To Retayne or not to Retain

February 7, 2009

So I did an experiment today with "Retayne". The bottle says, "Stop the Bleed! Colr fixative for commercially dyed cotton fabrics." This bottle is a 4 oz. bottle, bought at a local quilt store for $2.70. A 4 oz. bottle will let you wash 24 yards of fabric.

This solution should be used on fabrics that bleed (batiks or other hand-dyed fabrics). The instruction says to use hot water (140 degrees Fahrenheit) and add 1 teaspoon of Retayne for every yard of fabric. If you are using a washing machine, set the cycle for 20 minute wash and use cold water for the rinsing cycle. Then dry immediate.

My experiment was with one yard of batik fabric in a bucket. I used the hottest tap water and let it sit for 20 minutes.

(Above: With Retayne after 20 minutes of soaking)

After 20 minutes, I put a little bit of detergent and rinsed it with cold water. Above is the result. The water was still clear. I'm impressed!

At the same time, I soaked another one yard of batik fabric (the same one) without the solution. After 20 minutes below is the result.

(Above: Without Retayne after 20 minutes of soaking)

After 5 soakings, the water is still not as clear as the one with the solution. So the conclusion of this "scientific" experiment is if you want to make sure that the fabric does not bleed, use Retayne.

Below is a picture of what's for dinner tonight. Honey-Garlic Green Tea Shrimp. Takes less than 5 minutes to cook, and about 5 minutes active time and 10 minutes of resting time (for the marinate). Recipe is by Martin Yan from the book "Martin Yan Quick and Easy". It's not bad for a 10 minute dish.

Quilt & Bitch