Mordanting Recipe

October 17, 2025

helpful ratios

425 g = 1 lb of fabric

equipment needed

stainless steel pot - will be used strictly for dyeing, should not be used for food
stainless steel mixing spoon
metric scale
stainless steel teaspoon
stainless steel tablespoon

ingredients

aluminum acetate/aluminum sulfate
tannin of your choice (clear base = gallnut) (yellow base = myrobalan, pomegranate, black oak, fustic) (brown base = cutch, mimosa, quebracho, tea leaves)
chalk/calcium carbonate

process - for this recipe, it will take a bit of researching to see what materials you're okay with using and what you would like the colorfastness to be.

for cotton/linen fabric

mordant
- if using tannins + aluminum acetate + chalk
  - tannin bath
    - fill up a pot with hot water (not boiling)
    - put the % WOF advised by the brand of the tannin
    - put the fabric in the pot
      - if soaking the fabric in the pot for 1 hr
        
        heat on a stove top to bring it up to 120°F
        
        hold the water at that temperature for 1 hr
        
        take the pot off the heat and take the fabric out
        
        rinse the fabric in warm water (avoid shocking the fabric with a rinse temperature different from the soak temperature)
      - if soaking the fabric in the pot overnight
        
        heat on a stove top to bring it up to 120°F
        
        turn off the heat
        
        put a lid on the pot to ensure nothing goes inside
        
        let the fabric sit in the pot overnight, then rinse in cool water (avoid shocking the fabric with a rinse temperature different from the soak temperature)
  - aluminum acetate bath
    - fill up a pot with hot water (not boiling)
    - put 5 - 10% WOF of aluminum acetate in the pot
    - put the fabric in the pot
      - if soaking the fabric in the pot for 1 hr
        
        heat on a stove top to bring it up to 140°F - 180°F
        
        hold the water at that temperature for 1 hr
        
        take the pot off the heat and take the fabric out
        
        rinse the fabric in warm water (avoid shocking the fabric with a rinse temperature different from the soak temperature)
      - if soaking the fabric in the pot overnight
        
        heat on a stove top to bring it up to 140°F - 180°F
        
        turn off the heat
        
        put a lid on the pot to ensure nothing goes inside
        
        let the fabric sit in the pot overnight, then rinse in cool water (avoid shocking the fabric with a rinse temperature different from the soak temperature)
  - chalk bath
    - fill up a bucket with hot water (not boiling)
    - put 5% WOF of chalk in the bucket
    - put the fabric in the bucket
    - let the fabric sit in the solution for 30 minutes
    - rinse the fabric in warm water (avoid shocking the fabric with a rinse temperature different from the soak temperature)
- if using aluminum acetate + chalk
  - aluminum acetate bath
    - fill up a pot with hot water (not boiling)
    - put 5 - 10% % WOF of aluminum acetate in the pot
    - put the fabric in the pot
      - if soaking the fabric in the pot for 1 hr
        
        heat on a stove top to bring it up to 140°F - 180°F
        
        hold the water at that temperature for 1 hr
        
        take the pot off the heat and take the fabric out
        
        rinse the fabric in warm water (avoid shocking the fabric with a rinse temperature different from the soak temperature)
      - if soaking the fabric in the pot overnight
        
        heat on a stove top to bring it up to 140°F - 180°F
        
        turn off the heat
        
        put a lid on the pot to ensure nothing goes inside
        
        let the fabric sit in the pot overnight, then rinse in cool water (avoid shocking the fabric with a rinse temperature different from the soak temperature)
  - chalk bath
    - fill up a bucket with hot water (not boiling)
    - put 5% WOF of chalk in the bucket
    - put the fabric in the bucket
    - let the fabric sit in the solution for 30 minutes
    - rinse the fabric in warm water (avoid shocking the fabric with a rinse temperature different from the soak temperature)
- if using aluminum acetate
  - aluminum acetate bath
    - fill up a pot with hot water (not boiling)
    - put 5 - 10% % WOF of aluminum acetate in the pot
    - put the fabric in the pot
      - if soaking the fabric in the pot for 1 hr
        
        heat on a stove top to bring it up to 140°F - 180°F
        
        hold the water at that temperature for 1 hr
        
        take the pot off the heat and take the fabric out
        
        rinse the fabric in warm water (avoid shocking the fabric with a rinse temperature different from the soak temperature)
      - if soaking the fabric in the pot overnight
        
        heat on a stove top to bring it up to 140°F - 180°F
        
        turn off the heat
        
        put a lid on the pot to ensure nothing goes inside
        
        let the fabric sit in the pot overnight, then rinse in cool water (avoid shocking the fabric with a rinse temperature different from the soak temperature)
- if using aluminum sulfate + soda ash
  - aluminum sulfate + soda ash bath
    - fill up a pot with hot water (not boiling)
    - put 12% aluminum sulfate and 15% soda ash into the pot
    - put the fabric in the pot
    - heat on a stove top to bring it up to 140°F - 180°F
    - hold the water at that temperature for 1 - 2 hrs
    - take the pot off the heat and take the fabric out
    - rinse the fabric in warm water (avoid shocking the fabric with a rinse temperature different from the soak temperature)
- is using tannin + aluminum sulfate
  - tannin bath
    - fill up a pot with hot water (not boiling)
    - put the % WOF advised by the brand of the tannin
    - put the fabric in the pot
      - if soaking the fabric in the pot for 1 hr
        
        heat on a stove top to bring it up to 140°F - 180°F
        
        hold the water at that temperature for 1 hr
        
        take the pot off the heat and take the fabric out
        
        rinse the fabric in warm water (avoid shocking the fabric with a rinse temperature different from the soak temperature)
      - if soaking the fabric in the pot overnight
        
        heat on a stove top to bring it up to 140°F - 180°F
        
        turn off the heat
        
        put a lid on the pot to ensure nothing goes inside
        
        let the fabric sit in the pot overnight, then rinse in cool water (avoid shocking the fabric with a rinse temperature different from the soak temperature)
  - aluminum sulfate bath
    - fill up a pot with hot water (not boiling)
    - put 12% aluminum sulfate and 15% soda ash into the pot
    - put the fabric in the pot
    - heat on a stove top to bring it up to 140°F - 180°F
    - hold the water at that temperature for 1 - 2 hrs
    - take the pot off the heat and take the fabric out
    - rinse the fabric in warm water (avoid shocking the fabric with a rinse temperature different from the soak temperature)
after mordanting, dry the fabric and store it to dye in the future, or keep the fabric damp in a sealed bag in the fridge if dyeing soon

for wool/silk fabric??

mordanting
- fill up a pot with hot water (not boiling)
- put 10 - 20% aluminum sulfate into the pot
- put the fabric in the pot
  - for wool
    - mordant the fabric at 180°F for 1 hour
    - let the mixture cool with the fabric in it, then rinse it
  - for silk
    - mordant at 120°F for 1 hour
    - let the mixture cool with the fabric in it, then rinse it (avoid shocking the fabric with a rinse temperature different from the cooled soak temperature)

Back to blog

KEEP IN TOUCH!

Be the first to know about our first drops, learn about natural dye fabrics, and advocating to ending FGM!