We get mordant questions all the time at Botanical Colors so why not create Mordant Monday??? Got mordanting questions? Email [email protected]
YOU ASKED: I love the fact that aluminum triformate works with cold water. When I let mordanted pieces dry until I’m ready to use them, I have a hard time wetting them out before submerging them in a natural dye bath. Do you have an explanation or any tips?
KATHY ANSWERED: I’ve noticed that alum mordanted fibers and fabrics can sometimes resist rewetting, especially in cold water. I’ve had skeins that I put in a water bath to rehydrate that still have dry patches after an overnight soak and it’s maddening. When I see this happening, I will either add a drop or two or liquid detergent to help break the surface tension on the fiber(no sudsing) or I’ll use warm water to soak. Both work well. If you are completely out of patience and time, sometimes a gentle squeeze under water in the water bath helps with hydration but be careful not to felt your delicate wool yarns.
YOU ASKED: I’m looking to do some natural dyeing in my home, which uses a septic system. I’m concerned about finding the right mordants and worried there may not be any septic-safe ones on the market. Do you folks carry any septic-safe mordants for wool?
KATHY ANSWERED: I am not super familiar with septic systems but it appears that some of the issues with using alum and ferrous sulfate and disposing in a septic system is that they are both fairly acidic and may impact the pH balance of the septic tank. Other options such as tannins are also acidic. It may be possible to balance the pH prior to disposal but I don’t have any real life experience with this so can’t really advise you if this is recommended. You may want to ask the company that services the septic system if acidic solutions need to be neutralized and see what they say and use what they advise for neutralizing the liquid. Possibly one of our readers has more experience with septic systems and can share how they handle mordant bath re-use or disposal.
I am on a septic. I dump mordant baths outside, not directly on plants. We sit on a giant limestone deposit and the rocky gravel on my property has not suffered yet from the mordant or tannins. I am not a production dyer so I’m also not dumping tons of stuff out there.