Storing your Natural Dyes and Mordants Safely

Just now, I received an email that made me scream in horror:

Hello this is a silly question but,

I accidentally ate some of this Himalayan Rhubarb Extract thinking it was a spice is it non toxic?

Dear people, beloved customers, please please store your dyes and mordants in the correct way.

I am not blaming my customer in any way or form, I am just taking this example to recap important knowledge for you.

• Always store in closed containers that are well-labeled. If you are like me, and you do not see that well, make those writings XXL with a good black marker.

• Store your dyes in a cool and dark place.

• NEVER STORE DYES AND MORDANTS IN YOUR KITCHEN; you may know what they are, but here you have it, someone mistook it for a spice, and Himalayan rhubarb does not look different than nutmeg, it really does not!

• Store your dyes HIGH, so small children can not reach them. Back in the day when I was still operating from my home, All of a sudden I heard my small son tell his friends: "This is where mommy keeps her magic potions". And that, my friends, was the day this mommy ordered a steel closet with a lock.

• Do not store buckets with leftover dyes or mordants without a well-closing lid and a description. Yes, your cat WILL drink it. Will it kill them? Probably not, but do you really want to test it on your furry loved one?

• Use a respiratory mask when working with dye powders and mordants. Powders can be airborne without you even noticing, you want them on fabric, not your lungs.

• Use gloves, for example, Indigo powder is really irritant on your skin. Madder dye baths are not good to have on your skin either. I know they can be annoying, but try to have gloves on at all times.

How dangerous are my dyes?

Keep in mind that 'natural' is not a synonym for 'safe'. Many natural materials can be very, very bad for you.

Lucky for you, most dyes are not dangerous for use, but some really are. Here is a true story, I heard firsthand. A French dyer and plant specialist was collecting Redoul (Coriaria myrtifolia L.), a plant used in many 18th-century dye recipes. He then had a sandwich. He woke up in the hospital with a full shutdown of his systems and stayed there for three weeks.

Madder roots

Dyes with anthraquinones are often used as purgatives in natural medicine, so they will act as a laxative. Some Rhamnus trees are known as 'Faulbaum' in German, meaning: dirt tree. This is a name based on what it causes when you eat parts of it! Lucky for my customer, the worst he will have from eating anthraquinone-rich Himalayan rhubarb is a big visit to the toilet, but of course, in large quantities, this could give a real problem.

Logwood contains Haematoxylin

Another example: Haematoxylin, the colorant in our favorite natural dye logwood, is harmful if swallowed or absorbed through the skin. It can cause eye, skin, and respiratory tract irritation. So use a mask and gloves when you are using it!

Should you give up natural dyeing?

NO! Of course not. It is fun and the pros far outweigh the cons. But you must be mindful and responsible. Work in ventilated spaces, take precautions, be smart, and think through your steps before you get started, educate yourself. You would not just forage any plant and turn it into a salad, and you should do the same when you want to dye a garment. You would not store your meds unlabeled in reach of children: treat your dye stuffs the same way.

Let me know in the comments if this post was helpful and feel free to share <3

Happy dyeing my friends,