best tie-dye bottles?

[km]

right now the bottles we are using leak out of the threads when we shake them and its very annoying.

I was wondering if anybody could suggest a good place to order some nice bottles that wont have this problem.

thanks
km

[tiedyejudy]

The best solution I have found for the leakage problem is to use teflon tape, found in the plumbing section of the hardware store.  Cut a piece and wrap around the neck of the bottle then screw on the top.  That will reduce/eliminate leaks for awhile.  Eventually, you will need to replace the tape, but it will save you from having to buy new bottles.

Judy

[km]

the bottles I have now were 8 for a dollar and ment for mustard/ketchup. they are really horrible I don't even know if its worth dealing with them if its possible to buy bottles that won't have a huge leaking problem.

you kind of make it sound like all bottles are going to leak some though :/ I was thinking of ordering some of the bottles from dharma's but I wanted to see if anybody could recommend a place that has the highest quality bottles.

I was thinking maybe some type of chemistry grade squeeze bottles might be good if none of the "arts and crafts" bottles are any good.

let me know if you all have had positive experiences with anything.

thanks
km

[Darlene]

I've used the same batch of bottles from Dharma for about 5 years now and haven't had any problems.

[ecilA]

I'd say the "best" bottle is quite subjective.  I agree that the bottles from dharma work well and have never had problems with them dripping but do find them to be a bit stiff for the amount of dyeing that I do.  After a while, it can really hurt (carpal tunel, yada yada, whatever issues, my hands rebel).  I got similar bottles from another dye supplier and they were even thicker and less pliable but again, these bottles did not leak.  With my wrists and hands rebelling, I could not really use the thicker bottles at all.  So I personally prefer a nice soft bottle and generally get them from hair salons BUT these bottles tend to develop that leak you want to avoid.  I will agree with Judy in that you may find the solution in teflon tape.

[Marg]

My favorite bottles were purchased at a restaurant supply store and have measurments right on the bottles. They are designed for mixing sauces and marinades and I've never had a problem with them leaking. Unfortunately I don't remember what they're called. They're big though, I think they hold about 24 oz. Marg

[mustdye]

I've started using this bottle and I am happy with it.
It has a removable tube that runs to the bottom of the bottle so that you can squirt without having to tip but I don't like that so I remove it.
A higher price than the bottles that Dharma stocks but I figured that they are a "only buy it once" item

I get it from here... http://www.sciplus.com

Just search for this item:
92961 WASH BOTTLE





I guess the focus could have been a little better on those shots...

[pburch]

Those laboratory wash bottles have a design superiority in that you don't have to turn them upside-down to get the dye out, which is just asking for leaks.

The worst leakage I've had came from combining bottles from one source with tops from another source. The ones from ProChem and Dharma are different enough for this not to happen, but I had some other bottles from another source that were only a little off, impossible to sort out before squeezing the dye out.

The answer I prefer (now that I've thrown away all of my slightly mismatched bottles) is a rubber washer that fits between the top of the bottle opening (not on the threads) and the shoulder of the lid. Tightening down the lid squashes the rubber washer slightly and makes a better seal. This is much less trouble to reuse than teflon tape. I gave my husband a yorker spout to take with him to the hardware store so he could get the right size for me.

Paula

[steve]

Someplace, probably the old forum, I reviewed several bottles from many sources including dye providers, beautician supplies, food service, etc. I'll try to dig it up.

Meanwhile, for cheap all purpose bottles, I really liked the Sam's Club condiment bottles. They seal reasonably tight and have a wide opening for pouring in dye. They used to run about 35 cents each in a 12 pack. I have tons of them for tie-dyeing with groups.

I also like the Jacquard ones often found in art supply stores, although they run about 1 buck each and have narrower openings.