WHY WASH BACK? Some Pysanky artists like to “wash back” each color rather than over lapping, dipping the egg from color to color. The advantage of this is that you get to see the white canvas (space) that you have left on the egg, when you wash back. Another advantage is that you can see if there are any flaws in waxing or missed color; these can then be touched up. I have made mistakes with forgetting to dip into a dye color and then needed to remove the mistaken dye, so that I could go back to the missed color. I wash-back the shell using a light solution of Ivory Liquid and water.
Washing back with a large soft mop brush should not disturb the already waxed lines.
Mix a small dollar store pump bottle with one part Ivory Liquid, to two parts water. Pump an amount onto the brush and wash back the color. Wash back over a sink and finally rinse the egg well with cold water. Before continuing with the newest waxing and dye color, examine the egg for any flaws, such as missed waxing or missed color. You could use a fine pointed detail brush for the hard to reach bits.
REMINDERS:
Washing back with a large soft mop brush should not disturb the already waxed lines.
Mix a small dollar store pump bottle with one part Ivory Liquid, to two parts water. Pump an amount onto the brush and wash back the color. Wash back over a sink and finally rinse the egg well with cold water. Before continuing with the newest waxing and dye color, examine the egg for any flaws, such as missed waxing or missed color. You could use a fine pointed detail brush for the hard to reach bits.
REMINDERS:
- the shell will saturate you need to dry the shell between multiple washes; the shell will tell you when it is time, as it will start to absorb color thinly or more slowly.
- You could use a mixture of Ivory Ultra or Dawn Original dish detergent and water or b) Mrs Myers All Purpose Cleaner or c) Awesome Orange all purpose cleaner (from Dollar Tree). Use a soft toothbrush to help get the dye off. Rinse the egg thoroughly in cool water and let dry. Before you put it into the next dye, dunk it into a light solution of vinegar and water mixture to ensure that there isn't any residue left on the egg.
- I have found that if you wash back too often without allowing the egg to dry completely can prevent it to oversaturate the shell so it won't take the dye properly.
- If it's over-saturated with either dye or water, you may find that the shell "sweats" meaning that moisture has gotten inside through the pores. Set it aside for a day or so and work on another egg. When you go back to that egg, put it in the freezer for a few minutes. Yes, the freezer! This helps prevent speckles from developing on the egg when you dip it into the dye.
- DETAIL BRUSH If you find that you have a color missing, you can use a detail brush to fill in the bit and then wax over it. Be sure to wash new brushes before using, because they contain a stiffener to hold the bristles in place.
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