How to Mix or Make Soda Ash for Tie Dyeing with Procion Dyes 

Thank you, I have worked in the schools for 16 years explaining tie-dye to kids so I think that set me up perfect to create these videos when I was called to do so

Yeah. Hes so good. Been watchin bout 4 months. I love it.

@@MrTieDye to

Thank you and you are welcome ... I am just an artist and I have been a step dad.... but most of my training and patience for these videos came from doing tie-dye school events and home parties over the last 16 years 😁🙏✌️

you are welcome ... I try to make it easier for anyone to be able to do tie-dye and have fun and success with it ✌🏻

Thank you so much 😊

you are welcome 🙏

thank you and you are welcome, I am glad to be of help to you... I love this art and love sharing it with the World!! 🌎

that is awesome, Welcome to the Wonderful World of Tie-Dye.... here is my beginner's playlist ..... ru-vid.com/group/PLMEtBqB2BzuquDrHsqxbv8LdFkaIyy3wo and I have many other lists with a ton of videos in them so have fun exploring and yes it is good to practice before you start on a dress project ... let me know if I can help or answer questions for you :) and most of all, have fun!!

Thank you and you are welcome.... and yes I love to help others have fun and success with this art ... so just in case, here is more info : Hello and Welcome to the Wonderful World of Tie-Dye .... I use Procion Dyes I pre wash and pre soak the cotton tees in a Soda Ash solution, this raises the pH level of the cotton which activates the Procion Dyes (sources listed below) and causes a chemical bond to form between the cotton fibers and the Procion Dyes. (Procion Dyes work on other natural fibers as well like : Bamboo, Hemp, Linen, Rayon, and even silk, but I use a slightly different process for silk) I have a ton of videos that are sorted into many different playlists so be sure to explore … 
 I have put a bunch of videos into one Playlist to help get you started with an overview of Tie-Dye, and then how to mix the Dyes, mix or make Soda Ash, Batch the tees (let the dyes set up so the bonding can happen), and the Rinse/Wash Out Process... Also, I have many videos on the basic folds and various ways of dyeing the cotton tees or tapestries ... Have fun exploring and I wish you success on your Tie-Dye Journey, Oh and I recommend taking photos of your work so you can look back and see how far you have come as this is an art that you will need to practice, but it pays off with getting better each time you do it ..... This art can be quite addictive, you have been warned lol 😉 Here is my Beginner's Playlist : ru-vid.com/group/PLMEtBqB2BzuquDrHsqxbv8LdFkaIyy3wo ✌🏻❤️🌈🥳🙏 Here is a list with some more folds to try out : ru-vid.com/group/PLMEtBqB2Bzupqjuh_6wdf-wMlgGdAjVaE Plus, there are many other tie-dye artists who share their techniques so others can learn, here is a list I have compiled that were mentioned in the tie-dye pages : ru-vid.comchannels Most Dyers use Procion Dyes, so just in case you are looking for sources for those, here are the main places to buy them from in the US : CA : Dharma : www.dharmatrading.com/dyes/dharma-fiber-reactive-procion-dyes.html CO : Grateful Dyes : www.grateful-dyes.com/ CO : CO Wholesale Dye Corp. : www.bulkdye.com NC : Custom Colors Inc. : www.customcoloursinc.com/ MA : Pro-Chemical and Dye : prochemicalanddye.net/ MO : Dyespin : www.dyespin.com

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You're so welcome ... have fun and I Wish you success!! ... one thing, if it is a 'One Step Kit' I recommend doing a soda ash soak and then tying all of your tees, once you have everything ready, then mix the dyes.... they are active as soon as you add water and you will get the best colors if used right away ... here is my Beginner's Playlist, the 5th video I talk about ways to improve your colors and some of the tips are for the store bought kits :ru-vid.com/group/PLMEtBqB2BzuquDrHsqxbv8LdFkaIyy3wo

LOL... yep only takes one time :-)

I Searched for Baking Soda to mix it into soda ash that I saw on the Walmart app..... so I just want to offer to take One of Soda. Baking soda with a bag to poor just one in a time.

@@kylemessicktiedyecollector5690 I don't understand what you are trying to say here, could you try again?

thank you for your comments ... I know these help other people who are looking for answers

I was going to say the same thing about the laundry soda. Its pretty cheap for a box

Awesome!!

