How to Bleach Pants
Choose your pants., Decide if you'd like to bleach the entire garment or tie dye., Put on a pair of latex gloves to protect yourself from the bleach., Make the bleach solution., Place the pants in the bleach solution., Leave to soak for several...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Choose your pants.
Before you decide to go ahead and bleach any pair of pants in your wardrobe, take some time to consider the fabric and quality of the pants.
Bleaching works best on fabrics like denim, cotton, rayon, linen and polyester.
The pants should also be of fairly good quality, as bleaching can disintegrate thin or weak fabrics.
Before you decide to bleach your favorite pair of jeans, it may be a good idea to test the bleaching process out with an older pair first.
Good quality, second-hand jeans from a thrift store are perfect for this.
Just make sure that the pants you are bleaching have no holes or tears, as the bleach can eat away at the edges and cause them to widen. -
Step 2: Decide if you'd like to bleach the entire garment or tie dye.
Depending on what kind of look you are trying to achieve, you can either bleach the pants so they are uniformly lightened all over or you can tie them to achieve a funky tie dyed look.
If you want them bleached evenly, you don't need to do anything, but if you want to create a tie dye effect, you will need to ball the pants up in your hands, then use two large rubber bands to hold the pants in the ball shape. , Bleach is corrosive and can damage your skin, so it is best to protect your hands with a pair of latex or rubber gloves.
You may also want to change into an old pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt, as any splashes could bleach your clothing. , To make the bleach solution, you will need to mix one part bleach with either four parts or three parts water, depending on how light you want the pants to be and how quickly you need to bleach them.
Any kind of bleach can be used; even generic brands will work just fine.
Mix the solution in a large plastic tub or basin, or a sink that you will not be using for several hours.
New, fresh bleach will work better than old bleach and will be more effective when mixed with warm water, rather than cold.
The volume of solution does not matter as long as there is enough to completely submerge the pants. , Place the pants
- either loose or tied with rubber bands
- into the bleach solution.
Mix them around for a minute or two to ensure that they are completely submerged in the bleach and water.
Bleach will process better on damp material, so it is a good idea to rinse the jeans in some warm water to dampen them before placing them in the bleach solution. , Once you are happy that your pants are completely soaked in the bleach solution, all you need to do it sit back and let it process.
The time this takes will vary completely, depending on the fabric and level of bleaching you wish to achieve.
If you just want to lighten the pants very slightly, you may only need to soak them for under an hour.
On the other hand, if you wish to lighten very dark jeans, it may take several hour or overnight.
Check on the pants every hour or so to see if they've reached the desired level of bleaching.
Keep in mind that they will be a shade or two once they're dry. , Once you are happy that the pants have been bleached to your liking, you will need to remove them from the bleach solution and rinse them thoroughly.
The best way to do this is to use the spin cycle on your washing machine.
Make sure to put the pants in the washing machine on their own, otherwise the excess bleach could stain your other clothes! If you went with the tie dye option, remember to remove the rubber bands before rinsing. , Hang your pants in a well-ventilated or outdoor area until dry, or put them in your dryer. , Try on your newly bleached pants and decide if you'd like to repeat the process to lighten them further.
Some colors may require additional soaking to achieve the desired color or texture. -
Step 3: Put on a pair of latex gloves to protect yourself from the bleach.
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Step 4: Make the bleach solution.
-
Step 5: Place the pants in the bleach solution.
-
Step 6: Leave to soak for several hours.
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Step 7: Rinse them out.
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Step 8: Dry the pants.
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Step 9: Try them on!
Detailed Guide
Before you decide to go ahead and bleach any pair of pants in your wardrobe, take some time to consider the fabric and quality of the pants.
Bleaching works best on fabrics like denim, cotton, rayon, linen and polyester.
The pants should also be of fairly good quality, as bleaching can disintegrate thin or weak fabrics.
Before you decide to bleach your favorite pair of jeans, it may be a good idea to test the bleaching process out with an older pair first.
Good quality, second-hand jeans from a thrift store are perfect for this.
Just make sure that the pants you are bleaching have no holes or tears, as the bleach can eat away at the edges and cause them to widen.
Depending on what kind of look you are trying to achieve, you can either bleach the pants so they are uniformly lightened all over or you can tie them to achieve a funky tie dyed look.
If you want them bleached evenly, you don't need to do anything, but if you want to create a tie dye effect, you will need to ball the pants up in your hands, then use two large rubber bands to hold the pants in the ball shape. , Bleach is corrosive and can damage your skin, so it is best to protect your hands with a pair of latex or rubber gloves.
You may also want to change into an old pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt, as any splashes could bleach your clothing. , To make the bleach solution, you will need to mix one part bleach with either four parts or three parts water, depending on how light you want the pants to be and how quickly you need to bleach them.
Any kind of bleach can be used; even generic brands will work just fine.
Mix the solution in a large plastic tub or basin, or a sink that you will not be using for several hours.
New, fresh bleach will work better than old bleach and will be more effective when mixed with warm water, rather than cold.
The volume of solution does not matter as long as there is enough to completely submerge the pants. , Place the pants
- either loose or tied with rubber bands
- into the bleach solution.
Mix them around for a minute or two to ensure that they are completely submerged in the bleach and water.
Bleach will process better on damp material, so it is a good idea to rinse the jeans in some warm water to dampen them before placing them in the bleach solution. , Once you are happy that your pants are completely soaked in the bleach solution, all you need to do it sit back and let it process.
The time this takes will vary completely, depending on the fabric and level of bleaching you wish to achieve.
If you just want to lighten the pants very slightly, you may only need to soak them for under an hour.
On the other hand, if you wish to lighten very dark jeans, it may take several hour or overnight.
Check on the pants every hour or so to see if they've reached the desired level of bleaching.
Keep in mind that they will be a shade or two once they're dry. , Once you are happy that the pants have been bleached to your liking, you will need to remove them from the bleach solution and rinse them thoroughly.
The best way to do this is to use the spin cycle on your washing machine.
Make sure to put the pants in the washing machine on their own, otherwise the excess bleach could stain your other clothes! If you went with the tie dye option, remember to remove the rubber bands before rinsing. , Hang your pants in a well-ventilated or outdoor area until dry, or put them in your dryer. , Try on your newly bleached pants and decide if you'd like to repeat the process to lighten them further.
Some colors may require additional soaking to achieve the desired color or texture.
About the Author
Donald Gonzalez
A passionate writer with expertise in creative arts topics. Loves sharing practical knowledge.
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