Baking

Neutralizing Rust Dyed Fabrics and Fibers

I'm in the process or updating my rust dyeing information - the part about neutralizing. Substitute out Baking Soda for the salt!!! I thought I had done this about six years ago, but apparently forgot to do so. So use 1-2 tablespoons of Baking Soda per gallon of water and upwards of a quarter cup of baking soda to 4 gallons of water.

Direct Discharge Rust Update

I'll try to post pics later this evening but wanted to post an update.  The direct method is finished and has been washed, rinsed, and dried NOTE very little color left the area BUT the fabric is much softer which would make it easier to needle or sew with the machine.  There are gobs of holes as well on this particular piece, whereas before I applied the baking soda paste there were only hard crusty areas. 

The plan is to stabilize the fabric, just like the previous piece, and stitch as usual with my machine.  I will embellish the areas around the holes and take it from there.

Have a wonderful New Year Everyone!

Removing Excess Rust - Direct Method



Removing Excess Rust - Direct Method

Supplies Needed: Baking Soda, Old Tooth Brush, Spoon for mixing water and baking soda, sponge brush, optional, warm water, plate or bowl for holding baking soda paste.



Place onto your plate or bowl about 1/4 cup of baking soda, mixe warm water into the baking soda but just barely enough so that you have a thick paste, not too runny.



You don't want the past to be too runny as you want it to sit on top of the rusted areas and penetrate the rust, allowing it to sit on the surface will help to break down the thicker rust areas on the surface.



Apply the baking soda paste with a sponge brush or an old tooth brush.



Notice how thick the paste is on the surface, it is sitting on the surface.



Take your brush and work it into the surface of the fabric.



THEN flip your fabric over and repeat.



Apply a second layer of baking soda paste on the back side of the fabric, this is especially important on very thick areas of rust.  Yes you will lose color on your fabric however that can be gained back later in an iron mordant bath if desired.



Now that you have the baking soda paste worked into the surface wet the surface slightly to ensure further removal of the rust, you don't want the fabric to be dripping wet, just slightly damp.  If need be you can repeat this process as many times as necessary until you have acquired the desired level of rust necessary for sewing.

Wash, rinse,and dry fabric in the normal manner after removing excess rust, you may need to do this process more than once.

Removing Excess Rust - Getting Started

Removing Excess Rust - Getting Started Removing Rust is very simple and is a form of discharge dyeing.


 
Above are three pieces of fabric I rust dyed using an old coffee can lid in 2003, each piece of fabric has varying stages of rust on the surface depending on their position in the rust bundle layer.  The piece of fabric to the far left was closest to the metal lid and therefore has acquired the greatest amount of rust on the surface.  The iron oxide particles are so thick that they shimmer as just like metal.
 

Above, detail of teh rusted fabric and rust particles.  Click on image for greater detail


Above supplies needed, excluding old tooth brush, foam brush, and nitrile gloves, includes bucket for soaking fabrics in, baking soda, water, and rusted fabrics.

How to remove heavy areas of rust from my rusted fabric?

Question of the Day: How to remove heavy areas of rust from my rusted fabric?

You neutralize the rusted fabric with baking soda water first and then if there are chunks left behind, ok I leave mine because I like the look, you can put a baking soda paste on the fabric to help break it down. Keep in mind that sometime...s the rust chunks simply do not go away but it's worth a try.

Rubbing in with a toothbrush also helps, I have done this but gotta admit I have one piece of fabric that was super chunky and decided to work with it instead of trying to get rid of the rusted areas.

Rust Dyed Fabric

Time and time again I'm called out publically on why I advocate using baking soda to neutralize my rust dyed fabrics! Here's my "edited response"

... rinse in baking soda solution once a year [Edited] Synthropol does NOTHING to stop the rusting process! If you'd like to slow it down and I can certainly understand wanting to do so then neutralize it once a year with a baking soda solution! That is why I recommend this step is because you are neutralizing the acids on the fabrics surface.

In conservation if we want to stop or remove "foxing" which most would see as either a rust spot or something akin to a scorch mark then we neutralize the piece or area with a baking soda solution. First the piece is washed in a pH neutral soap and if that doesn't remove the spot and removal is necessary then we use baking soda solution. Foxing is typically caused by linens etc., that come into contact with high acid woods such as cedar, pine, oak, etc., when they are stored in hope chests, dresser drawers, etc.

Some of us, that would be me, are eagerly anticipating the deconstruction of our pieces due to the rusting and composting processes.

If your piece is not too heavily rusted then and you want it on your bed then I say go for it! Just remember that anything it comes into contact with may also start to rust over time.

Yes your rusted piece will continue to rust, and eventually holes may appear in the fabric. NOTE that this all depends on where you live as in how high your relative humidity is etc. Rusted fabric in say Louisana will have a much shorter life, due to the high humidity, than say rusted fabric that lives in Utah or Arizona where the humidity is around 20-30% year round.

You can slow down the rusting process, though you will never stop the process entirely, by neutralizing the fabric with a baking soda solution. You can apply the solution once or twice a year depending on where you live. Those of you living in the desert may never have to do this step.

I recommend 1 tablespoon of baking soda to 1 gallon warm water. Dissolve well and apply by either spritzing the fabric with the solution using a spray bottle or by direct immersion of the piece.