red onion skin coloring...crazy idea?

[green soap]

I am dyeing one of my cotton white shirts which I would wear a lot more often if it was not white. I made a strong red onion skin tea and the shirt is coming out a dusky rose which reminds me of madder root. I really like the color.

Has anyone used red onion skins either in the lye water or as an oil infusion for soap?

I think the color would stay, however, my concern is the smell. I can wash it out really well in my clothes, but will the soap smell oniony? That would be a deal breaker for me.

 

[krissy]

most likely the color will not last the lye monster

 

[judymoody]

I once infused onion skins in olive oil to use in soap. The oil turned a beautiful golden color. But it smelled so strongly of onions, I was reluctant to use it in soap and used it for cooking instead.

 

[Fragola]

Onion skin doesn't smell much (if you limit yourself to the skin only). Well cooked onion doesn't have a very strong smell.

Based on that, I wouldn't be worried about the smell.

The resulted color would be brown.

 

[carebear]

without access to google (hard to read on ipod), I'd say that the colorant is likely anthocyanins (sp) which are yellow-brown at high pH. but still would be cool experiment.

 

[Fragola]

Probably a more convenient alternative is the black rice.

But for some reason, I always cook the rice after I soap, and never got the chance to try it yet.

 

[Groborax]

beet juice?

I am cooking beets tonight, maybe I'll save the water and see what happens. Lye probably changes colors of things, though.

 

[judymoody]

Onion skin doesn't smell much (if you limit yourself to the skin only). Well cooked onion doesn't have a very strong smell.

Based on that, I wouldn't be worried about the smell.

The resulted color would be brown.

Actually, I used onion skins only and the smell was incredibly, unexpectedly strong. It might well have been fine after the lye was done with it but I didn't go there. If the OP does, I'd love to find out how it went.

 

[Fragola]

I heard you the first time

But I did the same thing more than once and there was no smell.

We can always ask the original poster: did your shirt smell like onion ?

On that topic, we'd love to see a picture. Also curious how it holds with washing ...

The way I see things: if you boil 100% outer peel, it won't smell.

If you have some layers mixed in from the actual onion flesh, it will smell strongly at first as it hits the hot water, and after 15 minutes of boiling, most of that smell will be gone.

 

[green soap]

The shirt turned out a light terra cotta color. I like it for the shirt, but I do not need any more ways to make soap brown-brownish. It it had turned out really like madder root color I would try it, but for brown I will not risk an onion scented soap.

The shirt smells like onion, but after laundering it is fine, and the color stays.

But black rice is a very cool idea. Nice scent, some carbohydrates, and a nice inky purple color.

 

[Fragola]

Nice scent, some carbohydrates, and a nice inky purple color.

:cry: Still brown - same as onion .

But I do have some hopes for a burgundy. Red rice and red wine have similar colorants, and somebody here did get a great deep burgundy. Others weren't as successful with wine, myself included.