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Dyeing with our color powders

Here you will get an insight into the process of dyeing with our color powders.

T-shirt dyeing

Other items of clothing can also be dyed. It is important that the item of clothing has a high cotton content.

What you need:

  • A large cooking pot (without coating)
  • washing soda
  • textile detergent
  • Hob
  • Thermometer (any model available in the kitchen)
  • High-quality rubber gloves
  • wooden spoon

Please keep in mind: 

Use good quality protective gloves, especially when working with warm liquids and immersing the garment in the hot water. Do not use food-grade containers after using the pot to dye fabrics.

Be careful not to inhale the fine powder and follow the instructions for using scouring agents/detergents.

It is best to work in a well-ventilated work area without small children or pets.
Wear old clothes that you don't mind getting stained or wet.

Cleaning process:

Have all the necessary utensils ready.

Cleaning a T-shirt: 

Use 28 liters of water per 2,26g of cotton fabric, so make sure there is enough space in the pot to move the garment

T-shirt weighing

Now add the detergent and washing soda to the water. The washing soda provides an even more effective textile cleaning.

Quantity: Add 2-3 teaspoons of washing soda and 1-2 teaspoons of detergent per 4 liters of water.

Once you have added the detergents listed above to the water, carefully add the t-shirt and turn on the heat. Bring the water to a simmer, then turn off the heat and let the t-shirt sit for at least two to four hours.

The T-shirt should be stirred occasionally with a wooden spoon to ensure that the entire fabric is cleaned evenly. The water may turn yellow/grey.

Rinse the T-shirt thoroughly under running water for a few minutes to remove any detergent residue.

From now on the dyeing process begins

As a general guideline, use about 200g of natural dye powder per t-shirt you want to dye. Use enough water to allow the garment to move easily.

Take about 200g of color powder and add it to plenty of hot, boiling water that is at least 90°C. Increase the temperature until it is just about boiling and then let the mixture simmer for at least 30 minutes while stirring.

This allows the dye from the plant material to pass into the water.
Turn off the heat and allow the water to cool to a maximum of 70°C. For best results, allow the paint mixture to cool overnight and then continue with your project the next day.

Turn the stove back on and bring the water temperature to about 70 °C.

Stir the T-shirt in the dye mixture every 10 minutes for about 1 hour, squeezing the T-shirt every now and then to ensure that all fibers are flushed with dye.
For best results, leave the t-shirt in the dye mixture for at least 5 hours or overnight.

You do not need to reheat the mixture during this soaking phase. Most of the remaining color powder should have sunk to the bottom of the container by the end of the process.

Finally, rinse the garment thoroughly and dry it.

Depending on the color of the dye powder, the color of the dyed garment may vary.

 

coloring candles

For our example, we used a white tea light that we colored with our color powder. Use more or less color powder depending on the intensity of the color.

Melt the candle wax in a pot of water and add the color powder to the candle wax.

Caution: If you use too much color powder, the candle may start to break.

Finally, place the wick in the middle and let the candle wax cool.

 

We hope you have fun coloring our color powders.

 

Your Kratomdudes Team 

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