How to Care for Naturally Dyed Clothing

How to Care for Naturally Dyed Clothing

Natural dyes have a different relationship with fiber than their synthetic counterparts. They are capable of shifting and fading over time. Understanding how to care for naturally dyed fiber is what allows them to last.

This guide covers the two most common categories you'll encounter: indigo-dyed textiles, and adjective-dyed textiles - those dyed with mordanted plant dyes like madder, weld, marigold, and others. The care approaches differ in important ways, but there is also a lot of overlap. Keep reading to learn how to care for your naturally dyed garments and fiber.

Caring for Indigo-Dyed Textiles

Indigo is a vat dye. Unlike most natural dyes, it doesn't bond chemically with fiber through a mordant - instead, requires an reduced, alkaline environment to dye fiber. It is a mechanical, physical bond which essentially coats the fiber in indigo dye. This is why indigo behaves the way it does in the wash.

Indigo Care

Indigo-Dyed Textiles

Cellulose and protein fibers

1 Neutralize your fabric: Fill a bucket with enough cold or room-temperature water for your fabric to move freely. Add about half a cup of white vinegar. Soak for 15 minutes. This neutralizes residual alkalinity from the indigo vat and brightens the dye results. 
2 Expect some initial crocking: Newly dyed indigo pieces can shed color in the first few washes - this is excess indigo that didn't fully bond. Rinse newly dyed fabric separately until the water runs clear, then run them through the washing machine on their own at least once. If your fabric continues to crock, wash using a fat-based soap (olive oil soap, Orvis paste, soap de Marseilles, etc.)
3 Wash in cold water: Hot water can accelerate fading and can cause uneven color loss.
4 Use a gentle, pH-neutral soap: Detergents with brighteners, bleach, or high pH will strip color faster. Any free-and-clear detergent works well, as does a small amount of Dr. Bronner's or Marseilles soap.
5 Embrace the fade: Indigo is one of the most wash- and lightfast of all natural dyes. The wear that develops, especially on denim and canvas, is part of the beauty of indigo dyed fabric. 
6 Overdyeing is an option: A piece that has lightened over years can always be re-dyed This is one of the great gifts of working with indigo!

Caring for Adjective-Dyed Textiles

Adjective dyes are plant-based dyes that require a mordant to bond with fiber. Madder, weld, cochineal, marigold, and goldenrod all fall into this category. The mordant is what makes the color permanent; without it, most plant dyes would wash out entirely.

Note on pH sensitivity

Adjective dyes can be sensitive to both ends of the pH scale. In an alkaline environment, dyes like cochineal and madder shift into more purple hues. In a very acidic environment, they can shift toward hot pink or orange. A pH-neutral soap is the safest choice for all mordant-dyed pieces.

Mordant Dye Care

Adjective-Dyed Textiles

Cellulose and protein fibers

1 Wash in cool or room temperature water: Hot water can cause colors to shift or fade more rapidly. Cool to lukewarm is ideal.
2 Use a gentle, pH-neutral soap: Avoid strongly alkaline detergents. A free-and-clear detergent or gentle wool wash works well for all naturally dyed fabrics.
3 Wash separately at first: Some mordant dyes - particularly deep reds from madder - can bleed slightly in the first wash. Wash new pieces separately until you're confident the color is stable. This is also true if you used an iron post-mordant on your fabric. Iron can stain and transfer on its first wash.
4 Avoid direct sunlight for drying and storage: Many natural dyes are sensitive to prolonged UV exposure. Dry in the shade and store away from direct light. This is especially true for yellow dyes - weld, dyer's chamomile, goldenrod, marigold, etc. - which can shift noticeably with extended sun exposure.
5 Know that some shift is natural: Natural dyes are in relationship with their environment. Light, water, and even the minerals in your tap water can cause shifts over time. A color that started as bright gold may deepen to amber; a soft pink may warm toward peach. It's the nature of living color!

General Care Tips for All Naturally Dyed Textiles

  • Machine wash when only necessary The best thing you can do for any naturally dyed piece is wash it only when necessary. Spot clean when possible.
  • Hand wash when in doubt Machine washing on delicate is fine for most sturdy wovens, but agitation accelerates wear on both fiber and dye. Hand washing is gentler.
  • Keep a record If you dyed the piece yourself, write down what you used - fiber, mordant, dye plant, recipe. This is super helpful if you decide to re-dye down the line.
  • Understand impermanence Natural dyes age differently than synthetic ones, and that is part of what makes them beautiful. 
  • Continue the relationship If you notice fading, overdye it. Maintaining a relationship with your naturally dyed pieces is part of the practice.

A Note on Indigo + Overdyeing

Indigo and mordant dyes can be combined to create a much wider range of colors than either achieves alone. Indigo over a yellow mordant dye produces green; indigo over red produces violet or near-black. These combination pieces require care that supports both dye types - when in doubt, treat them as gently as you would the more sensitive of the two.

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