How to Bleach Dye a Sweatshirt

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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]
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- If your room doesn’t have a lot of doors or windows to open, set up a large fan to blow away the fumes.
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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]
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- 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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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]
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- You can find rubber kitchen gloves at most home goods stores.
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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]
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- You may want to wear old clothes that you don’t care about in case you get some bleach on them while you work.

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Designs

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Spread your sweatshirt out as flat as possible on your work area. Smooth out any wrinkles or lumps as best you can.^{[5]
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Tip: Make sure your sweatshirt is clean and dry before you start bleaching it.
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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]
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- Your scrunching doesn’t have to look perfect, since random folds will create an interesting pattern.
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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]
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- This design has more bleach on the bottom and less on the top for a nice gradient effect.
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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]
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- This will create a bullseye design across the torso of your sweatshirt.

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Bleach Spray

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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]
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- Certain chemicals like ammonia can react with bleach and create dangerous fumes. Always use a clean spray bottle to avoid any safety issues.
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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]
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- The more bleach you spray, the lighter your sweatshirt will be.
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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]
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- Try not to leave your sweatshirt for longer than 1 hour, or the bleach could start to damage the fabric of your sweatshirt.
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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]
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- The cold water stops the bleach process so your sweatshirt won’t get any lighter.
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]
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Tip: Wash and dry your sweatshirt how you normally would after you wear it a few times.

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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.

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Warnings

Work in a well-ventilated area to protect your lungs.

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Always wear rubber gloves when working with bleach to avoid skin irritation.

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