Sodium Carbonate, known as "soda ash" in the tie dye community

I never knew that soda ash would be one of my most popular topics to talk about! But, it makes sense now, since it's such an crucial aspect of getting bright, lasting color, when tie dyeing.

October 8, 2025

Corky is soaking a shirt in soda ash water, before tie dyeing

How much sodium carbonate do you mix with water?

For tie dye, mix 1 cup of powdered soda ash (sodium carbonate) with 1 gallon of water. It dissolves faster with warm or hot water. Enjoy a soda ash poem below.

October 7, 2025

Corky Lorenz wringing out a lavender cotton shirt after soaking it in soda-ash solution for tie-dye preparation.

What does soda ash do before dyeing?

It makes the fabric ready to grab color. The soda ash raises the pH so the dye will chemically bond to cotton instead of just washing out later.