Can anyone tell me how you go about using this product on a queen size quilt......With a front opening washer??! I have a black, white, and red BB2 that I would like to use it on, but........

go to the laundry mat and do it in a top load machine.

be sure to follow directions completely regarding how much fabric to how much retayne - you might need more then one bottle depending on how heavy this is.

Yep don't think it would work in the front loading washer.

Yikes!!! You ***never*** want to use Retayne on a finished quilt! If anything bleeds, Retayne will permanently set the bleed! Retayne should only be used on fabric yardage, not on a finished quilt.

Most likely what you want to use is Synthrapol, which suspends unset dye particles in the water so they can be rinsed away instead of settling into other fabric.

Ordinarily, to wash a queen-size quilt, I would take it to the laundromat and use their largest front-loading washing machine. However, when you are using Synthrapol, you really need as much water as possible in order for all of the unset dye particles to stay in the water. For that you need a top-loader. However, you also need to be able to skip the agitation cycles; I'm not sure you can do that in a laundromat. You might need to find a friend or relative with a top-loader.

With a top-loader, what you want to do is half-fill the tub with water, add the Synthrapol and mix it in, then add your quilt and the rest of the water. Stop the machine so it does not agitate (hard on the quilt), and hand agitate instead by pushing down on the quilt. (Because Synthrapol requires hot water, you may need rubber gloves for this.) After you have hand agitated, skip forward to the spin cycle and spin out the wash water. Fill with rinse water, again stop the machine and hand agitate, then skip ahead to the spin cycle. You want two rinses and spins.

An important thing to remember is that you do not want damp fabric sitting on damp fabric for any length of time, as this will encourage "crocking" (movement of dye from one fabric to another). It's important not to let the wet or damp quilt sit in the washing machine. When done, immediately spread it out to dry (or tumble dry, preferably in a large laundromat dryer).

That is how I would do it, anyway.

Do you have any scraps of the original fabric to test? If so, I would do a test wash on the fabrics all together to get an idea of how much bleeding there may or may not be. You could have anything from a combo that does not bleed at all to a never-ending-bleeding red. A test would give you a lot of information about how careful you need to be. The more bleeding there is, the more water you need with the Synthrapol (and the more Synthrapol you need).

good advice, prism99

:thumbup:

Thank you all very much. And thank you Prism99 for taking time to give me further info so I do not ruin my quilt. Yes, I have scraps and will take your advise. I did wash the red a couple of times before cutting, etc. so hopefully any bleeding it had in it is all out of it's system!! That would be the best case senario.

I spoke with the rep from ProChem( company that makes Retayne, synthrapol, etc.) at MQX, and she was very specific that it is a bad idea to use any high-efficiency washer, whether top or front loading. She said a bathtub would work though..seems like a lot of physical work, I would rather borrow a regular washer from someone!

For next time -

It seems like it would be so much easier - and less nerve-wracking - to have washed your fabrics and gotten the excess color out of them - BEFORE cutting them.

That is exactly the advise I would give!

I think many get how to use Retayne and Synthropol confused.

Your advice on "how to" (and when to) is very helpful.

I would just test the fabric scraps...might not need to be washed...and if it does need washing..wait until the quilt is DONE and then wash with a couple of dye catchers..much easier...

I am with you!! The quilt is heavy dry so I don't know if I could even lift it wet!!! Thank you soooo much for checking on this aspect. Unfortunately all the friends I have with top-loading machines also all have high-efficiency machines as well. Guess I won't be using either of these! Just hope my multiple washes before starting the project will be sufficient.

wow, Retayne is usually done on fabrics to maintain the colors. Synthrapol is to lift excess colors and have them go away with the rinse water.
good luck.

That is why I prewash all my fabric. No surprises later.

Do the "dye catchers" have a name? Where do I find them?
Can they be used in a front load = HE washing machine?

I used one called Carbona. It is good for 30 washed and yes I used it in my front load HE washing machine.

I use the Shout dye catchers, which are one-time use. They come in a small box in the laundry area of Walmart, grocery store, etc. Here's a link to it on Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Shout-Color-Ca.../dp/B0000DIWJF

The box is only about 6x8 inches and 2 inches deep, so it can be easy to miss when you are looking up and down the laundry aisle. Once I fnally located them, they've been easy to find.

I just wanted to add that dye-catchers are not a total substitute for Synthrapol. The dye-catchers work fine when there isn't too much dye to be caught.

And yes, Skid, you can use the Shout dye catchers in a front-loader.

It is fine to use the Color Catchers more than once. Until they get really "dirty" with dye, I use them several times. Often they only get a pastel color...lay them out to dry (or in the dryer with the load of clothes) and just reuse them.

Just wondering if you could use retayne on new clothing, for example black cotton clothes that seem to fade quickly. I think there is/was a detergent just for dark clothes to help prevent fading. I remember a commercial with the person trying to fade the clothes to make it look like they were wearing them and it never faded after several washes.

Anyway, the question is has anyone used retayne to keep clothes from fading?
Thanks, Jenny

Excellent info! I wash my large ones in the bathtub, using a white sheet underneath the quilt to lift it out so as not to put any strain on the quilt threads or fabric

Exactly my idea also.

I have seen that at JoAnns - Thank you very much!!!

A front load washer doesn't ever have the needed amount of water to have the correct ratio of water to Retayne. Either find a friend that has an extra capacity top load washer or go to a laundry mat that has the top load extra capacity. Remember it needs to be washed with very hot water to work, not sure if that can happen at a laundry mat.

I have used Retayne on a red and white quilt w/red flannel backing that I was concerned about running. I have a very old Magtag wringer washer and I put the correct gallons of very hot water in, added the Retayne and mixed it in, added the quilt and let it agitate for 30 minutes. The water become a very light pink and I was scared to death but as soon as I could I took it out of the water, put it though a rinse and spin in my top loader and dried it damp dry in dryer and then air dried on a rack. Had absolutely no color running at all. THEN and only then did I began to breathe again. LOL

prism99 thanks for the reply on this one. I always get retayne and synthropol mixed up in my head with which one to use, when and how to use it.

I've been wanting to get both but haven't yet. Dharma charges like $15 for shipping and there goes my 'fabric $', LOL.

Just add 1 cup of white vinegar to your wash load and nothing will run. Why pay $$$$ for chemicals that require so much attention. I put it in with the soap and downey and nothing has ever run and I get it by the gallon at the grocery store for just over a dollar!

Wow! This sounds like it would not matter what kind of machine either (high efficiency/front loading)!! Fabulous!! Thank you.

Vinegar sets some types of organic dyes. The problem with it these days is that almost all fabric is dyed with chemicals that are unresponsive to vinegar in terms of setting the dye.

I pre wash all my fabric also, to avoid any problems.

Good advice about Retayne. I washed some teal fabric and used Retayne and did not realize that a pair of cotton panties had been left in the washer. Now I have a beautiful pair of teal panties. Pretty sexy, huh??