Ito Cold Dye

Ready to experiment with colour? ITO COLD DYE is a dye for plant, animal and selected synthetic fibres, from Japan.

The colour result depends on the fibre you are dyeing and the original colour of the yarn or textile. When over-dyeing a coloured textile, the original colour will affect the final result. (ITO notes that the indicated dye colour can only be achieved on white textiles.)

Which fibres can I dye?

• Fibres that dye intensely: cotton, hemp, rayon, cupra and vinylon
• Fibres that dye lightly: silk, animal hair (wool), nylon and polyurethane
• Not suitable for dyeing: acrylic, acetate, polyester and waterproof or resin-treated fibres

Blended textiles containing different fibres may produce lighter or marled results depending on the proportions of the fibres. Sometimes textiles made from the same fibre can produce a mottled result depending on their weaving or finishing.

Other items you'll need:

• A heat-resistant container
• Approximately 500ml boiling water to dissolve the dye
• A neutral liquid kitchen detergent
• A large spoon, chopsticks or tongs
• Rubber gloves
• A large container for the dye bath
• Warm water at approx 30°C or above
• Salt and/or vinegar, depending on the fibre

The ITO instructions use approximately 250g of textile as their example for one 20g jar of dye. When dyeing a single T-shirt, they recommend using half the quantities given.

How to dye

1. Wash your yarn or textile.
Wash out dirt, stains and starch, then leave the material wet ready for dyeing.

2. Dissolve the dye.
Put the dye into a heat-resistant container and add approximately 500ml boiling water. Stir thoroughly with chopsticks or a spoon until completely dissolved and no grains remain. Add more boiling water if necessary.

3. Prepare the dye bath.
Prepare approximately 7 litres of warm water at 30°C or above in a suitably large container and add the appropriate auxiliary:

• Plant fibres: approximately 60g salt
• Animal fibres: approximately 100ml vinegar

4. Add your wet yarn or textile.
Move the material regularly through the dye bath to encourage an even result.

Plant fibres: dye for approximately 20–30 minutes while stirring.

Animal fibres such as wool and silk: dye for approximately 20–30 minutes, stirring gently. Wool and other animal fibres can shrink easily, so avoid sudden changes in temperature and rough handling. ITO recommends using a coarse net bag for wool yarn and easily-shrinking wool fabrics.

Dyeing blended plant & animal fibres

When dyeing a blend of plant and animal fibres, use both salt and vinegar.

Prepare approximately 7 litres of warm water at 30°C or above and add approximately 60g salt. Add the dissolved dye and mix well.

Place the wet textile in the dye bath and move it regularly for approximately 10–20 minutes. Remove the textile, add approximately 100ml vinegar to the dye liquor, then return the textile to the dye bath for a further 10–20 minutes.

Important: ITO states that the auxiliaries need to be used in the correct order or they will not work properly.

Want a lighter or darker colour?

For a lighter colour, reduce the amount of dye. Do not reduce the amount of auxiliary.

For a darker colour:

• Raise the dyeing temperature to 50°C or above
• Use 1.5–2 times the instructed amount of dye and auxiliary
• Extend the dyeing time to approximately 30–60 minutes

You can also combine 1–3 dye colours to create your own shades.

After dyeing

Wash the dyed material with water, then wash with lukewarm water and neutral liquid kitchen detergent. Rinse with water until all detergent bubbles have disappeared, then rinse again.

Press out excess water carefully and dry in the shade. When pressing, ITO recommends pressing with a cloth to help prevent the fibres from collapsing.

For cotton, hemp, rayon and cupra, a separately sold colour-fixing agent can be used to reduce colour loss during washing. Vinylon does not require colour fixing. No colour fixing is required for animal fibres.

Important: Do not wash freshly dyed items together with other clothing.

A few important precautions

• Wear rubber gloves when dyeing.
• Do not leave the dye within reach of children.
• If the dye is swallowed, do not induce vomiting; drink plenty of water and seek medical advice.
• If dye gets into the eyes, wash with plenty of water and seek medical advice.
• Keep the dye away from direct sunlight, high heat and humidity.
• Use a suitable dyeing container; ITO notes that dye may attach to the surface of a plastic container.
• Dispose of the dye liquor under a running faucet.