After investing time, effort and money to create your own natural dye cabinet it's time to make sure they will last the longest time without losing their potency.
How long can you store natural dyes?
Freshly picked, up to two years.
Professionally processed dyes and extracts: up to five years. Indigo and extracts: easily up to ten years.
I do not like to store prepared dye baths with a few exceptions: mangrove tannin and indigo vats.
Other natural dye baths usually rapidly start fermenting and moulding. I prefer to make just the right amount and dispose of the left overs. Others have found that adding some clove or oregonol essential oil can assist in keeping a dye bath longer.
Storing freshly picked natural dyes:
Shake the plant materials gently to remove any insects.
If you have lush, juicy leaves and flowers, consider freezing them in well marked ziplocks.
Whole branches: hang upside down in bunches to dry.
Small bits, flowers: spread on kitchen paper or newspaper in a dry, hot place but not in the sun.
Wet plant material will mold and rot, to prevent this you have to spread your drying materials thinly and evenly.
In my experience it's hard to keep this good for a long time unless it is absolutely crisp dry and to prevent mold you can consider keeping dye stuffs like onion skins in a light muslin cotton bag. Alternatively use paper bags with holes punched in them. Label all materials well, it can be tricky to recognize afterwards once it is crumbled a bit.
Dried, store bought natural dyes.
The biggest enemy of natural dyes are light and moisture. So best to store them in a dark, dry and cool place.
Glass jars are excellent for keeping your dried dyes safe and moisture free. I use recycled mayonnaise jars but the best ones are the type of mason jars with a wide mouth and a rubber gasket.
Even when your dyes are delivered in a good ziplock or a resealable pouch I still recommend putting that entire pouch in a jar.
Pro tip: re-use silica gel packs or Calcium Chloride Desiccant and pack together with your dyes.
Storing Dye Extracts:
Dye extracts are very very sensitive to moisture and for some like weld and madder it is almost impossible to prevent them becoming rock hard over time. In my studio where moisture levels are always high due to the natural climate and the amounts of water we heat for dye projects, we have a dehumidifier and we store extracts in special vats with a double closure.
To prevent moisture damage in your own studio:
Always store dye extracts in a mason jar, use silica gel packs to pull out moisture. If extracts become hard and clumpy use the following methods to use them for dyeing:
Either grind them in a pestle and mortar, or my preferred method; soak overnight in twice the amount of warm water. The next day your dye extract will be soft and you can dissolve the paste in water.
Labeling your dye stuffs:
Good labeling is essential! I love using Kraft style stickers that I get from various places. Always label your dyes with the following information:
Latin name
Common name
Date of purchase or collection
Place of purchase or picking (so you can get more!)
