The dried onion skins are used as natural vegetable dye. The skin is inedible and it contains dyestuff called pelargonidin. For effective and good dyeing, we use extracts of allium cepa skin. These skins are found in different colours depending on the variety of onions like red onion, yellow onion etc. these skins are easily available at our home as a waste from the kitchen. these skins are first separated according to their colour and then grinded into powder form. This powder form dye is mixed with different mordents because it gives good fastness and dark shades of colour on cotton, silk and wool fabrics.The dye has very good potential of uptake, adherence to the fabric and has good wash and light fastness.
(A) Pre Mordant 1 :- Pre-treat the material with alum 10% of fabric weight at 80°C for 60 mins.
(B) Dyeing :- Add the required amount of dye to the dye bath. pH of dye bath needs to be maintained at pH 7. If it's higher than pH 7 add vinegar, if below pH 7, use lime or soda ash. Stir well to dissolve the dye. Add fabric to the dye bath and maintain at 90°C for 60-80 mins. We check all our natural dyes at 30% of fabric weight, you can amend the percentage as per lighter or darker shade required.
(C) Post Treatment :- Conduct soaping of the dyed material with non-ionic detergent (0.5gpl) at 50°C for 35 mins.
(D) Hot wash and then cold wash the material.
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