Name: Mary

Message: I am using Procion MX Dyes and am trying to use black on the bottom of a shirt and yellow on the top.

As long as I keep the colors separated (in the sink) they are fine, but as soon as I try to wash the shirt in the machine the black bleeds all over the yellow.

Since I want a very deep black I am using 2 Tbs to 8 oz water and am using urea in the dye mix.

Do you think that Retayne or Dharma Dye Fixative will stop this bleeding?

I am concerned about Retayne because it requires very hot water and by the time I get to the hot water washing, I already have severe bleeding.

Any advice you have will be greatly appreciated.

No, Retayne or similar products are not at all what you need here. They assist in fixing unfixed dye to the fiber (which is very important when using all-purpose dye, and quite unnecessary when properly using high quality fiber reactive dyes), but they do nothing to stop the dye's spreading before it is fixed.

A thickener for your dye will help to stop it from spreading before you wash it. The most popular thickener for use with MX dyes is sodium alginate.

To stop back-staining during the washing-out, the missing ingredient is extra time. The most important thing is to allow the dye to fully react with the fiber. You are using soda ash, correct? If so, all you need is to leave the dye reaction another 8 hours or more, but preferably for an extra day. The point is to make sure that there is no Procion MX dye left on the shirt that is still capable of reacting with the fiber. If you keep the shirt warm and moist long enough, in the presence of soda ash, the dye will all react either with the shirt or with the water itself. If you wash the shirt too soon, some unreacted dye may remain - ready to permanently stain other parts of your shirt.

Many dyers believe that the special detergent Synthrapol in the wash water also helps to prevent backstaining. It certainly does no harm, and is an excellent detergent for dye removal; you should be able to purchase it from your dye supplier (or see my list of different companies that sell dye).

If MX dye which has reacted with the water gets on the ligghter regions of your shirt, it will temporarily stain it, but washing several times in HOT water with a good detergent such as Synthrapol should remove all of this loosely-associated dye. Only dye that has not yet had time to react before washing should produce permanent stains.

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