How to Bleach a Cotton Sweater

Bleach is a common cleaning agent that will whiten your sweater.

What was once a bright, vivid white sweater is now ivory or spotty with stains due to normal wear and tear. Do not toss the sweater in the donate pile, instead combine it with bleach and water to regain its natural beauty. Bleach is a highly effective cleaning agent when it comes to whitening fabrics, particularly cotton. The process to bleach is simple and the results are immediate. In addition to whitening a white sweater, the bleaching process can be done to remove other colors or patterns from the sweater.

Things You'll Need

• 4 buckets
• Bleach
• Vinegar
• Timer
• Long spoon
• Rubber gloves
• Safety goggles

Instructions

1. Put on your rubber gloves and safety goggles. Fill two buckets with clean water. The first bucket will saturate the sweater prior to bleaching and the second bucket will rinse the sweater after the vinegar.

2. Fill another bucket with one part bleach to two parts water. Use a long spoon to agitate the mixture thoroughly; this bucket will remove any discoloration or stains from the sweater.

3. Fill the final bucket with one part vinegar to one part water. The vinegar serves as a neutralizer and will stop the bleaching process immediately.

4. Saturate the sweater entirely into the first water bucket and leave alone for 15 to 20 minutes. The sweater will absorb the bleach better if the fibers are wet as opposed to dry.

5. Remove the sweater from the water and wring out. Transfer it to the bleach bucket and saturate completely. Agitate the sweater in the bleach with a long spoon for the first 15 minutes; then leave the sweater alone for another 15 minutes.

6. Transfer the sweater directly to the vinegar after the 30 minutes. There is no need to wring the sweater out before transferring.

7. Leave the sweater in the vinegar solution for 20 minutes, then transfer the other bucket of water. Swish the sweater around in the bucket to remove the vinegar and transfer the sweater to a washing machine. Wash the sweater by itself; refer to the manufacturer's label for washing instructions.

Tips & Warnings

• Wear plastic gloves, safety goggles and old clothing; the bleach may splash as your work. Set the bleaching buckets on a concrete floor or outdoor patio to prevent ruining hardwood or carpeted floors.

• Keep bleach and vinegar away from children and pets.

References

• New Mexico State University; Getting Clothes Clean; Susan Wright
• "Threads"; Dyeing With Bleach; October 2008
• Eastern Michigan University: Discharging Dye With Bleach

Resources

• Alley Cat Scratch: Changing the Color of Fabrics/Dye Your Fabrics