Scouring Recipe

helpful ratios

  • 425 g = 1 lb of fabric
  • 1 tsp of pH-neutral soap / 1 lb of fabric
  • 1 tbsp of soda ash / 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

  • pH-neutral soap (ex., Synthropal, Blue Dawn, 7th generation)
  • soda ash

process

for cotton/linen fabric

  • weigh dry fabric and take note
  • scour
    • fill a pot (used strictly for dyeing) with hot water (not boiling), just enough to cover the fabric
    • add about 1% WOF of pH-neutral soap (1 tsp/lb of fabric) to the pot
    • add about 1.5% WOF (1tbsp/lb of fabric) soda ash to the pot
    • heat the water to 180°F
    • let the fabric stew in the pot at that temperature for about an hour
  • rinse the fabric in warm water (avoid shocking the fabric with a rinse temperature different from the soak temperature)

for wool/silk fabric

  • weigh dry fabric and take note
  • scour
    • fill a pot (used strictly for dyeing) with hot water (not boiling), just enough to cover the fabric
    • add about 1% WOF of pH-neutral soap (1 tsp/lb of fabric) to the pot
    • heat the water to around 160°F (keep it below 180°F to avoid felting)
    • let the fabric stew in the pot at that temperature for about an hour
  • rinse the fabric in warm water (avoid shocking the fabric with a rinse temperature different from the soak temperature)

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