From the Mailbox:

I often dye black clothes with RIT clothing dye. I find it very hard to rinse out as it has to be rinsed again and again. Also, it doesn’t last long and I need to do them again after half a dozen washes. Is there a better dye and with the dye I am using, can I use something in the cold rinse water to hold the dye longer? Please let me know.

Thanks, Glynnis

For Reena’s solution, please read on!

Reena’s Household Solution:

RIT will dye most washable fabrics, including 100% cotton, linen, rayon, wool, and silk. It will also dye synthetics such as rayon, nylon, and acetate, as well as fibre blends with at least 60% cotton or other dye able fibre (blends will tint evenly but will not achieve full colour). There are fabrics, however, that will not accept dye, such as fabrics with 50% or more polyester, 100% acrylic, fibreglass, metallic fibres, fabrics with rubber backing or special finishes such as water-repellent fabrics with bleach damage or extensive staining, and fabrics that are washable only in cold water or labelled “dry clean only.”

You are right, RIT does tend to fade over time. Instead, you must either use a wash fast dye such as Procion MX dye, or a commercial cationic fixative in order to make all-purpose dye acceptably wash fast so it does not bleed in the laundry forever. Fibre-reactive dyes are good dyes for any kind of non-protein fibre that will take dye (linen, cotton, linen-cotton blends, rayon). These work well in cold water, are nice and bright, and are colour-fast. Acid dyes (Jacquard is one brand) are the preferred dyes for protein-based fibres (wool, silk, camel hair, dog hair, etc.). Some people find that putting salt in with the hot RIT dye and then soaking fabrics briefly in salt and vinegar water, then rinsing with cold water makes them more colourfast; others say that vinegar is not at all helpful. Salt can be useful in dyeing, by encouraging the fibre not to repel the dye, or by making the dye less soluble, but it will not itself fix the dye to the fibre.

There is one type of product that you can buy that will actually set dye regardless of its type: A product called Retayne, sold by local quilter’s supply shops, as well as by most mail-order dye supply houses or online. Retayne and other commercial dye fixatives are the only real solution to commercial clothing that bleeds. This product is a cationic bulking agent, which acts to seal in the dye by physical means, rather than the chemical bonds which are so dependant on the type of dye.

Keep us posted!

All solutions are to be used at the risk of the user.

Reena Nerbas is the author of the two National Best Sellers, “Household Solutions 1 with Substitutions & Household Solutions 2 with Kitchen Secrets,” available in stores across Canada. Reena is a columnist and Home Economist in a lab coat (and she’s not afraid to use it). She can be heard on CBC radio programs across Canada.

To learn more about Reena, click here.