Wonderful... I am glad to be of help to you... I do try to find easier ways of doing things so I am always experimenting with some thing 😉✌🏻🙏

Thank you for adding this tip in here, I love when people help other people ❤️✌🏻🙏

You are so welcome! ... I love helping other have success with this art. Just in case, here is my Beginner's Playlist : ru-vid.com/group/PLMEtBqB2BzuquDrHsqxbv8LdFkaIyy3wo

You are so welcome

Awesome! Thank you!

thank you for the info

thank you

You are welcome, I love this art and I love to help others have fun and success with it as for the soda ash, you can soak as many as will fit in the basin... soda ash does not go bad, so you can soak tees, wring out the excess back into the basin and just keep using it, when the soda sh gets low, just make more and add it in ✌🏻

✌🏻🌈❤️🙏 Thank you!!

😂🥳🙏✌🏻

you are welcome, I am glad to be of help

Thanks problem solved

you are welcome

you are welcome

I always make my own. It's cheaper

yes that made sense and no it is not bad... I love to inspire people to learn and explore

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you are welcome 🙏

that sounds great... thank you for sharing .... oh and I had one lump that never did dissolve... I just tossed the jug out ;-)

I believe you can get it much cheaper at a pool supply store but you have to buy it in large amounts.

You are so welcome!

this was my first time making it... I just wanted to let people know about all of the options as I get a lot of questions ... thank you

That is awesome! as for the one step kits, they already have soda ash mixed in with the dyes, so as soon as you add water, they are active, SO, to get the best colors, you want to tie up all of the tees before you mix the dyes ... oh and if you have soda ash, you will get better colors if you do a pre soak .... then tie them up, mix your dyes and the get to adding the colors, you can open the creases of the tees to check for white areas and then batch them for 24 - 48 hours in a bag or a tub with a lid so the stay wet... this is when the dyes bond with the cotton fibers (oh and use 100% cotton tees) here is my beginner's play list that will give you more tips and tricks .... ru-vid.com/group/PLMEtBqB2BzuquDrHsqxbv8LdFkaIyy3wo have fun creating and Welcome to the Wonderful World of Tie-Dye

thank you and you are welcome ... as for making soda ash ... yes you use baking soda and I would still heat for the full time like I show in the video ... I am not sure about my comment, but it was probably in reference to me preferring to use already made soda ash ... I can buy it at a local pool supply store ... 50lbs for $35 .... that is more convenient than making my own..... BUT, if you do not have access to soda ash, then yes using Baking Soda to make your own is a great thing about this art... lots of options ... I hope that made sense ✌🏻🙏🌈

@@MrTieDye It does make sense! Thank you for replying so quick!!

Thank you and no, I do not think the soda ash would be needed for paper

first, no the soda ash will not clog the drain up as it has been dissolved and will just pass on through ... many regular detergents have soda ash in them for your regular washing... this is why we use a special soap like Synthrapol or Blue Dawn Dish soap as they are both pH neutral, meaning they will not re-activate the dyes as you are washing them out and second, yes you can let the tee dry all the way before you add the dyes, I do this sometimes when I have tied up a mandala tightly with sinew and I want to insure better saturation ... most times I prefer to dye while slightly damp, but when tying a tee tightly with sinew, some extra liquid can get 'trapped' within the folds when everything is tightened up with the sinew and this can seemingly 'block' the movement of the dyes through the fabric there is one more way to do the soda ash... you can tie the tee just damp after the pre-wash, then dye it and then add soda ash to the dyed tee... I just pour mine over the top, let sit to soak in, then I flip and coat the other side... when I do it this way, I mix my soda ash with 2 cups instead of one and here is a video to show how I apply the soda ash, it is the third tee : ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-rkmAQxOu52A.html in the files section of the 'Tie-Dyeing' page on FB, there is a listing for the 'Pariah' Method where Paul describes how he mixes everything

You're welcome!

you can just use it at room temp, I mix mine with hot water because it seems to help it dissolve faster .... but you can just keep re suing the soda ash .... and when it gets low, just make more and add it in with the rest

@@MrTieDye Thank you :)

thank you

you are welcome

I have not done batik myself yet... but I would soak the fabric in soda ash, spin out the excess and then hang it to dry completely ... and then add your wax and then submerge in dye

yes you can ... one thing to take note of, if the dye seem to roll off the tee instead of soak in, then you can lightly spray the tee with soda ash water and this will break surface tension and help the dyes to soak in

you are welcome and yes you can, just check the ingredients to make sure it says 100% soda ash or Sodium Carbonate .... but I have seen many dyers who use Arm & Hammer Washing Soda in place of soda ash

@@MrTieDye Thank you so much for your reply. Once we used warm water to make soda ask solution, can we use the the solution again or we have to heat it before every use?

