Home dyes are made from a recipe that contains a variety of dyestuffs so that they have at least limited affinity for all fibers. Dyes attach to particular parts of fiber molecules. If the fiber doesn't have an accepting site to which the dye can link, the color won't stay. In addition, the dyes used in this mix are dyes that are easy to process. This means that they are likely to give a uniform color and do not require special chemicals or extra careful processing. However, these dyes are also less likely to stay put when washed, especially if the wash water is hot. Bleeding or migration is the problem that will occur with these dyes. To illustrate the variation in dyeing results, textiles students use a multifiber test cloth in a beaker of dye solution to see the variety of colors achieved with one dye. Some fibers will be the shade advertised, some will be darker, others lighter, some yellower, some greener, etc.
Author: Jan Stone, Extension Specialist
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