Give a Stained Shirt New Life by Bleaching It
You probably have at least one favorite shirt in your closet that you no longer wear due to a small unsightly stain. Well, no need to leave it hanging anymore – bleaching with tie dye is a great way to give any lightly soiled clothing new life (and a new look). This is similar to dye-free dyeing, as the bleach creates interesting swirls in the original color. Yes, technically you are dealing with a blot by covering it with a much larger blot. But the way it looks is much more intentional (and a bit retro). Here’s how to do it yourself.
What will you need
To dye your shirt with bleach, you will need the following:
- The shirt you want to “dye” – light-colored, solid-colored shirts tend to work best, but if the shirt is stained anyway, you can try!
- 1/2 cup bleach
- 1/4 cup water
- Atomizer (optional)
- Rubber bands (optional)
- Plastic rag or trash bag (optional)
Prepare your workspace
Tie dyeing can be a messy process, so make sure you have a plastic rag or trash bag with you to protect the surfaces. You’ll also want to wear gloves to protect your hands from bleach, and make sure the clothes you’re wearing aren’t ones you don’t care about, or you’ll soon have to repeat the bleaching process, and so on. until the clothes run out.
Mix bleach solution
In a small bowl, mix 1/2 cup bleach and 1/4 cup water. Pour the solution into a spray bottle if you like.
Prepare your shirt
Next, you need to prepare the shirt. Moisten it with water and then wring it out so that it is damp but not soaked. Lay it out on your work surface, pinch the part you want in the center of the tie dye, and rotate the shirt around that point (you can also create more elaborate patterns with tie dye). You can use elastic bands to secure it in place, or you can arrange the shirt neatly without elastic bands.
Apply a bleach solution
Be sure to wear gloves when applying the bleach solution. Spray or pour the bleach solution onto your shirt. You can apply bleach more or less evenly for different effects. Leave the shirt on for five to ten minutes or until you see the desired effect.
Rinse and dry
Once you’re happy with how your shirt looks, rinse it under cold water until the bleaching process stops. Throw it in the washing machine and run it as a single load on a gentle cycle using cold water. Hang it to dry or tumble dry over low heat.