If you have a pair of dark jeans and want to lighten them, bleach can help you; whitening pants can make them softer and give them a "used" look. While you can buy washed-out pants at clothing stores, you can get the same effect at home as well. By carefully monitoring the process and taking all necessary precautions, you can make your jeans fade and get the color you want without making holes in the fabric.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Preparations
Step 1. Place newspaper on the floor to protect it from splashes
Before starting the procedure, you need to spread some paper around the work area; many surfaces, especially carpet, may be stained by bleach. Spread some paper around the washing machine as well, as you will need to do a short wash cycle at the end of the treatment.
Step 2. Change your clothes
Wear old clothes, like a sweatshirt and a T-shirt that you don't mind ruining in case they get stained with bleach; if you prefer, you can also put on an apron.
Wear thick rubber gloves to avoid irritating your skin with the bleach solution; you should also use protective goggles to avoid the risk of a few drops falling into the eyes
Step 3. Choose a well-ventilated area to avoid breathing bleach fumes
Its smell does not cause any adverse health effects, but some people may experience a sense of anxiety. If you feel faint, leave immediately and call the poison control center. keep the bottle at hand to be able to read the ingredients and communicate them to the operator who responds.
Never mix bleach with other household cleaning products; some chemicals can generate toxic fumes when mixed with bleach. In particular, avoid mixing ammonia with bleach or alcohol
Step 4. Fill a bucket or bathtub with equal parts bleach and water
You can use the bucket, but using the bathtub makes it easier to turn on a fan to disperse the fumes. Do not prepare a too concentrated mixture; although it allows you to get faster results, it can be corrosive to the point of creating holes in the fabric.
Step 5. Give it a try
If you've never lightened jeans before, grab an old pair or a piece of denim fabric and try the solution on an already frayed garment before moving on to your favorite pants. This way, you can better understand how much bleach it takes to get the results you want and if the concentration is too strong.
Different colors can react in a specific way; to get a better idea, choose a pair of already worn jeans that have a color similar to that of the trousers you want to lighten
Step 6. Use a bleach pen
If you are afraid of using liquid, you can opt for this alternative (it is on sale in many household stores and supermarkets). With this tool you can't get an equally natural effect, but the application and final cleaning are easier; you can also use the bleach pen to create intricate designs or to write words on the fabric.
Part 2 of 3: Discoloring the Jeans
Step 1. Soak the pants
Bleach lightens wet fabric better; then soak the jeans in cold water before proceeding with the treatment. They don't need to be soaked, so you can squeeze them to get rid of excess moisture.
Step 2. Dab the bleach with a sponge, brush, or using a spray bottle
If you want to create patterns on the pants, you don't have to put them in the bleach solution, but apply it to the fabric using one of several options.
- If you want to get large uniform spots, use a sponge and dab the mixture;
- If you want a "splash" effect, use a brush or toothbrush; apply the bleach to the tool first and rub your thumb along the bristles to spray the solution.
- If you want to work quickly, fill a cheap spray bottle with the mixture and apply it to the areas you want to lighten.
Step 3. Work on one side at a time
Focus on the front or back first and then turn the pants over to treat them on the other side. If you don't want to discolor a certain side, insert some newspaper before you start, as it prevents the bleach from reaching and staining the underlying fabric.
Step 4. Immerse the pants completely in the solution if you want to fade them evenly
If you want to get a total washed out effect, you need to soak them in the bleach mixture for 20-30 minutes; move them and shake the water a little every now and then to avoid over-exposing a single area. Check the color change every time you move your jeans and take them out of the water when they have reached the color you want.
- Squeeze them over the bucket or tub to avoid staining the floor.
- To obtain an effect similar to that of the reserve dye, tie the elastic on the jeans before dipping them in the solution, in order to create floral motifs on the fabric.
Part 3 of 3: Adding the Finishing Touches
Step 1. Rinse off the bleach after five minutes
After applying it or soaking the jeans in the solution, let them rest on the newspaper for five minutes. when finished, rinse them with cold water in the sink or tub.
You are unable to tell how much the still wet fabric has faded; to evaluate the results you have to wait until the pants are perfectly dry
Step 2. Rinse them thoroughly in the washing machine without using detergents
Place them in the machine, wrapping them in newspaper to avoid staining the floor, and set a rinse cycle without adding fabric softeners or detergents that could cause the fabric to yellow. This step allows you to eliminate excess bleach and to be able to proceed with future washes safely even with the other garments.
For now, rinse the jeans yourself without adding any more clothes to the drum, otherwise you may discolor them
Step 3. Let them air dry
After the first wash you do not have to put them in the dryer (yellowish halos may form), instead hang them in the air so as not to expose them to the excessive heat of the appliance. Once washed and dried, they are ready to be worn.
Step 4. When finished, check the color
Now that the fabric is dry, you can carefully observe the result; if it's still not clear enough, repeat the process using the bleach solution. You can continue the treatment until the jeans have reached the shade you want.
Advice
- When using bleach it is best to proceed with caution. Stop the procedure when the pants have reached the color you like; remember that you can always add more later, but once the jeans are bleached you can no longer restore the previous color.
- Take all necessary precautions to avoid staining your clothes or the floor.
Warnings
- Never mix bleach with ammonia or vinegar, as they both release toxic gases.
- If you feel faint, walk away immediately.
