What to Do with Fabrics that Keep Bleeding Dye
 

What do you do with bleeders? I tried a few methods but a few fabric kept leaking dye. I pieced this on my Singer 66 to keep him covered.

I have only had one that kept bleeding after 3 washings---and I figured it wasn't worth the risk of ruining a quilt and threw it out!!!

Mrs. Finch, my mom had a singer in that very same table. Your photo brought back some memories. <3

I know I would have to throw out a bleeder.

I've read that blue Dawn dishwashing detergent, the unconcentrated kind, has a dye release agent in it. Wash it with a good squirt of that and see if it stops bleeding.

Tate

WOW Dawn is used for so many other things besides washing dishes. Thanks for the post.

I have used this and it works...Retayne.
http://www.amazon.com/Retayne-Color-.../dp/B001HZOZGW

I use Retayne.. but I did try Dawn recently and had very good results. I would give the Dawn a go.. you have nothing to lose at this point.

I had a piece that was washed with Synthropol but it never did quit bleeding -- then the color was pretty drab, that fabric went into a stuffing for a dog bed.

I've used fabrics like this to "dye" pieces of white or bleached muslin that I can use in other projects! :thumbup: I paid for that dye, I might as well benefit from it. :D

Jan in VA

Don't keep washing it over and over, that just wastes water. Simply put it in plenty of hot water, toss in a couple of color catchers and leave it overnight. I have successfully treated every single bleeding fabric this way.

Just shows how prewashing is essential so our quilts are not ruined by a bleeder.

Great idea.

I had some fabric that bled a couple of times. I cut a square of it and a small piece of the white and washed with a color catcher - the white picked up nothing so i moved forward.

Wow, I wasn't ready to give advice, but loved all the advice I read.

After 20 changes of water that was still brightly colored, I discard the fabric if I can't return it.

I will try to return it to the store if I still have the receipt. Sometimes the clerk tries to give me static, but I consider a bleeder to be defective.

I don't mind - overly much - washing a fabric a couple of times to get rid of excess dye.

However, a fabric that bleeds indefinitely really ****** me off.
I feel that there should be NO necessity to further treat a commercially dyed fabric to stop it from bleeding.

Now that is very interesting! I guessing that just because a fabric bleeds into the water doesn't necessarily mean other fabrics will pick up the dye. Seems like a good test would be to wash scraps of all the fabric in the quilt and see what happens?

It doesn't matter if there's a fabric that bleeds. It only matters if another fabric picks that dye up and doesn't release it.

Can't answer your question, but I love the fabrics in the machine cover!

That is true enough - but how will one know - for sure - that another fabric that wasn't tested with a bleeder won't pick up the dye and retain it?

Jan in VA's suggestion for "using" the excess dye could be useful - I guess - especially on the white on white and cream/white on cream type fabrics.

Example attached. But who knows how well that color will stay in the fabric?

So what do you do if this happens?

You live with it. In over 40 years of doing laundry I've only ever had 1 thing pick up a dye out of the wash and not release it eventually, and that was rayon embroidery on some pillowcases. But then I had pretty shell pink embroidery on ivory pillowcases so I didn't mind.

Well, the logical thing would be to test the one you think might bleed with the fabrics that are the most likely to pick up the dye. And as a general rule, if it wasn't set in the original it won't be set in whatever picks it up since chemical dyes have to be set chemically.

Whatever.

I still prefer to sew with fabrics that I am reasonably sure will keep their color to themselves.

I have still been "fooled" on occasions with a fabric that I thought I had gotten excess dye out of.

I did not enjoy the process of trying to get the unwanted color out of the neighboring pieces.

I looked online and found a DIY color catcher using a solution of washing soda. The directions I found: put a tablespoon of the dry soda into a cup of hot water until it dissolves. Put in a yard of white junk fabric, or ratty toweling, and let it become saturated. Damp not dripping. Let it dry. Cut off a piece and wash it with your bleedable fabric. The soda ash grabs and holds the dye.

Has anyone tried this??

Dawn dishwashing soap won't set the dyes, but it will help to prevent the excess dyes from settling on other fabrics....I have used it successfully for this problem (way back before I knew to prewash).

So we don't think this is a good idea? It can be done before the quilt is made.

Throw it out. Don't take the chance on anything crazy....

Zozee has a great recipe for bleeding fabrics. I have tried it twice. Here is the thread title: Recipe to Keep Colors from Running

I have had this experience once - fabric was emerald green. Finally tossed it out. Not worth taking a chance on.

Dark greens, blues, and reds that bleed are not used on a sewing project or quilt. I try to craft, practice a sewing technique but no way do want a bleed in a quilt.

It is good, the original to wash dogs and get rid of fleas, and oil off birds too.