Easy Ways To Bleach Dye A Sweatshirt - WikiHow

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Terms of Use wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. Learn why people trust wikiHow How to Bleach Dye a Sweatshirt PDF download Download Article Co-authored by Amy Guerrero and Hannah Madden

Last Updated: July 12, 2023 References

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  • Preparation
    • |
  • Designs
    • |
  • Bleach Spray
    • |
  • Video
    • |
  • Tips
    • |
  • Warnings
    • |
  • Things You'll Need
|Show more |Show less ARTICLE VIDEO X

This article was co-authored by Amy Guerrero and by wikiHow staff writer, Hannah Madden. Amy Guerrero is an Arts and Crafts Specialist and the Owner of Sunshine Craft Co., a crafting studio based in Phoenix, Arizona. Amy specializes in macrame, DIY crafting, and teaching fiber arts. She offers monthly in-person and online workshops along with having developed a range of DIY craft kits for at-home projects. Amy holds a BS in Industrial Design from Philadelphia University. She worked as a graphic designer before starting her own business. Sunshine Craft Co. is a creative hub that offers a wide range of workshops, tools, and resources for any craft project to inspire creativity and community engagement. There are 10 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been viewed 113,321 times.

Steps

Part 1 Part 1 of 3:

Preparation

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  1. Step 1 Work outside or in a ventilated area. 1 Work outside or in a ventilated area. Bleach fumes can be a little overwhelming, especially if you are working indoors in close proximity. Either find a place to set up your items outside or open up all the doors and windows you can to keep your lungs safe.[1]
    • If your room doesn’t have a lot of doors or windows to open, set up a large fan to blow away the fumes.
  2. Step 2 Choose a black, 100% cotton sweatshirt. 2 Choose a black, 100% cotton sweatshirt. Bleach shows up best on dark fabric that is made of mostly, if not all, cotton. Read the label on your sweatshirt to see what it is made out of and avoid fabrics like spandex and nylon.[2]
    • Bleach can also damage more delicate fabrics like silk or satin.
    • If you don’t want to use a black sweatshirt, you can dye a dark navy or dark gray one instead.

    Tip: Most sweatshirts are made out of cotton or mostly cotton blends, but it’s always good to check.

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  3. Step 3 Put on rubber gloves to protect your hands. 3 Put on rubber gloves to protect your hands. Bleach is a harsh chemical that can cause skin irritation even when it is diluted. Protect your hands with rubber kitchen gloves and try to avoid getting bleach on your skin as much as possible.[3]
    • You can find rubber kitchen gloves at most home goods stores.
  4. Step 4 Spread out a drop cloth or newspapers to protect your surface. 4 Spread out a drop cloth or newspapers to protect your surface. Bleach will discolor most surfaces that it touches, so it is important to keep it contained as you work. Lay down an old towel, a drop cloth, or some newspaper to protect your work surface.[4]
    • You may want to wear old clothes that you don’t care about in case you get some bleach on them while you work.
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Part 2 Part 2 of 3:

Designs

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  1. Step 1 Lay your sweatshirt out flat on a table or the ground. 1 Lay your sweatshirt out flat on a table or the ground. Spread your sweatshirt out as flat as possible on your work area. Smooth out any wrinkles or lumps as best you can.[5]

    Tip: Make sure your sweatshirt is clean and dry before you start bleaching it.

  2. Watermark wikiHow to Bleach Dye a Sweatshirt 2 Scrunch the entire sweatshirt up towards the middle for a traditional design. Grab the outermost parts of your sweatshirt one at a time, including each arm, the hood, and the pocket area. Scrunch them in towards the center of your sweatshirt so that it forms a loose ball and attach 3 to 4 rubber bands around your sweatshirt to keep it in place.[6]
    • Your scrunching doesn’t have to look perfect, since random folds will create an interesting pattern.
  3. Watermark wikiHow to Bleach Dye a Sweatshirt 3 Roll your sweatshirt from the bottom up for a striped pattern. Fold the arms of your sweatshirt in on top of the middle. Grab the very bottom of your sweatshirt and roll it upwards on top of itself to create a tight sausage roll. Attach 5 to 6 rubber bands around the entire sweatshirt to secure it in place.[7]
    • This design has more bleach on the bottom and less on the top for a nice gradient effect.
  4. Watermark wikiHow to Bleach Dye a Sweatshirt 4 Put rubber bands around the middle of your sweatshirt for a bullseye. Pinch the middle of your sweatshirt upwards and attach 1 rubber band around it so that it sticks up. Keep adding rubber bands to your sweatshirt downwards until the entire sweatshirt is in 1 straight line with the middle portion at the very top. Space your rubber bands out about 2 inches (5.1 cm) apart to leave room for the bleach.[8]
    • This will create a bullseye design across the torso of your sweatshirt.
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Part 3 Part 3 of 3:

