Copper sulfate
€2.80
Copper sulfate is a well-known mordant for natural plant dyeing and European dyers have used it for more than millennia. It can be used as a mordant (2 - 5 % WOF) or post-dyeing color modifier. Usually, it shifts naturally dyed colors to deeper, darker shades and turns yellow shades to bright green. The addition of copper increases the light and wash fastness of dyes.
Name: copper sulfate pentahydrate
Other names: blue vitriol, bluestone, cupric sulfate
Formula: CuSO4·5H2O
Form: blue powder
Safety: do not ingest, wear protective gloves and a face mask while handling the powder. Best to use in lower quantities and in a well ventilated area or outside.
Purpose: mordant and color modifier after natural dyeing. Additionally, it can be used for making lake pigment and mordant printing pastes.
Additional information:
Reuse the mordant for as long as possible by adding around 1/2 of the mordant for every new batch of fibers.
If you have a garden, you can look for information on how to reuse mordanting baths for gardening purposes.
Never use natural dyeing supplies for cooking food.
To keep your wool soft during the mordanting process, use an additional 3% WOF of cream of tartar
To minimize the usage of energy, use a cold mordanting process instead of hot mordanting. Simply dissolve the required amount of copper, add into a larger bucked with more water, and textile fibers, close the lid, and keep for 2-3 days. Stirr occasionally.