We get lots of emails from customers about challenges with dyeing and needing Botanical Colors’ President Kathy Hattori’s help. Why not share the learning so we can all benefit? From our inboxes to you, it’s simple: You Asked, Kathy Answered. Email questions@botanicalcolors.com with your plea for help!
YOU ASKED: I recently discovered your product Cellulose Scour, and am wondering what the ingredients in it are?
I also noticed you mention Synthropal on your How To Scour page re: cellulose. I’m wondering what your thoughts and feelings are on this product. It appears that the state of California claims it’s cancer causing. Another question not related to scouring products I had was, if you’re scouring fabric, can you omit the usual pre-washing to shrink it down before working with it?
KATHY ANSWERED: The active ingredients in Botanical Colors cellulose scour are a type of purified glucosamine and chitin, both which are derived from the exoskeletons of shellfish such as shrimp, lobsters and crabs. This is the product we take for joint support. It is not a vegetarian product. The purpose is to wet the fibers so that the alkali (soda ash) will be more effective when scouring. If you are vegetarian, you can omit it entirely.
Synthrapol is not specifically identified as a carcinogen (considered potentially suspect, but not listed as far as I was able to research), or as a highly toxic ingredient but it can be harmful in large amounts and cannot be ingested. It appears as if it is an alcohol-derived surfactant (wetting agent). We don’t sell or use it but recognize that many dyers use it, mostly in synthetic dyeing which is why we mention it. But thank you for pointing this out and we will review and modify our instructions to clarify.
And to answer your question: if you are scouring at a hot temperature then you should not need to pre-shrink as well. I’m assuming you’re talking about cellulose fibers. Wool is a different process. It really needs to be handled much more gently than plant-based fibers, even when working with higher temperatures.
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