B-L-E-A-C-H-I-N-G to brighten!
B-L-E-A-C-H-I-N-G to brighten!
Written by Jasmine Kroeze   
Friday, 17 April 2009 12:08
bleaching equipment

bleach |blē ch |
verb [ trans. ]
whiten by exposure to sunlight or by a chemical process : paper products are bleached with chlorine | [as adj. ] ( bleached) permed and bleached hair.
• clean and sterilize : a new formula to bleach and brighten clothing
• figurative deprive of vitality or substance : his contributions to the album are bleached of personality.
noun
a chemical (typically a solution of sodium hypochlorite or hydrogen peroxide) used to whiten or sterilize materials.
ORIGIN Old English blǣcan (verb), blǣce (noun), from blǣc [pale,] of Germanic origin; related to bleak 1 .



WHAT YOU'LL NEED...

- Coloured singlet. Cotton or cotton/elastane blend (polyester content won’t work!)
- A bucket or sink
- Bleach ($3 from the supermarket)
- Rubber gloves ($2 shop)
STEP ONE... prep work

- Start with a pre-washed and dried garment.

- In a sink or bucket, pour about a 0.5cm deep layer of bleach in the bottom.
You may need to dilute the bleach with water so more colour shows through. (More bleach makes it lighter, diluted bleach will show more colour)

It’s a good idea to have a play with an old top or fabric to see how the bleach works.
STEP TWO...  twist & scrunch

- Armed with rubber gloves, scrunch up the singlet and roll it in the bleach.
Make sure you unravel and then re-scrunch the garment so you get the whole singlet evenly, but still looking random.

- Keep rolling areas in the bleach until areas of the whole garment have been treated.

Also try the technique variations below.

You’ll get slightly different colours depending on the base fabric.
sink
twist & scrunch twist & scrunch variation
bleaching dry
STEP THREE... wash & voilà!

The bleach works pretty quickly; laying it in the sun will make the bleach react faster. Once you’re satisfied with the effect, rinse the garment and put it through a cold wash in the washing machine.




VARIATIONS...

- Try twisting the singlet for different effects.
- Wet the garment before you start, this blurs the edges
- Use a spray or a squirty bottle for splatters.
- Try dripping the bleach on, or use a paint brush.
- Denim works well, make sure to get cotton or cotton/elastane so it works properly!
bleaching finished product bleaching finished product
 

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