The Soda-Soak Tie-Dye Method

The best method for tie-dye!

Traditionally, tie-dye is a pattern of color made by preventing the dye from reaching some areas of the material while vat dyeing others. Folding, tieing, stitching, crumpling or otherwise preparing the fabric inhibits the flow of the dye. Nowadays most folding, scrunching & twisting is done starting with the wet shirt flat on a plastic covered table. The pattern of the folds etc. and where the colors are squirted dictates the resulting design. Figure maybe 4 oz of dye liquid per average T-shirt. With experience, the end result can be predicted and controlled to some extent, but surprise is part of what makes tie-dye an exciting and interesting art form - and there will be plenty of surprises.

Caution! The soda ash solution is mildly caustic - it can irritate your skin.
Wear gloves and eye protection. Rinse off at once to avoid eye and skin irritation.

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1. Fold and/or tie the fabric into the desired patterns.The designs will be more defined if you wet the shirt and squeeze or spin out excess water before folding.	2. Wear your dust mask and dissolve 1 cup (8 oz.) of Soda Ash Fixer per gallon of warm water. Soak the tied garments about 5-15 minutes (until saturated). Reuse solution until gone. Squeeze out excess so garment is just damp, not dripping.	3. Using your dust mask and gloves, combine water with all chemicals except dye. Add liquid to dye gradually, pasting up to avoid lumps. Apply dye with squeeze bottles, paint brushes, sponges, etc., as many colors as you want. Easiest to use a funnel to pour dissolved dye into squeeze bottles. Dye Formula: * 8 oz. cup of warm water (not hot) * 2 to 8 tsp. Procion dye (see * info on color list) * 1 Tbsp. Urea (dissolve in hot water first). * 1/4 tsp water softener (if needed) * Sodium Alginate Thickener (A little to slow spreading, and control color, if desired.)
4. Put fabric (still tied) in a plastic bag (the idea is to keep it wet and chemically active - any method of keeping it wet is O.K.) and let sit for at least 4 hours but preferably 24 hours to "cure". Shorter times work better in summer, and longer times are needed when it is cold.	5. Remove from bag and while still tied, rinse off the excess dye under cold running water (faucet, hose or shower), then rinse in warmer water while you untie and after garments are untied, until water runs fairly clear. Have your washing machine pre-filled with hot water with Synthrapol and throw in the clothing as soon as it is rinsed, running it through a full cycle.

• Dye shirt a solid color first using Tub Dyeing Method, then tie-dye using above method.
  
• After step 4, untie and re-tie in contrasting pattern.
  
• After tie-dyeing item, re-tie and use Discharge paste to bleach out a contrasting pattern.
  
• Sprinkle pure Procion powder onto tied and pre-soaked item for different effect (super intense color. Use a salt shaker with lots of salt and some dye for a lighter application)
  
• Put a small amount of Sodium Alginate thickener into dye mixture (step 3) to slow down the rate that the dye spreads and to create sharper edges.
  
• In step 4 any method keeping the fabric wet is OK, needn't be a plastic bag - cover many with plastic drop cloth, wrap in plastic wrap, etc. The warmer the temperature where you lay out your tie-dyes to cure, the quicker the chemical reaction.
  
• Use Water Softener if you suspect you have "hard" water.
  
• DON'T USE HOT WATER. The dyes work best in warm water (105 degrees) except #25, which can be used slightly warmer. #250 does like hot water and doesn't do well for tie-dye.
  
• Urea helps dye to dissolve, so dissolve the Urea in water first. Add this water to the dye powder gradually and paste it up to avoid lumps. Undisolved dye makes "explosions" of color or "freckles", so if a color is difficult to dissolve, straining through some light fabric might be necessary. Coffee filters only work if the dye is really liquid. Otherwise, they filter out too much of the dye.
  
• If you have trouble making a paste of the colors, a little Calsolene Oil can help because it breaks the surface tension.
  
• Cover your work surfaces with old newspapers or folded paper towels to absorb extra dye. Wear old clothes! After applying dye to one side, flip garment over and repeat the process. Inject the tip of the squeeze bottle into the folds for best dye penetration and less white on the final product.
  
• With this dye, there is always lots of "excess dye" to be washed out. Don't crowd your washing machine with too much tie-dye or the water gets too muddy and so will your tie-dyes. Delicate items like rayon and silk are better hand washed or should go into a mesh bag on a gentle cycle so the agitation doesn't shred them.
  
• Planning a tie-dye party? We can make it easier with our Group Tie-Dye Instructions.