The only instruction sheet I see at Dylon that mentions microwaving is this one:
http://www.dylon.co.uk/information/brochure/Webcwc.pdf [PDF]
It mentions that microwaving can be used for special effects with Dylon Hand Dye, but doesn't say any more about it than that. The instructiuons say to mix the hottest available tap water with salt and add the dye, then the fabric. To get a single solid shade, it says to agitate continually for 15 minutes, then occasionally for 45 minutes.
Dylon Hand dyes are a mixture of Drimarene K and
Vinyl Sulfone dyes. These are good fiber reactive dyes, unlike all-purpose dyes such as Rit dye or Dylon Multi-Purpose. They contain the soda ash, or a substitute, already mixed in, which limits the versatility of how you can apply it. Drimarene K and Vinyl Sulfone dyes like to have a little more warmth than Procion MX dyes, ideally 60°C (140°F), but they don't require extended boiling like all-purpose dye, direct dye, or acid dye.
The simplest way to use this type of dye in an interesting manner would be to adapt the recipe for
low water immersion dyeing. You can tie the fabric first or not, as you prefer. Put the fabric in a small container; dampen the fabric with part of thte total amount of water called for in the package instructions; mix each dye color, separately, in part of the remaining water. Pour different colors on different parts of the fabric. Make sure to only just barely submerge your fabric in the dyebath, rather than using an excess of water as you would for a smooth solid shade. Do not stir or poke your fabric, as doing so will mix and distribute the dye more evenly. Make sure the dyebath is warm, either by starting with hot water, or by placing the container in several inches of very hot water in the sink (be careful it cannot flip over), or by covoring the container tightly with plastic wrap and microwaving one minute at a time, watching very closely and stopping the cooking if the plastic is balloooning upward as though it might blow off, just long enough to get the dyebath very hot. (Do not use the microwave if your shirt has any metal on it.) Then leave the dyebath to cool gradually for half an hour or an hour before washing oput the excess dye with hot water.
If you want to do a traditional multi-step tie-dye, tie the shirt before putting it in the first color of dye, allow the full dye reaction, rinse out and untie, then tie a different way and repeat the procedure with another color.
The main drawback of using Dylon dyes seems to be the fact that you never know quite what you're getting. The red you buy might have yellows or blues mixed in, which might or might not work well with the other colors you buy. It's hard to get intense colors with the squirt-bottle tie-dye technique when using Dylon dyes. The dyes themselves are high quality, permanent dyes, though.
Paula
