Dyeing of cotton fabric with the saffron petals

From the past to the present, the extracted dyes from natural sources have been used frequently in textile applications. Saffron is a spice obtained from the stigmas of the flower of crocus sativus Linnaeus. Crocus sativus linnaeus belongs to the family of Iridaceae and it is characterized for having a purple flower with red stigmas and yellow stamens. Usually only the stigma of flowers has been used while discarding the petals. Extraction and dyeing of cotton fabric was carried out simultaneously using the saffron petals. In this study, saffron petals were used as natural dye for dyeing of cotton fabric. Optimal conditions were investigated including the dyeing time, amount of petals and pH of the dyebath. Various metal mordants were used to improve the fastness properties. Finally the best conditions were suggested for cotton dyeing with saffron petals.