Dyeing & Finishing
Madder root
The classic red, from a root
Specifications
| Source | Rubia tinctorum root |
|---|---|
| Colour range | Salmon, brick, deep red, maroon |
| Mordant | Alum (bright red), iron (purple-brown) |
| Dye temperature | 60 – 80 °C |
| Lightfastness | Good to excellent |
| Washfastness | Good |
Technical parameters
| Dye on fibre weight | 50 – 100 % |
|---|---|
| Alum mordant | 10 – 20 % WOF |
| Bath pH | 4 – 5 (acidic) |
| Dye time | 45 – 90 minutes |
| Water hardness | Hard water dulls the red |
Overview
Madder root gives the warm, slightly earthy red that defines traditional Turkish and Persian rugs. It is an anthraquinone dye that needs a mordant and a careful temperature: too hot too fast and the red goes brown and dull.
Typical figure for this stage: 30 – 60 °C. Wet-finish, full or press the cloth so the fibres relax and the weave settles.
Safety notes
Madder powder is a fine dust and a respiratory sensitiser — wear a mask when weighing it and never dry-sweep spills. The dye bath must not be used for food and must not be poured down a drain shared with septic systems; cool it, strain it and dispose of it as your local rules require. Alum and iron mordants are irritants: gloves and goggles, no eating or drinking in the dye area. Keep all dyes and mordants in labelled containers out of reach of children and animals.
Using it well
- Keep the bath acidic with a little vinegar or cream of tartar for the clearest red.
- Add the fibre at 40 °C and raise slowly — madder punishes a fast ramp with brown.
- Iron in the water or the pot will shift the red to purple; use a dedicated enamel or stainless pot.
- Soft water gives a brighter red than hard.
Practise it in 3D
Run this stage as an interactive simulation, with the same figures this page quotes.
Open the simulator
