Name: Mary
Message: Dear Dr. Burch: I have a "high-efficiency" washer (specifically a Kenmore Calypso) which uses substantially less water per load than traditional washers. The tub doesn't fill up; instead, the wash water/detergent solution is sprayed on the clothes until they are saturated while the tub rocks back and forth to agitate them. It does a fine job of washing -- but am I right in thinking that I will probably *not* get a uniform color with a bottle of Rit dye in my particular washing machine, and that I would be better off using the stove-top method (or chucking out the Rit and buying some other dye)?

Your washing machine sounds similar to front-loader washing machines - is that what it is? In any case, the fact that some people do succeed with washing machine dyeing while using front-loaders implies that it might be possible for you, since the problems are similar. Dye and auxiliaries can be dissolved in water before adding; the cycle must be reset repeatedly to prevent draining.

However, all-purpose dye performs rather poorly on cotton, when used at ordinary washing machine temperatures. When dyeing cellulose fabric with all-purpose dye, you should, ideally, bring it to a simmer, which is a high temperature just under boiling, 190 to 200 degrees Fahrenheit (87 to 93 degrees Celsius), and keep it there for up to an hour. Nylon and silk can be dyed at 185 degrees F. (85 C.). Most washing machines cannot reach anything near these temperatures. A washing machine without its own heating element is limited to the temperature of water from the water heater, which is generally either 140 degrees F., or, for greater household safety, only 120 degrees F.

I would suggest that you investigate other forms of dye, if you are dyeing a cotton material, such as cellulose, rayon, or linen. Cool water fiber reactive dye, such as Procion MX, Cibacron F, or Drimarene K dye, is easier to use, as it works very well at temperatures between 80 and 110 degrees F. (27 to 43 C.). These forms of dye tend to be much more colorfast than the direct dye found in all-purpose dye. The best place to buy fiber reactive dye is usually by mail-order, which is convenient and generally much more economical than locally-purchased all-purpose dye. See the list of different mail-order suppliers on my "Sources of Dye Supplies" page. Another alternative, Drimarene K dye, is sold in Europe as Dylon Washing Machine Dye, including special packaging for use in front-loading machines, but I don't think we can buy it in North America. Dylon Cold Water dye is probably Procion MX and/or Cibacron F dye. Do not use Dylon Multi-purpose dye, as it is just another form of all-purpose dye.