Yes, I sometimes will add the salt into my dyes when I mix them ... so for 16 oz of warm water, I add 1-2tbsp of salt and then 5-6tsp of dye and then I blend it until all is dissolved .... blacks and turquoise can be improved some with salt .... it is used in low water immersion dyeing to help 'push' the dye out of the water and into the fabric .... and yes I think any salt will work, but Glauber's Salt is what is recommended .... you can buy it from dharma, but I buy mine on Amazon : amzn.to/3woVkbg .... if you use this link, then I receive credit 😉

thank you :)

I do not know for sure, but I think it will work... we use soda ash to raise the pH level to 10.6 - 11.0 ..... so maybe try a tee and see how it goes ... also, you might look on the tie-dye pages as there are some dyers who know the chemical side better than I do, most of my learning is from direct experimentation .... but I have only used soda ash for mine

I am glad you are finding my videos to be helpful.... as for tees, I buy mine wholesale from sanmar.com ... but I know a lot of dyers buy from jiffyshirts.com or alldayshirts.com and I have also heard of alphabroder.com ... I am not sure which is the best since I do most all of my buying wholesale

MrTieDye yes I am looking for wholesale , I did order from shirtwholesaler to see how they are and will try one of those sites next . Thank you !

I have not used Rit before so I cannot speak to that, but you can try it and see if it changes anything ... but mostly I think the soda ash work with the fiber reactive dyes ... you can search their site and see if they have any tips for better colors .... and if they recommend a length of time for the dyes to set up, maybe try leaving for longer.... or mixing the dyes stronger but what I usually do is to recommend people switch to a better dye if they want to improve their results ... I have been using the same dyes for 20 years I use Fiber Reactive Procion Dyes. I buy most of mine from Dharma Trading Co. www.dharmatrading.com/dyes/dharma-fiber-reactive-procion-dyes.html I have also purchased the same kind of dyes from Custom Colours in NC and Grateful Dye in CO. Here is a video on how to mix the dyes: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-3Fj289T6BVg.html

I accidentally left song some tye dyed shirts in the dye for nearly a week. My daughter and niece did it with their daughters then brought them home and left them for me to finish. I had agreed to because school was just starting abc my daughter and the girls were very busy. Well about a week later I found them in the bag, wrapped in plastic. Wow. They were the best I've ever seen from the kits. Maybe if you can't find anything on their website about the color you could just forget about them for awhile. Lol. It truly was accidental. We were just crazy busy. One of the girls asked if she could wear her new tye dye shirt to school the night before the first day and that is when I remembered them. They're beautiful though. They truly are.

you are welcome.... I do not know much about dyeing wool, but I did look into it a while back and from what i read, soda ash should not be used on wool... so you may look into it some to make sure you use the right thing... I know when I dye silk, I soak in white vinegar instead of soda ash.... but I never did figure out how or what to do with wool ... I wish you success.

thank you, I am just doing my part :-)

Thank you and welcome.... yes I leave mine to batch for 24-48 hours and then I rinse and wash them all together, here is my process : ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-t0M_nstKkjM.html

you are welcome.... And Yes the soda ash will work wet of dry ... there are times when I do 'dye painting' ... I tie-dye the tee and leave a white space... batch, wash, dry..... then I will spray the white spot with soda sh and then let it dry completely.... then I paint with dye ..... OR, I will fold a soaked tee, tie with sinew, let it dry completely and then dye it ... soda ash is good until it is washed away ✌🏻

After dyeing, I batch my dyes for 48 hours in a tub with a lid to keep the dyes wet while they batch... if they dry out, then the dyes are no longer active. after they have batch for 48 hours, I then rinse in the sink in cold water while still tied, this rinses away the soda ash ..... then I turn the water up to warm and continue to rinse.... here is my whole process : ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-t0M_nstKkjM.html

You are so welcome, and thank you for subbing ... have fun creating!!

