sewingsuz

I washed my quilt and the red die ran and I was wondering how to use synthrapol?? Please reach out to me.

nativetexan

retayne keeps the color in. i think Synthrapol removes excess. confusing.

Prism99

Synthrapol suspends loose dye particles in the water so they don't have a chance to set into other fabrics. Since I do not prewash most fabrics, I always use Synthrapol for the first washing of a quilt in case one of the fabrics bleeds.

In your case, the loose dye has already settled into other fabrics. You can still use Synthrapol, but it will likely take several washings to loosen all of the unwanted dye so it can be rinsed away in the water.

Typically you want to use lots of water with Synthrapol. I do this when I first wash a quilt so that, if there is a significant dye bleed, it will be diluted by the water. Synthrapol is most effective in hot water. It still works in warm water, just not as well. If you don't want to wash your quilt in hot water, warm is okay; just don't use cold.

What you will want to do is wash several times in a row without putting the quilt in the dryer. Be sure not to let the wet quilt sit between washings, as dye can transfer from one fabric together when they are next to each other and damp.

If it were me, I would probably wash the first couple of times in hot water, then switch to warm water.

You may not be able to get the very last faint tinges of unwanted color out this way, as it may take more washings than you want to do. However, it will all eventually get washed out over time. This is because dye bleeds are not permanently set. Most modern dyes require chemical processes to set, not just water or washing/drying heat.

Instead of Synthrapol, you can use clear (not blue) Dawn dishwashing liquid in the machine. Some quilters have done tests that show Dawn is at least as effective as Synthrapol. Do not use a front-loading domestic machine; it does not use enough water. A domestic front-loader is fine, as are the larger laundromat front-loaders.

Here is a website with better information than I can provide, and a process slightly different than what I have described above (she uses a bathtub):
https://www.colorwaysbyvicki.com/sav...ing-quilt.html

And here is her PDF with detailed instructions (or download from the website above):
https://www.colorwaysbyvicki.com/upl...edingquilt.pdf

Be careful about using too much Dawn or Synthrapol. She uses up to 1/2 cup, but that is in a bathtub. If you are using a machine, use much less than that. Otherwise the agitation may cause one of those suds overflow disasters seen in some comedies.

Edit: Amounts used would be the same whether you use Synthrapol or Dawn. They behave almost identically and create a *lot* of suds with agitation.

Edit 2: I see on reading her PDF that she actually warns against using Synthrapol in your situation. She says Dawn is better.

Peckish

I heartily agree - go read the instructions this hand-dyer has kindly put together for the rest of us to help with our bleeding quilts.

Sassylass

Scroll down in this site and she will show/tell you how to use Dawn.


http://www.42quilts.com/2014/02/quil...-round-up.html

judykay

I have used Dawn with much success, the only thing I would like to mention is it will suds up so don't use more than a 1/4 tsp. per full load and only in top loading machines. As mentioned before the front loaders don't use as much water and this could be a problem. Good Luck and keep us posted with you results.

baywinds

Prismm99, could I please ask for a couple of clarifications? Can you say why NOT the blue? It clearly has some sort of blue dye or coloring in it. But in one of the links provided by another poster, she is recommending Dawn, and is holding a bottle of the blue. http://www.42quilts.com/2014/02/quil...-round-up.html

"Instead of Synthrapol, you can use clear (not blue) Dawn dishwashing liquid in the machine. "

2nd question: I may be misreading this, but this sentence doesn't make sense to me, as it reads :
"Do not use a front-loading domestic machine; it does not use enough water. A domestic front-loader is fine, as are the larger laundromat front-loaders".

Thanks for your experience and sharing.
I empathize your potential thumb joint reconstruction. I too am looking at that exact procedure next year. I am not willing to give up that long healing and non-sewing time yet. And yes, it does progress and gets worse.Just keep my thumb brace on 24/7. Fortunately it's my left non dominant hand.

judykay

I have used the blue Dawn and it works just fine. As for the front loading washers it has been my understanding they don't hold as much water as the top loaders for conserving the water. I have a top loader but have read this information many times and know of others who have the front loader and say the same thing. I don't know if they all are the same or not.

Prism99

Sorry, baywinds, for the typo. I meant to say that domestic *top* loaders use enough water. The older I get, the more likely I am to substitute a word and the less likely I am to spot it before posting.

I have always used Synthrapol, so I do not have personal experience with Dawn for removing dye bleeds. I like the links in my other post because Vicki Welsh has obviously done some in-depth research and experimentation to arrive at her methodology with Dawn. I have seen other websites that recommend Dawn, but not all of them. I think all of the ones I have looked at recommended the clear Dawn. My own thinking is that it's probably fine to use the blue Dawn and also fine to use Synthrapol (as I do). However, Vicki Welsh may know more about chemistry than I do, since she says the chemicals in Synthrapol may interact with some of the chemicals used in finishing fabrics. I assume most people recommend clear Dawn over blue Dawn because clear eliminates the possibility of a negative chemical reaction between the blue dye and the fabrics. My best guess, anyway.

Peckish

I have used the blue Dawn without incident.