Scouring natural fibres
“First things first”
The fabric has to go through a few processes before it can be dyed with natural dye. This first process is where the dye journey begins, and although this fabric without any colour might look like it’s ready to hit that dye pot it is this vital first process is followed if you want to get good results.
Scouring: to clean or brighten the surface of (something) by rubbing it hard, typically with an abrasive or detergent.
Scouring fabric means thoroughly washing the fabric to remove any sizing, oils, dirt, or wax from the fabric. By not scouring you can reduce the depth of dye colour, have uneven dye, and in some cases reduce light-fastness. How you scour your fabric depends on whether it is a protein fibre (Wool and Silk) or a cellulose fibre (Cotton, Linen, Hemp).
Protein fibres: Should be scoured with a PH-neutral soap. Firstly you will need to weigh your wool or silk and make a note of this, this is your WOF (weight of fabric). You will need approximately 1 teaspoon per .5kg of fabric.
Put your fabric in a large stainless steel pot so there is enough room for the fabric to freely move about. If you crowd the fabric it won't scour properly and will affect your dye results later on. Fill with water so the fabric is well covered and heat to about 60oC for about 1 hour. Don't agitate the fabric too much as the wool can felt and silk can damage. Let the fabric cool down and rinse well. If you are not moving on to the next process straight away then allow your fabric to dry and store in a cool dark place.
Cellulose fibres: Can be scoured with a PH-neutral soap and Soda Ash*. Weigh your fabric and make a note of the WOF. You will want approximately 25g or 4-5 heaped teaspoons of soda ash per 500g of fabric. Make sure that all of the soda ash has dissolved into the water and add 2 teaspoons of PH-neural soap.
Put your fabric into a stainless steel pot making sure there is enough water in the pot to allow the fabric to move freely. Bring to a boil and simmer for 1 hr then allow to cool. Rise the fabric well to remove the soap. If you are not moving on to the next process straight away then allow your fabric to dry and store in a cool dark place.
It is so easy to just want to jump to the dying process but this is a must-do step and you will defiantly see the benefits of properly scouring your fabric. Scouring may seem tedious, but is necessary so the fabric can hold a beautiful dye colour.
Remember to label your fabric! I like to label mine with a tag that tells me the WOF (weight of the dry fabric) date of scouring and the type of fabric, ie: organic cotton, and canvas cotton. Also making a note of where you brought your fabric from can be useful. You can download my labels HERE.
Soda Ash* - Make sure that you use 100% pure soda ash (sodium carbonate Na2CO3), this can be confused with washing soda, as washing soda can contain whiteners that can affect the natural dyeing process later on.