Bleach Spray

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  1. Watermark wikiHow to Bleach Dye a Sweatshirt 1 Mix 2 tablespoons (30 mL) of bleach with 1 cup (240 mL) of water in a spray bottle. Find an empty spray bottle that has not been used to hold chemicals before. Fill it with water and bleach and shake it slightly to mix up your ingredients.[9]
    • Certain chemicals like ammonia can react with bleach and create dangerous fumes. Always use a clean spray bottle to avoid any safety issues.
  2. Watermark wikiHow to Bleach Dye a Sweatshirt 2 Spray the entire sweatshirt with bleach spray. Hold your bottle of bleach spray about 6 inches (15 cm) away from your sweatshirt. Spray the entirety of your sweatshirt with bleach. Turn it over to get both the front and the back sides.[10]
    • The more bleach you spray, the lighter your sweatshirt will be.
  3. Step 3 Let your sweatshirt sit for 1 hour. 3 Let your sweatshirt sit for 1 hour. Leave your sweatshirt on a flat surface to dry and lighten the fabric of your sweatshirt. Don’t leave it in direct sunlight, or it could get too hot.[11]
    • Try not to leave your sweatshirt for longer than 1 hour, or the bleach could start to damage the fabric of your sweatshirt.
  4. Watermark wikiHow to Bleach Dye a Sweatshirt 4 Rinse your sweatshirt in cold water in the washer or sink. Unwrap the rubber bands from your sweatshirt. Put it in the washing machine with cold water on a low spin cycle or rinse it by hand in your sink using cold water.[12]
    • The cold water stops the bleach process so your sweatshirt won’t get any lighter.
  5. Step 5 Dry your sweatshirt in the dryer or let it air dry. 5 Dry your sweatshirt in the dryer or let it air dry. You can put your sweatshirt in the dryer for a full dry cycle or let it hang on a clothesline for about 1 day until it’s dry. Try on your new bleach dyed sweatshirt to show off your style.[13]

    Tip: Wash and dry your sweatshirt how you normally would after you wear it a few times.

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Video

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Tips

  • Bleach dye doesn’t have to look perfect, so the more creative you get with your design, the better it will look. Thanks Helpful 5 Not Helpful 0
Submit a Tip All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published Name Please provide your name and last initial Submit Thanks for submitting a tip for review! Advertisement

Warnings

  • Work in a well-ventilated area to protect your lungs. Thanks Helpful 10 Not Helpful 2
  • Always wear rubber gloves when working with bleach to avoid skin irritation. Thanks Helpful 10 Not Helpful 2
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Things You’ll Need

  • Black cotton sweatshirt
  • Bleach
  • Spray bottle
  • Rubber gloves
  • Rubber bands

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References

  1. ↑ https://www.threadsmagazine.com/2008/10/28/dyeing-with-bleach
  2. ↑ https://www.threadsmagazine.com/2008/10/28/dyeing-with-bleach
  3. ↑ https://www.threadsmagazine.com/2008/10/28/dyeing-with-bleach
  4. ↑ https://www.threadsmagazine.com/2008/10/28/dyeing-with-bleach
  5. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UVyrSoqJjE8&feature=youtu.be&t=40
  6. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UVyrSoqJjE8&feature=youtu.be&t=45
  7. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8HErdHSZHMw&feature=youtu.be&t=388
  8. ↑ https://www.parents.com/fun/arts-crafts/kid/tie-dye-with-kids/?slide=slide_ee6d0e40-6e2b-417e-9adb-ccc0acc28086#slide_ee6d0e40-6e2b-417e-9adb-ccc0acc28086
  9. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UVyrSoqJjE8&feature=youtu.be&t=31
More References (4)
  1. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UVyrSoqJjE8&feature=youtu.be&t=59
  2. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UVyrSoqJjE8&feature=youtu.be&t=98
  3. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=408qyMoIhD8&feature=youtu.be&t=379
  4. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UVyrSoqJjE8&feature=youtu.be&t=100

About This Article

Amy Guerrero Co-authored by: Amy Guerrero Arts & Crafts Specialist This article was co-authored by Amy Guerrero and by wikiHow staff writer, Hannah Madden. Amy Guerrero is an Arts and Crafts Specialist and the Owner of Sunshine Craft Co., a crafting studio based in Phoenix, Arizona. Amy specializes in macrame, DIY crafting, and teaching fiber arts. She offers monthly in-person and online workshops along with having developed a range of DIY craft kits for at-home projects. Amy holds a BS in Industrial Design from Philadelphia University. She worked as a graphic designer before starting her own business. Sunshine Craft Co. is a creative hub that offers a wide range of workshops, tools, and resources for any craft project to inspire creativity and community engagement. This article has been viewed 113,321 times. 30 votes - 94% Co-authors: 5 Updated: July 12, 2023 Views: 113,321 Categories: Featured Articles | Tie Dyeing Clothes and Fabric Article SummaryX

To bleach dye a sweatshirt, make sure you're working in a well-ventilated space and wearing gloves to protect your hands from the bleach. Lay out your sweatshirt on a flat, covered work surface, and bunch it up with rubber bands like you would for regular tie-dye. Then, mix 2 tablespoons of bleach and 1 cup of water in a spray bottle. Spray your sweatshirt until it's completely covered, then let it sit for 1 hour. Finally, rinse with cold water and tumble dry. For step-by-step instructions with videos, check out the full article! Did this summary help you?YesNo

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Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 113,321 times.

Did this article help you?

Yes No Advertisement Cookies make wikiHow better. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our cookie policy. Amy Guerrero Co-authored by: Amy Guerrero Arts & Crafts Specialist Co-authors: 5 Updated: July 12, 2023 Views: 113,321 94% of readers found this article helpful. 30 votes - 94% Click a star to add your vote

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