Using dylon

[ethelb]

I am planning to use Dylon to dye some extra wide cotton for a summer quilt for my bed.

However the pack says that I need to use the dye in the machine on a 40c wash, but my crappy machine only does washes on 35c or 60c.

Which heat setting will make the dye fast?

40 is the best for making it colour fast... My worry would be 65 might make it change intensity. Any chance you could do a test swatch?

A swatch test would be quite expensive as I would have to use a whole packet to test the concentration accurately though.

I would like the colour to be more intense so would be happy to wash on a higher temperature if this were the case, or do you think it will be the opposite effect? (racks brains back to a-level chem!)

The hand-wash sized Dylon packets recommend 40C, but call for about 45 mins of swishing, so of course it will get cooler. I think that if the salt is there, the colour will "fix".

Anyway, won't cotton sheets cope with 60C?

I'm happy to do it at 60C, I just thought something awful would happen (like it would be so hot the dye would wash out or would denature!). The cotton will manage fine with it and it needs to be pre-shrunk anyway.

So do we think washing on 60C is a better idea than washing on 35C?

I think I'd go for hotter to get the fix, cooler and you could be loosing dye on every wash, or if it's a deep colour rubbing off on your skin.

thanks @kelle. I will try that as I want as good a fix as possible as I will be embroidering it in white.

It's hotter for a better fix. They always used to say "run at hottest wash" (ie 90 degrees cotton) then 60 degrees, now 40 degrees. It's just the makers being environmentally aware, rather than it being to do with lessening the intensity, or anything else to do with the dye. Dyes fix far better at higher temps.

Handwash dye is a totally different process to machine dying. For the volume of fabric you are talking about, you definitely need machine dye.

Don't forget your bucket load of salt!!!!!! and dont' forget to pre-wash your fabric for a good finish!

[Speaking as someone who has dyed practically everything in every colour in every type of dye for years and years and years.... I know my Dylons! ]

Thanks littlebells. So would it infact be best to do the dye (i have 2x packs due to volume of fabric) at 90c? (my machine also does that)

I would contact Dylon to check beforehand, before you deviate from the instructions. They have a helpline (01737 742020). Best to hear from the horses mouth. Just in cases

Thanks for your help. I did it on 60c and it worked really well. Lovely deep colour and doesnt run.

It also had the added bonus of proving we do have a plumbing problem (despite what the ll says) by making the water in the loo go blue!