How To Use Soda Ash For Tie-dye (Presoak Vs Bottle Method)

Adding soda ash to your bottles is by far the more convenient way to mix your dyes. It is quicker than doing a soda bath and requires less manipulation. Let’s see exactly how to mix a regular dye solution:

1. 1. Measure 1 tsp of dye powder
   2. Add dye to a clean squeeze bottle
   3. Fill up the bottle with 1 cup of water
   4. Add in 1 tsp of soda ash
   5. Shake well, wait 5 minutes then shake well again
   6. Apply the dye solution to a damp 100% cotton shirt

This method is a foolproof way of obtaining good results. You must not forget adding in the soda ash, or the color will appear extremely faded.

Once the soda is mixed with the dye, all you need to do is squirt the mix on a damp cotton shirt.

How long does the dye solution stay good for?

Once you have mixed the soda ash and dye together, the mix will only stay good for a few hours. As soon as they are placed together in water they will start reacting. The older the dye mix is, the weaker it will be.

A bottle containing both dye and soda ash will only stay good for 4-8 hours. It may appear fine visually but the color will not transfer to the shirt. You will be left with pale and undesirable colors.

Dye mixed with soda ash will quickly become unusable. Cool down or even freeze your dye solution to extend its longevity. The rate of depletion is proportional to the solution’s temperature. Make sure to use fresh dye for best results.

Presoak method – How to soak a shirt

Alternatively, you can soak the shirt in a bath of soda ash. You can fill up a container with warm water and add soda ash to it at a concentration of a cup of soda per gallon of water.

1. 1. Fill a bucket or a tub with a gallon of warm water
   2. Measure a cup (8 oz) of soda ash
   3. Add the soda ash to the water and stir
   4. Add one or multiple shirts to the bucket
   5. Let the shirt soak in the water for 15 minutes
   6. Wring out or spin the shirt to remove excess water
   7. Fold and dye the shirt
      

Make sure that the fabric is completely saturated with the soda solution. Let is soak for a few minutes before taking it out of the bath and wringing it to remove excess water. You should wear gloves at every point of the process to prevent touching the soda ash directly.

Using this technique lets you dye with bottles of pure dye solutions. A dye solution without any soda ash in it will keep for much longer. Using this technique you can save your leftovers dyes to be used later.

The shirt will now be covered in soda ash. The advantage of this method is that it let’s you use unadulterated dye solutions. With this method you will mix your dyes with water only. Such a solution will last for a week at room temperature.

Should you let the shirt dry before dyeing?

No, you don’t need to let the shirt dry up. You want the shirt to be slightly damp for dyeing. Take the shirt out of the soda ash solution. Wring it out or spin it in the washer. Remove excess water until the shirt is no longer dripping.

Do you rinse out the shirt before dyeing?

No, you shouldn’t rinse out the shirt after a soda ash soak. Washing would remove the soda ash and we need it for dyeing. If you remove the soda ash from the shirt then you need to mix it in your dye bottles.

How much soda ash to use?

Mix the soda ash directly in your bottles along with the dye. The quantity of soda ash needed is relative to the amount of water in the solution.

You need one teaspoon (8 g) of soda ash per cup of water (250 ml). A common preparation is to mix one teaspoon of dye powder with one teaspoon of soda ash in one cup of water.

There’s also more ways to use soda ash that we will explore, but putting it in the bottle is the quickest and easiest.