ALUM MORDANT (Potassium Aluminum Sulphate Dodecahydrate)
~ Necessary for most plant dyes to ensure colour fastness ~

Alum is considered the safest and least harmful mordant used in natural dyeing. It helps fix dyes to fibres and enhances colour retention. What many don't realise is that Alum occurs naturally in nature, and some plants, such as Lycopodium, contain natural Alum.

Mordanting Cellulose Fibres

For mordanting cellulose fibres, please refer to our blog for detailed recipes:

• How to Mordant Linen and Cotton Fabrics Successfully – AppleOak FibreWorks

• How to Mordant Linen and Cotton Successfully Without Tannins – AppleOak FibreWorks

Basic Recipe for Wool

Ingredients:

• 10%-20% Alum (based on the Dry Weight of Fibre - D.W.F.)

• Wool (or other protein fibres)

• Water

• Optional: 5% Cream of Tartar (for hot mordanting)

Instructions:

Cold Mordanting:

1. Weigh your dry textile material.

2. Soak the dry material in water.

3. Dissolve Alum in hot water and add to a mordanting pot filled with water.

4. Add pre-soaked wool and let sit for 24-72 hours.

Hot Mordanting:

1. Dissolve Alum in hot water and add to a mordanting pot filled with water.

2. Add 5% Cream of Tartar to slow down the mordant uptake.

3. Add wool and bring to 80°C for 1 hour.

4. Let cool, then rinse and dye or dry for later use.

Alum is ideal for protein fibres like wool and silk, ensuring vibrant and lasting colour results.

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Madder Dye – Cut or Ground
Rich Natural Reds for Dyeing | Wild-Harvested in Eastern Europe

Madder (Rubia tinctorum) is a renowned natural dye that produces a stunning range of reds—from warm oranges and rich brick reds to deep blood reds and fiery crimson tones. The final shade depends on multiple factors, including soil conditions, root age, mineral content of the water, dyeing temperature, and fibre-to-dye ratio.

Dyeing Tips:

• Mordanting: Avoid cream of tartar when mordanting cold. 
• Soaking: Pre-soak fibres for at least 12h-24h before dyeing.
• Dyeing Methods: Madder can be used in both hot and cold dye baths. Adding chalk can help achieve better reds.

Colour Fastness: Excellent – Madder is known for its durability and deep, lasting hues.

Discover the beauty of natural dyeing with madder and create your own unique reds!

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Recipe for Wool: Downloadable PDF 

Recipe for Plant fibres: Downloadable PDF

Also available as dye kit!

Madder Dye Kit for Plant Fibers: Available Here »

Madder Dye Kit for wool & Silk: Available Here »

Basic Madder Dye Recipe

(Adjust quantities as needed to achieve your desired shade. Water quality will influence colour result. Oranges instead of reds are often more likely)

Ingredients:

• 100g dried madder roots (soaked overnight and blended if possible, or use ground)
• 100g mordanted fiber (Alum-treated)
  • Use 50g of fibre for darker reds or 300g for lighter shades
• 7–10 liters of water
• 6g calcium carbonate (chalk) (optional, for enhanced reds)

Instructions:

1. Soak the madder roots in the dye pot overnight.
2. Gently heat to 65°C (149°F) and maintain for one hour for red tones.
   • Higher temperatures will shift the colour towards brown.
3. Strain the dye bath through a cloth to remove root particles.
4. Add the mordanted fibre and the dye bag (optional, might result in uneven colour) back into the pot.
5. Maintain a temperature between 65–95°C (149–203°F) for one hour to develop the colour.

IMPORTANT: The higher the temperature, the darker and browner the final shade.

Join The Natural Dyers & Growers Academy to share your experiences and get support from fellow growers.

OAK GALL
Use: Cellulose Fibre Mordant | Harvested From: Aleppo Oak in Turkey | Also Known As: Oak Apple | Recipe: link below

Oak Gall, also known as Oak Apple, is harvested from the Aleppo Oak in Turkey and is a traditional mordant used for cellulose fibres. Due to its high tannin content, it is an effective mordant for preparing cellulose-based fabrics for natural dyeing. Unlike other tannin-based mordants, Oak Gall only stains the cellulose fibre a light beige, making it a preferred choice for delicate dyeing projects.

Key Features:

• High tannin content for cellulose mordanting
• Minimal staining cellulose fibres
• Available whole, cut, or ground

Function:
Oak Gall is used to prepare cellulose fibres for natural dyeing, helping the dye adhere to the fabric without leaving stains. Its high tannin content ensures vibrant and durable colours on cellulose fabrics like cotton, linen, and hemp. 

