Introduction

Tie-Dye Lab

The art of dyeing clothing fibers likely originated in Asia around 2500 BC. Most natural dyes came from
parts of plants such as bark, berries, flowers, leaves, and roots. Because these dyes did not have a strong
attraction for the fibers being dyed, a process known as mordating (using salts to bind to the dyes) was
used to improve colorfastness. Such natural dyes became less and less important as synthetic dyes that
produced brighter colors were developed. Today logwood black is the only natural dye widely used.
In 1856, William Henry Perkin began the synthetic organic chemical industry by accidentally discovering
the purple dye, mauveine. The synthetic dyes were known as coal tar dyes because they were all derived
from coal tar. Congo Red was the first dye discovered with so great an affinity for cellulose that a mordant
was not required.
About 100 years after Perkins first discovery, fiber-reactive dyes capable of forming covalent bonds
with the fiber were discovered. Fiber-reactive dyes are wash-fast (dye does not fade much). During
dyeing, dye molecules move from the aqueous solution into the fibers. Fibers such as cotton absorb water
readily and are said to be hydrophilic, while fibers such as polyester absorb water with difficulty and are
described as hydrophobic (this is why you were asked to bring 100% cotton clothing). Dyeability is
influenced if a fiber can somehow carry an ionic charge and better interact with the oppositely charged
colored ions. To dye cellulose (cotton), a reactive dye must combine with the hydroxyl (hydroxide) groups
in the fiber.
Tie-dying became fashionable in America in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of hippie culture. It
was popularized in the United States by musicians such as John Sebastian, Janis Joplin and Joe Cocker.

Materials

T-shirt, 100% cotton, pre-washed as below

Sodium carbonate dye-fixing solution
Various reactive dyes in urea solution
Rubber or plastic gloves

Small trash bags

Paper towels
Pipets and beakers
Rubber bands

Safety
1.

Students should wear old clothes and shoes. Reactive dyes are wash fast. Once the reactive dye
makes contact with clothes it will not wash out.

2.

Hands may become stained from the reactive dye. The dyes are not easily washed off and will take
about two days to wear off hands and skin.

3.

Wear goggles, disposable gloves, and aprons.

4.

Students must not squirt each other with filled pipets of reactive dye solution. Sodium carbonate
activator solution is very basic and thereby caustic (able to burn or corrode organic tissue).
***Students found to be violating any safety precautions may be removed from lab
participation and given a zero for the lab.***

At Home Washing Instructions

1. Machine wash your 100% cotton white t-shirt in 1 tablespoon of a mild liquid dish detergent like Joy,
Dawn, or Ivory.
2. Dry it on a hot setting. This will remove any lubricants or surfactants on the shirt which may limit
dying.
3. Place your name on your pre-washed shirt on the neck or tag with a SHARPIE, markers fade.

In Class Preparation

1. 24hours before dyeing your shirt, soak it in sodium carbonate solution (pH 12) provided by your
teacher. Make sure your name is written on the neck or tag with a SHARPIE.

Procedure
1. Put on a lab apron and a pair of gloves. The sodium carbonate solution that the shirts have been
soaking in is irritating to the skin (pH of 12), and dyes will turn your skin funny colors.
2. Prepare your lab station by cleaning off your lab area thoroughly with paper towels and spray cleaner.
Make sure there is NO dye left over from another class.
3. Get a trash bag and fold it open at your lab station. Dyeing must be done inside your trash bag to catch
excess dye.
4. Remove your t-shirt from sodium carbonate solution (it should have been soaking for a day ahead of
time). Wring out your shirt over a sink or plastic bucket thoroughly so it is NOT dripping.
5. Place your t-shirt on top of the trash bag on the lab table and fold and/or tie it in your chosen pattern,
using rubber bands. See examples provided for ideas. There is no "correct" way to do this. Use your
creativity and imagination! Everyones shirt will be unique!
6. Choose dye colors
a. In choosing colors to place next to each other on the shirt, see the
color wheel to the right. Avoid putting complementary colors
(opposites on the color wheel) next to each other. When
complementary colors mix, they make BROWN.
b. Avoid putting the following colors next to each other, unless you
want brown on your shirt
Red or pink next to green = brown
Blue next to orange = brown
Yellow next to purple = brown
7. Using pipets, apply the dye to one side of the shirt by dripping the reactive dye solution onto each
section of the shirt as you desire. Do not be shy about this. To get a good tie-dye, you need to
squirt dye into the folds to avoid a large amount of white on the finished garment. Once one
side of the shirt has been dyed, turn the shirt over and repeat the dying process on the other side.
8. When you are finished applying the dye, pull up the sides of your trash bag and tie it at the top to
contain excess dye and allow the dye to fully react with your shirt.
9. Clean off your lab table with paper towels and spray cleaner so that all traces of dye are
removed. Throw away any trash. Throw away your gloves. Hang up your apron.
10. Leave your shirt in the bag for 24 hours. Do not remove the shirt from the bag for 24 hours (to
keep the dyes moist and reactive). Then follow the at-home instructions provided by your teacher.

AT HOME INSTRUCTIONS
1.

At home, roughly 24 hours later, remove the shirt from the bag and rinse it in warm tap water (use
the bath tub!). This will remove any unreacted dye and sodium carbonate activator. Change the
water and continue to rinse. Repeat until the water remains clear and the shirt does not feel
slippery.

2.

Machine wash your shirt! Set your washing machine on the HOT water setting and wash shirt in
two tablespoons of the pre-wash soap, such as Joy or Dawn dish soap. Then dry shirts on the
hottest dryer setting. The reactive dye is washfast so it is now safe to wash with other clothes
using normal detergents. NEVER bleach your tie-dyed shirt!

WEAR & SHOW OFF YOUR SHIRT ON CHEMISTRY TIE DYE SHIRT DAY!!!
Date: __________________