Washing Batiks
 

I have heard that batiks bleed a lot and need to be pre-washed. Does each color need to be washed separately, or can darks be washed with other darks and lights with other lights?

I'm thinking of a dark blue and a dark green together or a yellow and orange together. Do they wash okay together, or do they absorb some of the color of the other quilt? I'm trying to minimize my washing but don't want to mess them up.

Many thanks

I washed darks together, then washed the lights together. The only ones I did separately were the dark reds, but not sure this was necessary, but they did bleed the most of all. Oh and I washed all of them with color catchers.

I would separate darks and lights. To help prevent any bleeds settling into lighter fabrics I would wash with Synthropol and LOTS of hot water. Many modern washers do not use enough water to completely flush excess dye from over-saturated fabrics. If you have a domestic front loader or low-water top loader it's better to either soak the fabrics in the tub overnight or use a commercial laundromat's front loader.

I would do as Prism99 suggests. I think I would wash orange separately in the sink as reds bleed a lot and orange has red in it.

I've always washed my lights and darks (separated) together. Even the orange/red ones and not had issues. I look at fabric as just regular 'laundry'.

ok, now I have a dilemma. I have both Retayne and Synthropol. I always use Retayne to pre-wash fabrics to set the color (with plenty of hot water). I understand where you are coming from, Prism, using Synthopol to try to pick up any loose color that may float around to prevent it was being absorbed by other fabrics. Understand my dilemma? I thought, and maybe incorrectly, that Synthropol was for using on pieced quilts whose fabrics were not pre-washed. Prism, when would you use Retayne, or don't you?

You are exactly right, Maureen...and so is Prism. It just depends on the goal...solving the problem (Retayne) or just treating it (Synthrapol). Retayne sets the color and Synthropol merely keeps it suspended in the wash water.

The danger when prewashing more than one fabric, even if the same value (darks or lights), is that Retayne will set any color that is floating onto any fabric it comes in contact with. So, if you're washing blues and greens together and they're all bleeding, you're apt to get a batch of muddy teals in the end. Retayne is best used on single fabrics and in very hot water (140°) following the directions.

As for the original question, it makes far more sense to pretest each fabric separately to see if it's a bleeder and then act on it according to the results. If you wash them all in a group and only one is bleeding, you won't know which one it is.

To pretest, simply wet a corner of each fabric in hot water, wring it out and blot it with something white. A paper towel, a washcloth, or even a Q-tip works just fine. The color will transfer if the fabric is shedding dye and then you can prewash it with Retayne to set the dyes.

Synthrapol and color catchers do not set dyes so you have to keep using them as long as the fabric bleeds. They do not hasten the end of bleeding, they just keep loose dyes fron settling once suspended in the water. They are merely an ongoing treatment, not a cure.

Thank you all for the good advice. I have about 3 dozen pieces of Batiks and was looking for the easy answer. I guess I will take my time and do it right. Ghostrider, thanks for the pretest idea. That's where I'll start.

I always get confused between Synthrapol and Retayne. I'm going to label the Synthrapol with "suspend in water" and the Retayne with "set" so I can keep them straight.

Many thanks.