Ludigol F

Ludigol F is a mild oxidizing agent that helps to prevent liquid or powdered Fiber Reactive dyes from decomposing (being "reduced" - a chemistry teacher question) during fixation with heat, like steaming, or microwaving, which causes them to be duller. It is a very important ingredient when working with deep shades and is considered to be essential by some when working on silk when painting with Fiber Reactive dyes like Procion MX powders or Vinyl Sulphon liquid Dyes and then steaming the work.

Directions vary from website to website and book to book. The manufacturer, and hence the label on the product, recommends 1 tsp/quart of water. The excellent old standby book Surface Designer's Handbook recommends 1 TBS/quart of water. Still other sources mention 2 tsp. Experiment. Maybe the more heat you use, the more you need. Whatever gives YOU the best results with YOUR technique is how you should go here. So add anywhere from 1 tsp to 1 TBS per quart of dye/chemical water mixture.