thank you... and I am not sure about the alkaline/ionized water and how it would affect the pH as I have not used it before... I just know from what i have read on the dharma site as well as others that the optimum pH for tie-dye is between 10.6 - 11.0 and once cup of soda ash in regular water works perfect .... way back in the day I bought the test stripes to check on my soda ash water ... same stripes I used in the video, but they were just a little old so the reading were a bit high, but they were all the same .... and yes I have always loved to create images with tie dye and the heart is one of the first ones i made ,,, have fun exploring and trying new designs :-)

you are welcome.... and yes you can dye it dry, but sometimes the dye will want to roll around or off the tap when it is dry, if this is the case, then what I do is spray the tapestry lightly with soda ash... I just put some in a spray bottle

@@MrTieDye great! Thanks!!

at this point, no I do not test it.... but in the beginning I did test a couple times to make sure I was in the zone... one cup to one gallon seems to work perfect

I am not aware of any, this is the site I got my info from, but I do see I used a cookie sheet with tin foil, and they recommend a glass baking dish ..... www.pburch.net/dyeing/FAQ/bakingsoda.shtml

you are welcome

Hello Janet ... most of my experience has been with liquid dyeing ... and I am not sure what I said in the video you mention about the soda ash weakening the colors ... It was probably about soda ash mixed in with liquid dyes... it activates the dyes ... once the dyes are active, they should be used quickly as the longer they sit, the weaker color you will get from them .... it is not about soda ash deteriorating the dyes, but the activating of them... once they are activated, they will try to bond, but if there is not cotton fibers or other natural fibers around, they have nothing to bond to .... so, like the 'One Step Kits' that are sold in stores, most of these have soda sh mixed in with the dye powders and this is fine, but once water is added to the bottles, the dyes are active ... I recommend to people using those kits to get all of their tees tied and ready, then mix the dyes and use it right away for best colors. SO, now onto Ice Dyeing ... the soda sh does dissolve as the ice melts so this will add soda ash to the dyes, but they are going right into the tees and bonding with the cotton fibers ... the way I have been doing my ice dyes are the same way I have been doing HWI... I mix 2tsp of dye powder in with 1/4 - 1/3 cup of soda ash... then I sprinkle that onto my tees and then I add the ice ... I know there are many ways to do Ice Dyeing, some work better than others and some give different results than other methods ... experiment and find which ays you like... OR... ask questions on the FB Ice Dyeing page as they have played with it much more than I have ... more of my expertise is around liquid dyeing Here is a link to the Ice Dye page on FB : facebook.com/groups/822773287815267

Thank you so much!!

yes I will add some into a video when I get back to them, but mostly I tie them the same way as a larger tee... just smaller, so for pleats I will usually do slightly smaller/shorter pleats

The toddler t shirts are easier to work with. My daughter loves it.

yes you can soak as many that will fit in your bucket, just make sure they are all covered with soda ash .... and then I wring out the excess and I use my washer to 'spin' out more of the soda ash... (the main thing with this method is to make sure your washer does not spray water during the spin cycle and if it does, then set it to half way through the cycle.... the water will dilute the soda ash and that will affect how the dyes work) this is my preferred method for folding as the tee folds easier than when it is dry... and it also take the dye good... but if they are too wet to start, then there is a possibility of having white in the tee as the tee can only hold so much liquid ... have fun and I wish you success!!

I do not see why not, but like you said, the life of the dyes will be short, so use them as soon as you mix them

I have done a little bit ... and I just used a brush and brushed the dye on and it soaked right into the leather ... but that's all I did ... it seems to stay just fine ... I have also dyed some wood and it soaked in to the grain nicely

@MrTieDye yeah brushing seems like the way to go, I did immersion, and it's way too dark. Thanks for the response.

no it is not ... if I tie up mandalas that have lots of layers of fabric in them, I will let them dry completely before I dye them, this will assist in saturation of the deeper layers as the liquid will wick through the fabric if it is dry BUT, one thing, sometimes the dye will roll off the dry fabric rather than soak in, if this happens, then I use a spray bottle and lightly spray the tee/tap with soda ash water... then the dye should soak in If I do want to keep them damp for longer period of time, I store them in a tub with a lid to keep them damp ✌🏻

I have not mixed those two yet, but I will eventually ... sometimes I will leave the green out when I make a rainbow on a tee and just let the blue and yellow mix 😉

