As promised, here are Rachel’s instructions on how to bleach your own shirt at home!
Materials
100% cotton shirt
Clorox bleach pen
Newspaper
Washable marker
Bleach-neutralizing chemical, such as Bleach Stop (www.dharmatrading.com) or AntiChlor (www.prochemical.com)
Note: Only bleach items outside or in a well-ventilated area. If indoors, use a fan if possible during bleaching. Bleach fumes should not be inhaled for a prolonged period of time.
Test the bleach on an inner seam of the shirt. A small dot of bleach should suffice. Let dry for 5 minutes
Draw pattern on dry shirt with washable marker
Place a few newpaper sheets inside the t-shirt to prevent applied bleach from leaking through to the other side of the garment
Shake the bleach pen before opening the cap. This mixes the liquid bleach into the paste. Apply bleach paste onto garment following the drawn pattern. Be aware that the thicker the line of bleach the more it could bleed over the pattern and blur your design. Thinner lines of bleach yield clearer results
Hang garment to dry for 10 minutes. In a clean bathtub or sink, immediately rinse garment in cold water. Washable marker remnants should be removed by this process. Use bleach neutralizing agent as directed on package.
If you want to bleach the other side of the shirt, wait until the shirt is completely dry and then repeat the pattern drawing, bleaching and rinsing processes.
Thanks Rachel!
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rachel – sweet design! thanks for the tutorial – what kind of neutralizing agent do you use? – bethany
Hi Bethany!
I actually haven’t used neutralizing agent yet to be completely honest with you…I just included those products from agents Katie had found for me after we had a discussion about fragile fabrics. If you opt for trying one or the other product I recommended, let me know how it goes!
Thank you for the feedback! I’m very happy this has a life beyond my wardrobe and some kind friends who let me experiment on their clothes.