Extracting Natural Dye from Avocado Pits — Pink Plant-Based Dye

Wash the avocado pits thoroughly to remove any remaining fruit flesh, which can cause the dye bath to ferment and smell. Collect pits over time in the freezer if needed — they retain their dye potential when frozen. Chop the pits into quarters or smaller pieces to increase surface area and speed extraction. The reddish-brown inner layer of the pit contains the highest concentration of tannins (condensed proanthocyanidins) that produce the pink colour. Avocado skins also contribute colour and can be added to the dye pot. You need approximately 1:1 weight ratio of dye material to fabric for a medium-intensity colour.

Place the chopped pits and skins in a stainless steel pot (never aluminium or iron, which react with tannins and shift the colour dramatically). Cover with 3-4 litres of water. Bring to a gentle simmer (not a rolling boil — high heat can muddy the colour) and maintain for 1-2 hours. The liquid will gradually turn from pale yellow to deep reddish-pink. Strain out all the solid material through cheesecloth. The liquid should be a clear, deep reddish-pink. Adding a small pinch of washing soda (sodium carbonate) shifts the pH to alkaline, which tends to push the colour toward a truer pink rather than salmon-orange. Add just enough to shift, not enough to make the bath soapy.

Pre-wet the scoured fabric in warm water and wring out excess. Submerge the damp fabric in the warm (not boiling) dye bath, ensuring it is fully covered and not bunched up. Bunched fabric dyes unevenly, producing blotchy results. Stir gently every 15-20 minutes to ensure even dye uptake. Cellulose fibres (cotton, linen) absorb avocado tannins slowly — leave the fabric in the dye bath for a minimum of 2 hours, and up to overnight for the deepest colour. The colour develops gradually and continues to shift as the fabric absorbs more tannin. Protein fibres (silk, wool) absorb tannin dyes faster and typically produce deeper shades.

Remove the fabric from the dye bath and squeeze out excess liquid gently (do not wring, which creates uneven marks). Hang the fabric to dry in the open air. As the fabric oxidizes and dries, the colour often deepens and shifts — avocado dye continues to develop for several days after dyeing. The initial colour from the wet bath may appear darker than the final dry colour, or lighter — it depends on the specific tannin composition, water chemistry, and fabric type. If the colour is too light after drying, re-enter the fabric in the dye bath for another round. Multiple dip-and-dry cycles produce progressively deeper colour.

After the final dyeing and complete drying, rinse the fabric in cool water until the water runs mostly clear. Some initial colour loss is normal. Avocado-dyed fabric should be washed in cold water with pH-neutral soap for best colour retention. The colour will mellow over time with washing and light exposure, gradually softening from vivid pink to a warm dusty rose. Avocado dye is moderately lightfast — it performs better than many plant dyes but will fade in prolonged direct sunlight. Store dyed textiles away from strong light when not in use. The dye bath can be reused for lighter shades until the colour is exhausted, typically 2-3 additional batches.