We get mordant questions all the time at Botanical Colors so why not create Mordant Monday??? Got mordanting questions? Email [email protected]
YOU ASKED: Am I right that a mordant bath is tired based on how many uses and the WOF? Safe mordant disposal for us rural artists with well systems and no municipal drain…do I need to neutralize with soda ash or is that step unnecessary? My tap water is ph6. Can I water plants or feed the spent bath to the spruce trees?
KATHY ANSWERED: You can definitely recharge alum baths. We support that as a way to get the most out of the mordant and reduce water use, and that information is here. We have customers who reuse their mordant baths many times to conserve water. If you are on a septic system, check with the folks who maintain your septic and see if mordant disposal is an issue. If it is, you can probably give it to an acid-loving plant. Remember that mordants should not be disposed of into waterways such as rivers or drains that flow into waterways.
You might also like to read:
For World Water Day, 12 Ways to Natural Dye & Protect Land & Water
Sunday Visit: Dye Experiments With Madeleine McGarrity of Cold N’ Deadly
Using Less Water & Energy to Get Color
Shop:
The Art and Science of Natural Dyes: Principles, Experiments, and Results