We get mordant questions all the time at Botanical Colors so why not create Mordant Monday??? Got mordanting questions? Email [email protected]
YOU ASKED: My aluminum acetate often does not completely dissolve even with boiling water. Do you recommend putting the undissolved mordant in the vat with the fabric/textiles or would you strain? My assumption is that by excluding the undissolved mordant, one is reducing the amount used for the WOF.
KATHY ANSWERED: Aluminum acetate is tricky to dissolve, but it should eventually dissolve. Sometimes I leave it overnight and it dissolves completely. I do not recommend putting lumps of undissolved aluminum acetate in the mordant bath. If you can’t wait, then strain it. If it is a small amount you are straining out, it should not dramatically change your end results. If you have a lot of aluminum acetate that is undissolved, try a larger container.
YOU ASKED: I have some cotton and linen t-shirts that have faded over years of wearing and washing. Do I need to re-mordant before over-dyeing them? Especially if I usually wash them with regular laundry detergent with the rest of my clothes, should I also scour them again?
KATHY ANSWERED: If you mordanted years ago, a second mordant bath shouldn’t hurt. If they don’t have fabric softener on them from laundering or drying, then you should not need to re-scour.