Bleach Cotton
Do you want to tie dye or just make your clothes extra white? This article will teach you how to bleach cotton fabric.
Steps
- Check the cloth tag. Does it say something about bleaching? If it does, do some research on bleaching. It's very important to check the cloth tag.
- Don't mix bleach. Never mix bleach with ammonia or something that contains ammonia. If you have bleach and ammonia mixed together, you will get really bad burns.
- Know your fabric. Some fabrics should not be bleached, including flame retardant clothing, silk, acetate, spandex, rubber, and elastic. Even bleach-safe fabric can be weakened over time with extensive bleach use. If your cloth has any of this, make sure to check your cloth, and do research.
- Understand that bleach works great as a whitener and disinfectant for white cotton underwear and socks. However, do not pour it directly onto your clothes. Use the automatic bleach dispenser in your washer.
- Fill a bucket or washing machine with enough bleach. Bleaching your cotton outside, or in a safe place, is recommended.
- Place your cotton in the bleach and leave it to soak.
- If your fabric doesn't turn white after several hours, replace the liquid with a stronger bleach solution and leave it to soak until you achieve the desired results.
- Rinse the bleach from the fabric.
- If using a sink, drain the bleach water and run fresh water over fabric. If using a washing machine, use the rinse cycle. If using a bucket, wring the excess bleach mixture from the fabric and move it to a sink or washing machine for rinsing. Be careful!
- Take another bucket and fill it with hydrogen peroxide. Then let it soak for 15 minutes.This stops the bleach from continuing to act on the fabric and prevents damage.
- Launder your bleached fabric prior to use to ensure the chemicals are all thoroughly rinsed out. Remember to wear goggles and gloves.
Tips
- Remember to wear goggles and gloves!
- Use only natural fabrics when removing color completely. Non-natural fabrics, such as polyester, are colorfast and will not discharge their colors.
- Wear old clothing and gloves to protect your hands while bleaching.
Warnings
- You may see a wide range of colors during the bleaching process, especially with dark fabrics. Do not panic, these colors were part of the dying process and will discharge if given enough time.
Things You'll Need
- gloves
- goggles
- bleach
- your cloth or cotton (the one you want to bleach