I would add more soda ash powder and blend or shake some more. And I bought these from dharma several years ago, I think they are a bit old and not completely accurate, but I have tested my soda ash from dharma enough to know that one cup works great for one gallon of water, so when all three test about the same, I knew the other two were the same as the dharma soda ash You can probably buy the pH test stripes in other places, just make sure they go up to at least 11 or 12 as some stripes are for other things and only go to 7

IMO they are the same ... Soda ash, also known as Sodium Carbonate has many uses ... for both tie-dye and pool use, it raises the pH level ... not sure about the needs of a swimming pool, but the Procion Dyes that most dyers work with need a pH of around 10.6 - 11.0 for the dyes to set up/ bond good with the cotton or other natural fibers ... I buy my soda ash from the local pool/hot tub supply store for like $35.00 for a 50lb bag ... ad no shipping charges

I am not positive as I have not used them myself, BUT, I do not think you will need soda ash for that... the soda sh is what activates the fiber reactive dyes and causes a chemical reaction between the cotton fiber and the dye particle to form a permanent bond Acrylic paint does not need to be activated... I have heard of people thinning it some and using it like dye, you may search out tie-dye with Acrylic paints and see what you find 🥳✌🏻 have fun and I wish you success!!

I looked it up and found this : www.amazon.com/Soda-Ash-Lite-lbs-Resealable/dp/B09967K49P ......... Soda Ash is Sodium Carbonate and it raises the pH to cause the dyes to activate and bond with the cotton fibers.... so yes this will work ... but I think you could find it cheaper .... dharma sells 5lb bags for $5.95 plus shipping : www.dharmatrading.com/chemicals/soda-ash-fixer.html many people find pH Up in local stores and I buy my soda ash (Sodium Carbonate) from a pool supply store here in town, I get a 50lb bag for $35.00

@@MrTieDye you are so helpful I really appreciate your help. And all your videos.. my husband is always asking me what I am watching in the evening while he is watching TV .. I tell him Mr tie dye he’s amazing and I love watching him. I think he gets a little jealous. LOL.. but he wears the t-shirts I make for him. I found a Pink Floyd long sleeve white t-shirt I dye.. it turned out awesome if I say so myself, he gets a lot of compliments on it.. he tell everyone that his wife made it🤘✌️

I know it can be too low ... like baking soda or Sodium Bicarbonate will produce a low pH resulting in lighter colors ... as for too high, I am not sure, but I do not think it can be too high... maybe if you are doing a long soak, but I read about the 'Pariah Method' from Paul over on one of the tie-dye pages and he uses a lot of soda ash and adds it at the end after dyeing... I had done some of that in the past myself, but with soda ash mixed one cup to one gallon ... I have had a lot of things shift in my work area, so I have made some changes to my process ( I love that about this art, so many ways to do it ) ... now I mix my soda ash 2 cups to one gallon of water and I tie and dye and then I squirt soda ash over the tee, then I set it on my rack in my 'Batching Tub' so the excess liquid can drip out .... my this is just my personal choice ... just in case, here are a couple videos : ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-rkmAQxOu52A.html ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-SvhwNQbhZJA.html

As far as I know, once you convert the baking soda to soda ash by heating it, then it can then be saved and used as soda ash .... and I just keep making more as mine runs low and I add it in with the rest

IMO it does not go bad ... I just keep using the same soda ash to soak my tees in and when it runs low, I just mix more and add it in with the rest ... that being said, I cannot speak to a jug that has been mixed and left to sit for years ... my opinion above is for when you are using it ✌🏻

Great Question - I'd like to hear the answer to this. About to go check out the videos for beginners.

MissB 55 Dye will last a few days or longer in a bottle at room temperature or much longer in a refrigerator. Some colors fade faster. It only has to be used right away if there is soda ash or baking soda in the bottle like in a one step kit.

the Procion dye will last 2-3 weeks at room temp and even longer if you have a fridge to store them in... the main thing with dyes needing to be used all in the same day is the 'One Step Kits' .... most times that means the soda ash has been added to the dye powder, so as soon as you add water, then the dyes are active and need to be used within a few hours or they start to lose the strength ..... so buying the Procion dyes and doing a pre soak in soda ash is much better than the kits from the store

thank you, I am glad to be of help to you .... and I use the US gallon, so when I convert, it is 3.78 liters

@@MrTieDye Thank you so so much!! I appreciate your response

WOW, I have never heard of that before ... but maybe put a lid on your bucket or store in a jug with a lid??

