Avoiding Sediment

Q: I made a 5 gallon iron vat following the instructions on your website and I am trying to dye some cotton gauze scarves. The first one came out well but the rest have come out a grey/green - any thoughts on what I might be doing wrong? I am wondering if I am coming into contact with the sediment at the bottom of the vat? The only other time I dyed I was dipping in a 55 gallon drum so I didn’t have to worry much about the sediment and I am wondering if now that I’m using a smaller vat if my pieces are dragging in the sediment. Is there a way to protect against that?

A: Yes, it does sound like sediment is the issue. The ferrous vat has an iron-rich sediment, which when coming into contact with the fabric will stain it yellowish - and when that is layered with the indigo, a sludgy green. My suggestions would be to switch to a bigger/deeper container and avoid the sediment altogether or put some sort of bag/basket/strainer in the vat secured to the top of the container so that the pieces literally cannot touch the sediment. Also, make sure to not stir the vat beforehand on the same day it is used to dye. The sediment needs time to settle.

If you are dyeing in a steel pot, I recommend heating the contents up to about 120 and holding for an hour or so, stirring occasionally. This will revitalize the vat. Otherwise, you can reheat the contents with some sort of heating element or bucket wrap like this: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00OYEABGQ/ref=biss_dp_t_asn

It may seem "expensive" but its amazing how much better a warm vat performs!