Setting dye in cotton?

[indeliblesasha]

I am working on a baby blanket in a cotton worsted that I know bleeds (I stopped using it for rags because it just turns everything blue,) and since it's going to get washed a lot I would like to prevent it from bleeding into the yellow I'm striping it with, and fading.

I was thinking a nice long soak in vinegar and then microwaving it a bit like I do with my wools I'm dying. Will that work with cotton that's already been dyed, do you think?

If you have any other suggestions I'd be glad for them :) Thanks everyone. ♥

Comments

[sedge]

Vinegar only works on protein fibers: wool, other animal fiber, and silk. It's not going to work for your cotton, I'm sorry to say.

Synthrapol, maybe?

[indeliblesasha]

Huh. I did not know that. I figured since the recommendation for helping set the color on denim jeans was vinegar in the water it would help.

I've also seen salt and salt &vinegar combinations suggested. Any idea if that would make a difference?

I do not know what synthrapol is, where would I find it?

[sedge]

I've bought Synthrapol from Dharma Trading Company, but haven't yet had a chance to try it out. If you google Synthrapol, the first result is Dharma; it's one of the oldest online stores out there and I've never heard anything but positive reviews of them.

You might also be able to get something called a "dye magnet" or a "color catcher" in the laundry aisle of your grocery store; again, I haven't tried it, but you could always knit a swatch and then wash it with a dye magnet to see what happens. You could also do the same (to find out if it works) with vinegar or salt & vinegar. I used to think vinegar was a cure all for dye running problems, but the professional dyers I've spoken to who work with cotton say that people have over generalized from acid dyes used with protein fibers to think that vinegar works to set all dye.

Don't get me wrong, vinegar does work for all kinds of things - I condition my hair with it and wash mirrors and windows, and use it to help me dye protein fiber. I used to use it to keep cloth diapers from being smelly. But this is one situation where vinegar will not help you.

[neotoma]

I'd wash it with synthrapol -- it's what the dyers of my acquaintance use to reduce bleeding and dye redepositing.

Vinegar works with acid dyes used on wools because it's an acid. I don't think it works the same on the fiber-reactive dyes used on cotton, but you could try a small length of yarn and see.