How to Bleach Colored Clothing
While getting bleach on colored clothing is often something we try to avoid, sometimes there is good reason to bleach our clothing: to save something stained, dye it, or remake it into an entirely new outfit or style. Unfortunately, bleaching clothes is not always as easy as laundry mishaps would have us believe. To ensure you are successful in bleaching your colored clothing and achieve the desired effect, follow these steps.
Instructions
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Bleaching Clothes
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1
Read the clothing label. Some fabrics are delicate and may not survive a bleaching, such as wool, silk, acetate or spandex. Colorfast fabrics, such as polyester or poly-cotton blends, are often bleach proof. Bleaching them may result in uneven bleaching or they might be completely resistant to bleach. The best types of fabrics to bleach are any type of cotton, rayon or linen.
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2
Allow the washer to fill with water first, then add the bleach and your fabric to the water. Don't apply bleach directly to the fabric if you want it bleached evenly. Add half a cup of bleach and allow the machine to proceed to the wash and rinse cycle if you want the color to fade. To remove color completely, add 1 cup of bleach and allow it to soak for 20 minutes before proceeding to the wash and rinse cycle.
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3
Repeat the process, if necessary, to achieve the desired look. Some darker fabrics require additional bleaching to remove all of the color.
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4
Spot-bleach fabrics by spraying bleach directly onto the fabric with a spray bottle. Mix half a cup of bleach with 2 cups of water. If there are any parts of the fabric you do not want bleached, protect them by covering those areas with plastic wrap and fabric tape.
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Protect your work space or take your item outside so that you don't accidentally spill bleach on carpets or damage furniture surfaces. Spray the bleach mixture until it is absorbed into the fabric. Alternatively, you could sponge, splash, brush or sprinkle the bleach mixture onto the fabric; or dip the fabric in the solution.
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6
Allow the soaked fabric to sit for a few minutes, but no more than 10. Once the color is close to what you want, wash the fabric in a washing machine to halt the bleach effect.
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7
Run the garment through an extra rinse cycle to remove traces of bleach.
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Comments
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Wow thank you this is the only site that is really useful!
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This didn't work for me. All that happened was that holes were formed from the clorox stains that were already there and my dress was 100% rayon. :(
