Batiks bleeding horribly!
#1
I have a bunch of green fat quarter and quarter yards for my boyfriend's quilt. My Winding Ways templates came in so I figure now would be the time to wash all these quarter fabrics.
I'm washing the fabrics by hand to get rid of any excess dye and then maybe putting them all into one load in the washing machine for good measure. So I start off with two batiks I know are going to bleed (I've never washed batiks before). Sure enough when I soaked them they leeched excess dye. Put in a tiny bit of laundry soap and started washing by hand.
But no matter how much I scrub and rinse there is STILL dye leeching out! One fabric isn't doing so bad and only turns the water just a slight tinge of green, but the other is still making the water turn a light blue. Seriously, how much extra dye can ONE fat quarter hold?!
I'm washing the fabrics by hand to get rid of any excess dye and then maybe putting them all into one load in the washing machine for good measure. So I start off with two batiks I know are going to bleed (I've never washed batiks before). Sure enough when I soaked them they leeched excess dye. Put in a tiny bit of laundry soap and started washing by hand.
But no matter how much I scrub and rinse there is STILL dye leeching out! One fabric isn't doing so bad and only turns the water just a slight tinge of green, but the other is still making the water turn a light blue. Seriously, how much extra dye can ONE fat quarter hold?!
#3
Originally Posted by nursie76
Can you get retayne? I think that is supposed to set the dye...but then, I could be wrong.
#4
I have been hand washing my batiks the past week and hanging them up to dry and some - not all of them - but some bleed just like yours. I actually threw one away - it was ugly anyway. I told my DH that it looked like an octopus squirting out his dye everytime that I squeezed it - I was using a white dishpan and boy, could you really see the dye. I rinsed and rinsed, until it ran clear - sometimes it took 10 rinses. Some reds bled, some did not. Some purples bled, some did not, etc. etc. Did not seem to matter where I bought them either. I have been collecting them (fat quarters) for about a year for a very special quilt.
#5
Super Member
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Central PA
Posts: 5,573
I thing I read somewhere if you add salt to the final rinse and then dry it helps set the dye. And didn't someone on the board mention a vinegar rinse????
I have found the dye catchers near the softner sheets at WM. But Joanne's has a similar thing, only reuseable for about 30 washes. Do you have a JA's near you? Hope you can get this solved, it must be really frustrating!
I have found the dye catchers near the softner sheets at WM. But Joanne's has a similar thing, only reuseable for about 30 washes. Do you have a JA's near you? Hope you can get this solved, it must be really frustrating!
#6
Originally Posted by nursie76
I thing I read somewhere if you add salt to the final rinse and then dry it helps set the dye. And didn't someone on the board mention a vinegar rinse????
I have found the dye catchers near the softner sheets at WM. But Joanne's has a similar thing, only reuseable for about 30 washes. Do you have a JA's near you? Hope you can get this solved, it must be really frustrating!
I have found the dye catchers near the softner sheets at WM. But Joanne's has a similar thing, only reuseable for about 30 washes. Do you have a JA's near you? Hope you can get this solved, it must be really frustrating!
#7
Originally Posted by NikkiLu
I have been hand washing my batiks the past week and hanging them up to dry and some - not all of them - but some bleed just like yours. I actually threw one away - it was ugly anyway. I told my DH that it looked like an octopus squirting out his dye everytime that I squeezed it - I was using a white dishpan and boy, could you really see the dye. I rinsed and rinsed, until it ran clear - sometimes it took 10 rinses. Some reds bled, some did not. Some purples bled, some did not, etc. etc. Did not seem to matter where I bought them either. I have been collecting them (fat quarters) for about a year for a very special quilt.
#8
Originally Posted by NikkiLu
Originally Posted by nursie76
I thing I read somewhere if you add salt to the final rinse and then dry it helps set the dye. And didn't someone on the board mention a vinegar rinse????
I have found the dye catchers near the softner sheets at WM. But Joanne's has a similar thing, only reuseable for about 30 washes. Do you have a JA's near you? Hope you can get this solved, it must be really frustrating!
I have found the dye catchers near the softner sheets at WM. But Joanne's has a similar thing, only reuseable for about 30 washes. Do you have a JA's near you? Hope you can get this solved, it must be really frustrating!
#9
Power Poster
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Perth, Western Australia
Posts: 10,357
What a pest! If you can't get Retayne or whatever the dye setting product is called, maybe between test washings dry it a bit and go over thoroughly with a hot steam iron. Maybe a burst of heat might seal it in or something. Hope you find something that works....
#10
Super Member
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Illinois
Posts: 9,312
I am always amazed at the amount of dye that can come out of Batiks... it is amazing that it just keeps coming out .. and sometimes its colors that you really did not think were in the fabric.
The only way to really stop the bleed is Retayne. Vinegar and salt is not effective on batiks or any other cotton fabric. You can mail order Retayne friom several sources I think even Amazon.
Color catchers only absorb what is released. If you want to stop it ... Retayne. Ironically I just finished treating a bunch myself .. to bad you were not closer I run over with some.
http://www.amazon.com/Retayne-Color-.../dp/B000YZ5HL8
The only way to really stop the bleed is Retayne. Vinegar and salt is not effective on batiks or any other cotton fabric. You can mail order Retayne friom several sources I think even Amazon.
Color catchers only absorb what is released. If you want to stop it ... Retayne. Ironically I just finished treating a bunch myself .. to bad you were not closer I run over with some.
http://www.amazon.com/Retayne-Color-.../dp/B000YZ5HL8
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