Natural Dyeing Safety: Essential Tips for Beginners

Before you begin any dyeing project, here are some important steps you need to take to ensure your process is not toxic or dangerous

A question that I am often asked is “if I am dyeing with plants or other all natural materials, why do I have to worry about being safe”?

The simple answer is that while you are using mainly benign leaves and flowers, you also need other, less innocent materials to make the colors ‘stick’. These materials are called ‘mordants’ and while many are considered safe to use (alum and soy milk), other are a bit more hazardous.

What are Mordants?

In a nutshell, a mordant is the middleman that helps the dye colors stick to your fabric or yarn, making the colors brighter and more long lasting.

Without a mordant, the colors of your plant dyed fabric might fade significantly after just a few washes.

While many mordanting substances such as alum and soy milk are fairly safe to use, some heavy metal mordants such as tin are extremely toxic.

Basic dyeing safety:

Invest in dedicated dyeing equipment

If you are going to be dyeing with anything other than food coloring, you will need to invest in a separate set of tools that are dedicated to dyeing only. This includes any pots, pans, chafing dishes, spoons, ladles, measuring cups, etc.

Your equipment will no longer be safe to use for food preparation!

Luckily, your tools do not have to be purchased new. You can find lots of stainless steel pots and pans, etc. at your local thrift shop. Just make sure to check these items for any signs of rust which would affect your dyeing.

Wear protective gear

This includes a face mask, goggles, gloves, apron and perhaps a respirator. Anytime that you handle substances such as mordants or dyes in powder form, you need to place a mask over your mouth and nose.

If you have asthma or other respiratory conditions, you will definitely want to invest in a good quality respirator.

It is also a good idea to wear gloves when handling any of these substances to keep the chemicals from penetrating your skin. In addition, eye goggles are useful to protect your eyes from powders as well as splashes.

An apron will not only protect your clothing, but can keep substances from splashing on your skin.

Protect the studio

To make cleanup easy and keep your countertops free from dye materials, you will need a stack of table covers. These can be plastic tablecloths, old sheets from a thrift shop or dropcloths from the paint store.

Pro Tip: Before opening your mordant or dye powder packets, cover your work surface with layers of newspapers and spritz with water. This will attract any loose dye powers.

Ventilate your studio

Good airflow and cross ventilation in your dye studio is super important! Dye and mordant powders inevitably become airborne during handling and having fresh air flowing helps to disperse them.

Also, during the natural dye process, substances are heated and simmered which can release fumes. For instance, ferrous aka iron is often added to a dyebath as a color modifier or mordant.

Work outdoors

While ventilation in your studio is ultra important, there are still some activities that are best done outdoors.

For instance, if you do decide to work with more toxic mordants, it’s a good idea to heat and simmer your cookpot outside. This can be done with a portable hotplate or an open fire.

Also, it is almost impossible to keep fine dye powders from settling on surfaces so mixing and preparing your them outside when possible, is recommended.

Storing your dye materials

If you plan to keep your leftover dyestock or mordants for future use, it is important that you store them appropriately.

Glass jars with tight fitting lids are perfect for this. I prefer large mouthed canning jars. (To keep your dyes fresher longer, you will want to store your jars in a dark, dry space.)

Disposing of dyes and mordants

Dyes made from harmless plant materials can simply be poured on the dirt in your yard. If, however, those dyes have metal mordants, you need to be a little more thoughtful.

The best thing to do with leftover mordants, is to use them up. This simply means mordanting more fabrics or yarn.

To do this, heat your mordant bath and submerge extra natural fiber fabrics, then simmer for about an hour. The fabric will absorb the mordants and the remaining liquid is now safe to pour out.

If that is not a possibility, according to the Textile Indie, you can do the following: “For mordant baths with alum or iron (or other metal mordants), dispose of the bath by dumping the excess water onto gravel or another location away from the soil. you can pour the excess liquid mordant onto a gravel surface, keeping it away from your garden plants.”

Keep safety equipment nearby

Keeping a fire extinguisher in your dye studio is a basic natural dyeing safety measure since you will be working with heat sources.

A first aid kit is a must for any craft or dye studio for handling any minor accidents promptly.

Additional common sense safety tips

• Use heavy oven mitts and tongs when handling hot fibers
• Keep dyes and mordants away from children & pets
• Keep food and drinks out of dyeing area
• Clearly label any leftover containers

There you have it … our list of essential natural dyeing safety tips to ensure your dye process is not hazardous to your health.

Keep in mind, these tips are merely the beginning. If you have underlying health conditions especially with regard to your breathing or perhaps skin sensitivities, you may wish to take extra precautions.

I would love to know your experience with dyes and dye powders. Please let me know in the comments below!

Happy Dyeing 🙂

Natural Dyeing Safety: Essential Tips for Beginners