Madder Dye Powder | Natural Red & Orange Eco Dye

Our Madder Dye is perfect for anyone interested in eco-friendly dyeing. This natural dye offers vibrant, long-lasting colors for various fabrics, including cotton, wool, and silk. Ideal for sustainable projects, it can be used with eco-friendly mordants to create stunning results. Whether you're learning how to dye fabric with natural dyes or looking to elevate your sustainable fashion projects, Madder Dye provides an environmentally conscious solution for creating beautiful, plant-based colors.

Botanical Name: Rubia cordifolia

Colorant: Alizarin

Dye type: Adjective dye (requires mordant, usually alum or iron)

Shade Range: Produces rich red, orange, and brown tones. The final color depends on the mordant used: alum results in vibrant red/orange, while iron gives deeper brown and purple shades.

Mordant Requirements: Mordants like alum and iron are essential for fixing the dye on fibers. Alum typically produces brighter hues, while iron darkens the shades.

Fastness: Known for its high colorfastness, offering excellent resistance to fading from light and washing when used on natural fibers like wool and silk.

Common Uses: Traditional textile dyeing, Indian Madder has been a cornerstone in carpet making, clothing, and art across India and Central Asia.

How to dye fabric with madder dye: Natural dyeing is a rewarding process that connects us to age-old techniques using plant-based materials. Here are essential instructions for working safely with madder dye.

Preparation: Scouring and Mordanting

Properly preparing fibers ensures better dye absorption and color longevity. This preparation differs slightly for protein (animal-based) and cellulose (plant-based) fibers:

For Protein Fibers (Wool, Silk, Alpaca):

1. Scour the Fibers: Protein fibers are generally ready to mordant directly. For best results, weigh out the dry fibers and calculate alum mordant at 12% of their weight.
2. Prepare the Mordant Bath: Dissolve the alum in a pot of hot water, stirring well. Gently place the fibers in the solution.
3. Heat and Maintain: Bring the mordant bath to 180°F, keeping it at this temperature for 1 hour. Stir every 15–20 minutes for even mordanting. If you lack a thermometer, look for steam without bubbling.
4. Cool and Rinse: Allow the fibers to cool in the mordant bath before rinsing briefly in lukewarm water. For richer color, leave fibers to steep in the cooled bath for 2–3 nights.

For Cellulose Fibers (Cotton, Linen):

1. Scouring: Cellulose fibers require more extensive scouring. Create a soda ash solution by adding 2 tsp of soda ash and a drop of dish soap to a 5-gallon pot. Add fibers and heat to 180°F–190°F for an hour. After cooling, rinse thoroughly. Alternative Scouring: You can use an alkaline detergent in a high-temperature washing cycle if time is limited.
2. Apply a Tannin: To help cellulose fibers retain dye, treat them with a tannin (e.g., Myrobalan at 30% WOF or Sumac Extract at 10% WOF). Dissolve tannin in hot water, simmer fibers for an hour, then let them cool and steep overnight. After steeping, gently squeeze out excess liquid.
3. Mordanting with Alum: After tannin treatment, proceed with alum mordanting as described for protein fibers. Some dyers add 1% soda ash to the mordant bath to neutralize pH.

Dyeing with Madder

Once your fibers are prepared, proceed to the dyeing stage to bring vibrant, lasting color to the material:

1. Prepare the Dye Bath: Add madder dye to the bath, using approximately 5% of the fabric’s weight. Adjust the dye amount for lighter or darker shades.
2. Adjust pH: Keep the dye bath at pH 5. If the pH is above 5, add vinegar; if it’s below, add lime or soda ash to increase the pH. Stir to ensure the dye dissolves evenly. If you are aiming for more brighter tones, shift the pH of your dye bath to a more alkaline 9 or 10 and you can achieve more vibrant reds.
3. Dye the Fabric: Submerge the prepared fibers in the dye bath and heat to 95°C, maintaining this temperature for 60–80 minutes.
4. Post-Treatment Soaping: After dyeing, perform a soaping treatment with a non-ionic detergent (0.5 gpl) or a mild soap at 50°C for 30 minutes. This helps set the color.
5. Final Rinse: Rinse the dyed fibers in water at 50°C for 20 minutes or more, removing any excess dye and detergent residue.

Following these steps will allow you to create richly colored, lasting textiles that honor traditional dyeing techniques while respecting safety and sustainability.