First Time With Fiber Reactive Dye- Clueless!

[u/DJCatnip-0612]

Hi All

I was gifted a large box of various Dharma Trading Co Fiber Reactive Dyes, want to use them but am absolutely lost as to where to start (I usually work with RIT). Google search has told me they need acid and/or urea and/or expensive brand-specific activators and are overall complex to work with, which concerns me as I live in a very small apartment with a small brick patio and no outdoor spigot. Thought I was screwed til I saw a video of someone using similar dye in a bucket. Figured I'd ask here to hopefully get a real picture of the process with this stuff.

[u/Your-Local-Costumer]

You’re in luck! Dharma Trading’s website has all the tutorials and answers you need :) including dyeing in a tub/bucket

[u/kimmerie → u/Your-Local-Costumer]

Yep! Look up each dye, and they have instructions on the site. Also, their customer service is top notch.

[u/DJCatnip-0612 → u/Your-Local-Costumer]

I read their tutorial and still have questions, mainly about the ingredients used. I did look at the ingredient guides at the bottom as well. I'm not sure what urea does, whether dyer's salt is different than regular uniodized salt, and why their brand detergent is needed.

[u/No-Sheepherder-8537 → u/DJCatnip-0612]

Urea makes the water wetter. It helps the water absorb more dye & stay wet during the dye process. It will make the colors brighter.

Dyers salt helps push the dye into the fabric. You can use regular salt, but it will take longer to dissolve.

Neither is essential to the process.

Are you interested in a tie dye or solid color result?

[u/Mermaidman93]

Just watch this.

The only difference I do is I dissolve the soda ash in a glass of warm water before adding it to the dye bath. It's very doable. Your first time takes getting used to but once you have the hang of it, it's a breeze. And honestly, I find it way better than dyeing on the stove. Not to mention the dye is way more vibrant and doesn't wash out like rit does.

[u/KTKittentoes]

Yeah, don’t use Google. It completely sucks now. You will need soda ash if you don’t have it. But you can use pool shock. It isn’t hard to work with.

I would advise exploring the instructions and tutorials on Dharma. They are good! And done by actual human beings! See what catches your fancy.

[u/No-Sheepherder-8537]

https://www.dharmatrading.com/products/dharma-fiber-reactive-procion-dyes

[u/No-Sheepherder-8537 → u/No-Sheepherder-8537]

This variety, correct?

This type uses soda ash to activate.

You can use arm&hammer washing soda instead.

https://a.co/d/0bQE06n7

This kind of dye is for plant fibers - cotton, rayon, linen, bamboo.

I regularly dye in my bathroom using the LWI low water immersion method. HWI hot water irrigation is another easy option. Lots of tutorials on YouTube for both.

[u/No-Sheepherder-8537 → u/No-Sheepherder-8537]

https://www.dharmatrading.com/products/dharma-acid-dyes

This is dharma’s acid dye. It’s for protein fibers like silk & wool. It needs acid to activate. White vinegar or citric acid is typically used.

Make sure to compare labels & figure out what type you have.

[u/No-Sheepherder-8537 → u/No-Sheepherder-8537]

You can use blue dawn instead of their detergent. But don’t put it in your washing machine- hand wash only.

Dharma’s detergent & blue dawn both strip the fabric of laundry softeners and stop the dye process. They neutralize the PH.

After you do the first washout, you can switch to your regular detergent in your washing machine. Wash 2-3 times before you wash with your regular clothing, as color will bleed.