When it comes to dyeing fabrics, did you know that you can use vegetables and plants as a source of colour? In recent years, people’s concerns about the environment have grown, and a lot of people have found that replacing synthetic dyes with natural ones is a good way to be more eco-friendly.
Natural dyes are derived from organic sources, making them biodegradable and environmentally friendly, and the practice of using these dyes dates back centuries. Onions have unique pigments, which offer a range of colours, from warm tones to subtle pastels.
Different types of onions will provide different shades of colour: yellow onions tend to produce warmer tones like golden yellows, while red onions will produce more earthy tones such as reds and browns.
Depending on the desired shade, you can leave the fabric in the dye water for a shorter or longer period of time, and it is important to remember that natural dyes tend to require longer dyeing times compared to synthetic ones.
The colour of the dyed fabric can also change slightly once the fabric dries. The possibilities are endless, which makes a fun project.
Onions offer us a unique opportunity to experiment with colour dyeing and have fun with the different shades we can achieve.
M&P Engineering is a leading manufacturer and supplier of food processing equipment to suit all food production factories.
M&P Engineering’s Large Onion Peeling Machine uses self-adjusting floating knives to top, tail and peel onions of 45mm to 115mm diameter. The machinery is easy to operate due to the simplistic mechanism and design and, thanks to the dry peeling process, the product remains in pristine condition once it has been peeled.
M&P Engineering offers a wide range of food processing machinery in addition to onion peeling machines, including our freshcut range: the Carousel Grid Cutting Machine and the Radish Top & Tailer.
If you would like more information about any of M&P Engineering’s products, call us on +44 (0)161 872 8378 or contact us here.