Storage & Usage:

• Available in whole, cut, or ground form.
• Store in a cool, dry place.

Perfect for natural dyers and textile artists working with cellulose fibre. Please see this recipe for mordanting cellulose with Gallotannin

SODA ASH – PH ADJUSTER & SCOURING AGENT
Chemical name: Sodium Carbonate | Grade: Textile | Use rate: 3 – 10 %

No natural-dye studio is complete without soda ash. This alkaline powder raises the pH of dye baths and indigo vats, scours cotton and other cellulose fibres, and brightens plant yellows such as reseda by raising the pH.

Uses
• Boost pH in indigo, woad or fructose vats
• Scour cotton, linen, hemp and bamboo before mordanting
• Intensify weld yellow
• Balance acidic dye baths when needed

In a nutshell
• Material: Sodium carbonate (soda ash)
• Function: pH enhancer & cellulose scour
• Dose: 30–100 g · L⁻¹ (3–10 % owf) dissolved in hot water or dye liquor
• Compatibility: All natural dyes; indigo & woad vats
• Packaging: Resealable moisture-proof pouch
• Safety: Wear gloves & mask; store cool, dry, and away from acids

Basic directions
Dissolve the required soda ash in hot water (or directly into a hot dye bath) at 3–10 %. Stir until clear, then add to the dye pot or fibre scour. For indigo vats, add soda ash after the pigment to adjust alkalinity before introducing a reducer.

Safety & storage
Soda ash is strongly alkaline. Avoid inhaling dust and protect eyes and skin. Store sealed and dry; keep away from children and acids. Dispose of effluent according to local regulations.

Looking for complementary auxiliaries? Pair soda ash with our Natural Indigo Powder or Indigo Kits for a complete dye setup.

100 % Natural Indigo | Origin: India | No synthetic additives

Harvested and processed in southern India, this true indigo powder delivers the deep, cool blues prized by dyers for centuries. Because indigo is an insoluble pigment (not a dye that bonds with a mordant), no mordant is required—just a reduced (oxygen-free) vat.

Why choose our indigo?

• Authentic & plant-based – Derived solely from Indigofera tinctoria leaves; never synthetic.
• Economical – ≈ 50 g colours 3–4 kg of wool to a strong mid-blue.
• Low-energy process – Vats work at 30 – 40 °C; no hard boiling.
• Versatile methods – Suitable for any indigo vat, be it fructose, mineral or bran-ferment vats, yeast vats, sig vats or quick hydros vats.
• Excellent colour-fastness – Outstanding on deeper shades, good on lighter blues.

Typical yield
• Pale sky blue – 1 g per 100 g fibre
• Medium denim – 5 g per 100 g fibre
• Deep navy – 12 g + per 100 g fibre (multiple dips)

Quick-start options
• Organic Sugar Vat – Indigo + lime + fructose (no fermentation wait).
• Yeast Fermentation Vat – Gentle, long-lasting; see recipe below.
• Hydros Vat – Fast one-hour reduction (includes chemical oxygen remover).

Yeast Vat Recipe (500 g fibre)
9 l water · 110 g sugar · 50 g preservative-free dried yeast
30 g bicarbonate of soda · 40 g indigo (ground)
• Maintain 40 °C (not above 50 °C).
• Reduce for 48 h until liquid turns yellow-green with a copper sheen.
• Dip pre-wetted, unmordanted fibre; oxidise 60 min; repeat for depth.

Storage & safety
Store in a cool, dry place, sealed against moisture. Wear a mask when handling fine pigment and gloves when working with lime, hydros or iron additives. Dispose of spent vats responsibly.

Looking for a complete setup? Our Indigo Sugar Vat Kit and Hydros Vat Kit include all auxiliaries, plus step-by-step instructions.

IRON MORDANT ~ Mordant, Colour Changer, increased light fastness

Iron (Ferrous Sulfate) is used alone as a mordant, influencing Colours and to increase light fastness when used in combination with other natural dyes.

Iron is best known for shifting yellows into greens, keep in mind that this is not given and doesn't work with every yellow plant dye, in which case it will be more of a brown. it is used to increase light fastness for weaker plant dyes, bu it will always sadden and/or darken the colours. 

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Basic recipe:

When adding Iron to your dye bath start of with 3% and use it at the end of your dye bath or as an after bath. Allow to oxidize for 10 min for full colour development.

*If you like your colours darker, increase the Iron amount by 1-2% at a time. 

**Leave for 10min than remove from dye bath - Iron will make wool brittle.