Test 3 – Fiber Reactive Fabric Dye

Samples:

Method #1—scoured fabric dyed according to standard dye and finishing directions (soda ash)

Method #2—non-scoured fabric dyed in standard dye method, finished with only a cold water rinse

Lastly, we look at fabric dyed with proper fiber reactive fabric dyes and soda ash. Commonly, these are Procion dyes (brand names include Procion MX, Lamafix, and Adiactive among others). Soda ash is a substance that changes the ph of the dye solution. With this method, the dye will actually form a true dye bondwith the fabric.

As the pictures show (Photo 5), both scoured and non-scoured fabric underwent only a small amount of fading in the year's average light exposure. Surprisingly, the non-scoured fabric did not fade more than the scoured fabric. At this point, we are attributing this phenomenon to the starch coating possibly protecting the unfixed dye molecules from light exposure.

At this stage in the testing, it is clear that for heirloom quality dyeing, a fiber reactive fabric dye, fixed with a soda ash mordant, is what should be used.