Is There a Way to Fade Acrylic Fabric?

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Things You'll Need

  • Bleach

  • Bucket

Acrylic is a type of synthetic fabric that resists staining and fading. This, however, does not mean that the color will not fade if you encourage it to. Fading fabric can create an interesting effect that can revive an old t-shirt or change the look of a dress. Use sunlight if you want to fade fabric slightly and use bleach to get the job done faster.

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Using Sunlight

Step 1

Lay the fabric outside in the direct sunlight.

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Step 2

Let the fabric sit for several hours until the sun goes down.

Step 3

Repeat the process until the fabric is faded according to your preference. This could take several days or several weeks depending on the look you are going for.

Step 4

Launder the fabric as normal.

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Using Bleach

Step 1

Fill a bucket with water. Keep track of how many gallons of water you use, but add enough water for the fabric to move freely.

Step 2

Add ¼ cup bleach per gallon of water you used.

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Step 3

Put the fabric into the bleach and let it sit for 5 minutes. Remove the cloth and check the color. Leave the fabric in for longer if you want the color to fade more. Remove the fabric when you have reached the proper fade.

Step 4

Rinse the fabric with water until you remove all of the bleach.

Step 5

Launder the fabric as normal.

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