be what you want because you want to set the dye...am I correct?

You may even have to treat your fabric more than once with the Retayne. I've had to with some reds before & I also use the Color Catchers as well. Just stay with it. It will be worth it once you get the problem fixed, so you can use your fabric.

I don't know, by the time you use the water and power to wash the fabric a dozen time you could have bought a different brand.

I agree.

I am surprised that it was a Kona cotton that has such bad manners.

I've had several reds (from years ago) and they behaved well.