Name: Victoria
Message: How can I set the dye in a 53% silk/47% coton shirt I have just purchased?

A properly dyed shirt will have the dye already set. There is no need to set the dye in purchased garments unless they are defective, in which case it is best to return them in exchange for non-defective garments.

If the shirt was dyed with fiber reactive dyes, all you need to do is wash out any excess unattached dye; this works best with very hot water. If the shirt was dyed with a hot-water dye, such as all-purpose dye, it should be washed only in cool water, separately from other garments, because it will always bleed in the laundry, unless it has been treated with a special dye fixative, as is common.

If you have a commercially dyed fabric which runs whose dye you want to set yourself, the only way that works is to use a commercially available cationic dye fixative, which you may be able to buy at your local quilting supply store, but which more likely you will have to purchase by mail-order. You can buy Retayne and other brands of this product from dye suppliers such as PRO Chemical & Dye; see my page listing sources for dyeing supplies around the world. For more information on Retayne and similar products, see "Commercial Dye Fixatives".

Do not try to set the dye with salt or vinegar. Neither of these home remedies is at all effective. In cases in which people imagine that they work, it is only because a few extra launderings help to remove excess dye, whether or not salt or vinegar are involved.

This question is also answered in the FAQ section of my web site: see Is there any way to "set" dye in purchased clothing or fabric?  

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