Name: Mike

Country: United States

Message: Thank you for taking the time out to explain everything, Paula. I am just going purchasing everything I need for the Procion MX dye and do it in the washing machine. Is there a website I can just buy everything altogether (urea, Procion dye, salt etc.)?

Two of the best sources are Dharma Trading Company and PRO Chemical & Dye. Either of them can sell you everything you need, and they have very good prices. Other art suppliers also sell good Procion MX dye, but the prices are not always as low. See "Sources for Dyeing Supplies Around the World".

By the way, you do not need urea for dyeing in the washing machine or a bucket. Urea is needed only for direct application of dye, such as tie-dyeing or dye painting. See "What is urea for? Is it necessary?".

Should I get buckets of hot water to get that hot of water then dump it in the washing machine? Or do you think my washing machine can make that hot of water if I set it to hot? and is it important and what is the point of making the water real hot for pre-clean? I'm afraid of shrinking them.

You don't have to use hot water for dyeing with Procion MX dye. However, regular hot water (from the tap if your water heater is set to the standard 140°F) does work best for pre-washing to remove invisible stains that can repel dye, and it works best for removing excess unattached dye afterwards. You can get by with using warm water instead of hot water, as long as the shirts don't have finishes or other problems to remove (which is hard to predict). 

In washing out after dyeing, it takes longer to get out all of the excess unattached dye in warm water instead of hot, but if you will always wash the clothes separately by color, and never leave wet clothing sitting in contact with other clothing or materials, it will be okay even if you use cool water (not icy cold).

Also if these shirts are brand new, do I still have to use soda ash on them to get them extra clean? And if so, then where do I get soda ash and what brand and how much with a couple shirts?

Washing with extra soda ash is helpful if there are problems, but it's not always necessary. It's easy, though, since you've got to get some of this stuff for dyeing, anyway.

You can buy soda ash from your dye supplier, or labeled as "sodium carbonate" from the hardware store or swimming pool supply store, or in the form of Arm & Hammer washing soda from the grocery store. Ordering it with your dyes would be simplest. See my page on soda ash.

If you buy your shirts as dyeable blanks from Dharma Trading Company, you don't have to worry as much about pre-washing. With non-PFD clothing bought from a regular store, there's some risk of having more trouble, but it's often a risk worth taking. 

Can I get Synthrapol at a store near me like a Wal-mart or Giant Eagle?

No. Synthrapol is harder to get than soda ash. However, you can use ordinary laundry detergent instead. You can order Synthrapol from Dharma or ProChem; it's useful, but it's not essential, unlike the soda ash. See "What is Synthrapol?". Most laundry detergents contain optical brighteners, which may make your black items look less dark, but you can usually find detergent that is free of optical brighteners, marketed for use on black clothing.

It says on the washing machine dyeing page I should reset my washing machine multiple times. Well, how long should I keep them in the washing machine for about 3 shirts?

I like to keep the items I'm dyeing in the washer for at least half an hour. Generally an hour. It's so easy to keep resetting (carry a timer so you don't forget), and then you can be sure you've taken full advantage of the dye. It takes the same amount of time and effort to dye three shirts at once as it does for one. It's less trouble per shirt if you can do more than one at a time.

How much salt for a pound of clothes, and should I put the salt in whenever I put the dye in? Also, should I use soda ash during the dye process or just for pre-cleaning? 

Follow this recipe at Dharma Trading Company:
The Tub (Washing Machine, Vat, Bucket) Dye Method
One washing machine load calls for twenty cups of salt and 2.5 cups of soda ash, whether you're dyeing one shirt or six. Soda ash is extremely important for setting the dye, far more important than for pre-cleaning, which is a completely different use.

So how much Procion MX dye should be used on a pound of clothes? I'll just multiply that by 4, unless it takes even more when in the washing machine, does it?

It tends to take more for the washing machine, because you're diluting it in twenty gallons of water.  To dye four pounds of fabric (weighed dry) in the washing machine to a deep dark black, I'd use 180 grams or six ounces of Procion MX dye powder. I would not use Dylon Permanent or Tulip dye in the washing machine. By the way, I am assuming that your washing machine is a top-loader; front-loading washing machines are less suitable for dyeing, though it is possible to use them.

Can I use the washing machine process for just one shirt?

Yes, but it seems wasteful, since you need more dye and more salt and more soda ash for a washing machine full than for a bucket. I'd recommend a five-gallon bucket with the three-gallon recipe, for a single shirt that weighs one pound or less. Divide the weight of your shirt by ten to find out what weight of black dye you need to use. Lighter colors do not require as much dye powder, but black always requires a lot.

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