Home Safety / Products / Textile Dyeing (Acid Dyes, Reactive Dyes, Metal Mordants)

Textile Dyeing (Acid Dyes, Reactive Dyes, Metal Mordants) — household safety profile

Moderate risk

Home textile dyeing using acid dyes (protein fibers — wool, silk), reactive dyes (cellulose — cotton, linen), natural dyes with metal mordants, and direct/all-purpose dyes (Rit, iDye).

What is this product?

Home textile dyeing using acid dyes (protein fibers — wool, silk), reactive dyes (cellulose — cotton, linen), natural dyes with metal mordants, and direct/all-purpose dyes (Rit, iDye). Metal mordants: chrome (potassium dichromate — Cr(VI), IARC Group 1), copper sulfate, ferrous sulfate, alum (potassium aluminum sulfate). Chrome mordant is the most effective for colorfastness but is a potent carcinogen and should be avoided by home dyers. Acid dye and reactive dye powders are respiratory sensitizers when inhaled during weighing.

What's in it

Click any compound name for its full safety profile, regulatory consensus, and exposure data.

Chrome Mordant

Copper Mordant

Trace

Red flags — when to walk away

  • Working without ventilation or respiratory protection — Chemical exposure at hobby level can cause occupational-grade health effects.

Green flags — what to look for

  • Using appropriate PPE and ventilation for the specific task — Exposure controlled to safe levels.

Safer alternatives

  • Alum mordant — safest metal mordant — replaces chrome
  • Pre-dissolved liquid dyes — eliminates powder inhalation
  • Natural dyes with tannin mordant — no metal mordant needed for some fibers

Frequently asked questions

Are there safer alternatives to Textile Dyeing (Acid Dyes, Reactive Dyes, Metal Mordants)?

Yes — consider: Alum mordant; Pre-dissolved liquid dyes; Natural dyes with tannin mordant. See the Safer alternatives section above for details.

Look up Textile Dyeing (Acid Dyes, Reactive Dyes, Metal Mordants) in the home app

Search by ingredient, browse by category, or compare to alternatives in the live app.

Open in home View raw API data

Reference data, not professional advice. Aggregates publicly available regulatory and scientific information. Why we built ALETHEIA →