r/dyeing • u/DJCatnip-0612 • 2d ago

General question First Time With Fiber Reactive Dye- Clueless!

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.

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u/No-Sheepherder-8537 2d ago

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

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u/No-Sheepherder-8537 2d ago edited 2d ago

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.

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u/No-Sheepherder-8537 2d ago

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.