Name: Sarala

Message: Hello, I have dyed a cotton saree using direct dye with 2 table spoon of salt, I have used two colours (half pink and half black,(batik) now the problem is the fabric is looking very dull like old one, kindly tell me what do I do? shall I re-dye again. kindly mail me, please...... 

How long, after you dyed it, did the saree start to look dull again? Was it a problem immediately after you dyed it, or only after some time and washing?

Dyes fade for several reasons:

1. Most dyes are susceptible to fading from light, but some are more light-sensitive than others; clothing colored with these dyes should be dried without hanging them in direct sunlight. Some direct dyes are fairly light-resistant, but others are highly susceptible to lightfading.

2. Direct dyes tend to wash out quickly. Treatment with a cationic dye fixative will help to prevent this. (See "Commercial Dye Fixatives".) You can apply a cationic dye fixative now in order to prevent further fading, or you can repeat your dyeing and apply the cationic fixative immediately after the first washing.

3. Different dyes require different dyeing conditions; dyes applied incorrectly will fade much more quickly than the same dyes applied correctly. It is important to closely follow the dye manufacturers' instructions when applying the dye.

For example, different direct dyes require different amounts of salt; if you know the Color Index generic names for your direct dyes, it might be possible to learn the correct recipe for using salt and heat to set them, but if you don't know what dyes you have, your only recourse is to very closely follow the instructions provided by the manufacturer of your dyes.

All direct dyes require hot water in order to bond to fabric, which is incompatible with the use of batik wax. I suspect that your problem may be that you did not use the heat required to set your direct dye, since if you had done so it would have melted your batik wax, ruining your project. You will get better results if you use a cool water dye instead of direct dye. Sometimes the use of direct dye at lower-than-optimal temperatures is recommended for batik, but it's much better to use a more washfast cool water dye.

For the brightest and longest-lasting of colors, as well as for cooler temperatures which will not melt your batik wax, I strongly recommend using a different class of dye. Fiber reactive dyes, such as Procion MX, Drimarene K, or Remazol dyes are excellent for this purpose, when used carefully according to an appropriate recipe. (See "About Fiber Reactive Dyes".) Another class of dye which I prefer to avoid for its toxicity is naphthol dye; it gives good results in batik, because no warmth at all is required.

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