El carbonato de sodio es solo una versión más fuerte del bicarbonato ... con los tintes Procion necesitas un nivel de pH de 10.6 - 11.0 y el bicarbonato no es lo suficientemente fuerte, pero el carbonato de sodio es ..... El carbonato de sodio también se usa en piscinas para elevar el pH Y aquí hay un canal de teñido anudado en Brasil que puede serle útil: ru-vid.com/show-UCoxfC2MhKv8j4vuhgyT0Qbw

Yes it will... I use Procion Dyes and the soda ash is what activates them .... as for the store bought kits, they too are usually using procion dyes, the difference is they add soda ash to the dye bottles ... so the dyes are active as soon as you add water to the bottles ... also, it does not seem like they add enough soda ash, so doing a pre soak of the cotton tee in soda ash will help improve your colors with the store bought kits.... ALSO, anohter thing that will help is getting all of your cotton tees soaked and tied up... then mix the dyes and use them right away ... and then let them batch for longer before washing them, this will give the dyes more time to bond with the cotton fibers.... all un bonded dyes get washed away .... Here is a video where I discuss Improving your Colors : ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-vXFh3CIMJGc.html

@@MrTieDye , Thank you so much!

without knowing more about the product you refer to, I would add some extra in just to be sure, most of the ones I have seen say 100% soda ash... it should be fine, but if you have issue with your first try with this, then I would find some pH test stripes that go above 11 ... because the range you want your soda ash is 10.6 - 11.0 ..... but you can mix it stronger... you just do not not want it to be weaker as then the dyes are not properly activated I use Soda Ash from a local pool supply store

It is Arm&Hammer washing soda. Thank you for responding.

you are welcome... and I do not use a sulphate as these are fiber reactive Procion dyes, they just need the soda ash, which raises the pH and causes the dye to bond.... www.dharmatrading.com/dyes/dharma-fiber-reactive-procion-dyes.html But, if you are using natural dyes, then yes you need a sulphate or mordant ... but I have not used them, so I do not know that process, but dharma does carry natural dyes and mordants so they may have info as well on the process

Thank you for this information. I really appreciate.

✌🏻🙏🥳

Yes. But only to re-dye and add more color. I've done it a lot lol. You can spiral black over it or really any color. It's pretty cool.

yes, when I do an over dye or re dye a tee that I either just want to add more color to, I could not get the thing folded and dyed all at one time , or if I did not like how it came out, I can over dye it ..... ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-CPI_23w6JkY.html

thank you

it is possible that some color may leach out of the already dyed tees, so I soak mine separately just in case

you can keep using it until it is gone.... when mine gets low, I just mix more and add it in

@@MrTieDye Thanks for the reply, got my dyes in yesterday thinking about doing some shirts today.

If I have already tie-dyed a tee and then I want to add more color to it, I will re soak in soda ash .... but sometimes some dyes can leach out, so I will use a small basin to do a re soak in soda ash and use just enough to get the shirt wet and then I can either save this little bit of soda ash for the next time I want to re soak a tee... or I can just pour it out .... the main thing is I do not want dye to leach out into my large bucket of soda ash

no boiling needed... I just pour the soda ash powder into the water and either shake it or blend it until it is dissolved

Me too.

that is awesome and welcome to my channel... as for soda ash ... it is what activates the Procion dyes and causes them to bond with the cotton fibers So, yes you can spray with tee with soda ash instead of soaking it, but all of the cotton fibers may not get coated this way so it will work, but may not provide the darker colors ... you can certainly try it and see if you like the results As for adding the soda ash directly to the dyes, yes you can do this, but the dye will need to be used the same day as they will be active as soon as you add water to the dye and soda ash some of the other ways I have done it is to get the tee wet with plain water and tie it up and then soak in soda ash... or tie it and dye it and then squirts it with soda ash top and bottom, for this method, I make sure to set the tees on a rack to batch so the excess liquid can drip out.... as long as you have soda ash, cotton and dye all together before you batch, you are good to go... but the results will vary with each method, so maybe try it in different ways and see which way you like ... I hope this helps... have fun exploring!!