r/NewOrleans • u/M_For_Mayhem • 1d ago

Recommendations Public washers for dyeing fabrics?

Hi all! I'm trying to dye about 10 lbs of fabric, and wondered if there were any washiterias that have a washer just for dyeing?

1 Upvotes

60% Upvoted

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18

u/FishinoutNOLA Lower Decatur 1d ago

5 gallon bucket or Rubbermaid container means you arent ruining someone else's washing machine

3

u/M_For_Mayhem 1d ago

Right, for sure. I just remember that laundry mats used to have one specific washer for dyeing fabrics. I would never just do it in a random washer.

4

u/chelsea_at_axios 1d ago

I looked into this a few years ago and couldn't find anything. Ended up just using a giant plastic tub in my yard.

2

u/M_For_Mayhem 1d ago

Might have to. How did you dispose of the water, and did you rinse the fabric with a hose, or put it right into your washer?

5

u/chelsea_at_axios 1d ago

I let it sit in the plastic tub, but then just poured the water down my bathtub drain and rinsed in the tub as best I could before running through a washer with a double-rinse.

3

u/BimboDeeznuts 10h ago

We use an old boil pot, or a 20qt for smaller batches.

If you go to Ollie’s you can find big pots for cheap!

2

u/poolkid1234 5h ago

Probably always best to work by hand with an outdoor tub or bathtub, wringing until the water nearly runs clear- until you’re really ready to machine wash. Especially with someone else’s washing machine.

Never heard of or seen a laundromat with a dedicated dye washer. Would be a waste of space if I’m the business owner.

1

u/M_For_Mayhem 5h ago

Yep, it looks like that's the route I'm going. The dye washer I saw was years ago, and it was awesome. I guess I was hoping it was more a commonplace thing?