How to Bleach Khakis White

Khaki pants made from cotton or wool can be bleached white.

Bleaching khakis can be a very complicated process because of the different fibers used to make khakis. Though the color khaki is so often used to describe a kind of pant that it has become a catch-all phrase for the garment, it is still a color and not a fabric. Khaki-colored clothes are made from all kinds of natural and synthetic fibers, some of which cannot be bleached. If the khakis are made from cotton, wool or a blend of both, it is possible to bleach them completely white. Cotton blends with nylon or silk cannot be bleached.

Things You'll Need

• 2 large stainless steel pots
• Soda ash
• Dye detergent
• Hydrogen peroxide, 10 percent hair bleach strength
• White distilled vinegar
• Bleach
• Bleach stop
• Latex gloves (optional)
• Dust mask (optional)

Instructions

Wool or Cotton-Wool Blend Khaki

1. Dip the garment in a pot of boiling hot water with 1/2 a teaspoon each of the dye pre-wash and soda ash.

2. Mix 7 1/2 tablespoons of soda ash, 3 cups of hydrogen peroxide and 1 teaspoon of dye pre-wash in another pot with 2 quarts of tepid water.

3. Add the garment to the pot until it is white. It will take between 16 and 24 hours to change color.

4. Mix a gallon of warm water and 1 1/4 cup of distilled white vinegar, and immerse it in for 10 minutes.

5. Rinse the garment and dry.

Pure Cotton Khaki

1. Mix equal parts of bleach and warm water in a pot big enough to hold the garment. The solution cannot exceed 50 percent bleach, or it will damage the fabric.

2. Add the garment to the bleach mixture, and let it sit until it is white. The fabric will turn white in the bleach and water mixture almost immediately.

3. Remove the garment from the bleach mixture, and neutralize it in a mixture of warm water and bleach stop.

4. Rinse the garment and dry.

Tips & Warnings

• Work in a well-ventilated area, and wear gloves and a dust mask when using bleach.

• Do not use bleach on wool-blended khakis. Bleach destroys wool, and the garment will turn into goop.

References

• Pro Chemical: Bleaching Wool Using Hydrogen Peroxide
• Re-Nest: How to Whiten Laundry
• University of Eastern Michigan: Discharge Dyeing With Bleach
• Texere Silk: Cleaning and Washing Silk
• Land's End: Sweaters
• All About Hand Dyeing: FAQ Neutralizing Bleach