Want to turn that faded, colorful blouse into a crisp, white top? Maybe you just need to whitewash some old denim so you can dye it a great new color. In any case, you have easy options. While there is no white dye that you can add to your clothes, mixing the dyes in them with other products can help your clothes fade and look fresher. In this article, we’ll show you how to do this with chlorine bleach or commercial fabric color removers. let’s get started!

[Edit]things you should know

• To use bleach, soak the item in a 1:4 mixture of chlorine bleach and cold water for 5 minutes. Then, soak in a 1:10 mixture of peroxide and water for 10 minutes and wash.
• To use the color remover, mix warm water and powder. Soak the item for 30 minutes, then wash.
• Repeat the treatment if you are not happy with the color or want to whiten it. Leaving things to soak for too long or making a more concentrated mix can damage your clothes.

[Edit]step

[Edit]bleaching white clothes

1. Mix 1 part chlorine bleach with 4 parts cool water in a clean bucket. Pour in the water first and then slowly in the bleach so as not to accidentally splash the outside of the bucket. Stir the mixture with a wooden spoon or other utensil (not your hands!) The exact amount you need depends on how large your garment is – mix enough water and bleach to thoroughly coat and soak .^[1]
   
   • To whiten your clothes, use chlorine bleach, not all-purpose or color-safe bleach, which may not bleach your clothes evenly.
   • Chlorine bleach gives off toxic fumes that are dangerous to breathe. Work in a well-ventilated area and wear a face mask if necessary to avoid exposure.
   • Do not use bleach on sensitive fabrics such as spandex, wool, silk, mohair, or leather. This will ruin the color and may even damage the fabric.
2. Place your clothes in the mixture and shake them around. Dip your clothes into the bleach solution and use a wooden spoon or other utensil to push them below the surface so that they are completely submerged. Move the clothes around in the solution so that they are evenly saturated and that the bleach soaks into all the fibers.^[2]
   
   • Move the cloth gently so the solution doesn’t splash out of the bucket and damage other surfaces.
   • Consider wearing disposable gloves to protect your hands from nasty bleach drops or splashes.
   • If you get some of the bleach solution on your skin, wash it off immediately with cool water.
3. Soak the clothes for 5-10 minutes, then see if they are white. Leave the clothing undisturbed so the bleach can work its magic. After about 5 minutes, use your utensil to lift some of the clothes so you can inspect them. If they aren’t white enough for you, dip the cloth back into the solution and wait 5 minutes before checking it.^[3]
   
   • Take out the clothes after 10 minutes, no matter how white they are. Prolonged exposure to bleach can weaken fabric fibers and destroy your clothes. If you need to whiten them, repeat the entire bleaching process the next day.
4. Run the clothing under cold water to wash out the bleach. Place the clothing in a clean sink or bucket and run it under cold water. The bleach will continue to work on (and ruin) your fabric until it is washed, so be sure not to skip this step! Washing will remove the bleaching chemicals and protect any other clothing that came into contact with your bleached clothing.^[4]
   
5. Soak the cloth in 3% hydrogen peroxide for 10 minutes. The hydrogen peroxide will neutralize any bleach left in the fabric fibers. While your clothes are still soaking in the bleach, mix 1 part peroxide with 10 parts water in a separate bucket. After washing the clothes, put them in the peroxide mixture for about 10 minutes.^[5]
   
   • If there is enough bleach left in the clothing, you may notice some suds coming out when you put your clothes in the peroxide. This is normal and will not damage your clothes.
6. Run the clothing through the washing machine and dryer as normal. Make sure the bleach is completely out by washing in the washing machine as you normally would (water temperature and detergent as usual). When they’re done, toss them in your dryer or air dry them, depending on what the care instructions say on the tag.^[6]
   

[Edit]Using Commercial Color Remover

1. Fill a large bucket with hot water. Turn on a faucet and let it reach as hot a temperature as possible, then fill a clean bucket or container with hot water. Alternatively, fill a large pot and set the stove on high heat. When the water starts boiling, turn off the heat and wait for 5 minutes so that the water cools down a bit.^[7]
   
   • Make sure the water isn’t so hot that it burns you before you even start!
2. Add powdered color remover to the water. Many powdered color removers come in individual packets that are measured out. Add 1 packet of color remover to warm water and stir it well. If the color remover doesn’t come in individual packets, measure out the powder, add it to the water, and stir to mix.^[8]
   
   • Always check the directions on whatever product you choose. The amount of product you need or the method of mixing may vary from brand to brand.
   • Color removers work best on natural or semi-natural fabrics such as cotton, linen, silk, wool, ramie, and rayon.
   • Powder color remover is also called color run remover. Popular brands include Rite Color Remover and Carbona Color Run Remover.
3. Dip the cloth in the mixture. Place the clothes you want to whiten in hot water and use a wooden spoon or any other utensil to dip them in the water so that they are completely soaked in water. Swirl the clothing around in the mixture so that every part of the garment is evenly drenched.^[9]
   
   • Use your spoon or utensil to move the garment back and forth so that the fabric absorbs as much of the color remover as possible.
4. Let the cloth soak for 30 minutes. Leave the clothing undisturbed so the color remover can work its magic and begin to release the dye into the fabric. Avoid moving, moving, or touching the clothing for at least 30 minutes.^[10]
   
   • Set a timer on your watch, phone, or stove to help you track time.
5. Check the clothing and remove it when all the color is gone. After 30 minutes, lift the clothing out of the water using your spoon or utensil. If there’s still a lot of dye on them, dunk them back in the water. Wait another 10 minutes and then check them again. Keep the clothes in the solution until they are as white as you want them to be.^[11]
   
   • After about 2 hours, the color remover will have lifted as much of the dye as possible.
   • If the fabric still has a bit of its original color or appears spotty, repeat the process to remove all of the color.
6. Wash and dry the clothing itself to remove the color remover. Put the wet clothes in your washing machine and wash them as you normally would, but don’t put any other clothes in the machine with them. When they’re finished, throw them in your dryer or air dry them, depending on what the care instructions on the tag say.^[12]
   
   • The clothes become wearable as soon as they dry.
   • The washer and dryer will neutralize the color remover, so you can wash the clothing with your other clothes in future cycles.

[Edit]Advice

• Synthetic fabrics, colored stitches and indigo-dyed denim may not turn completely white, even after several treatments.
• Test your bleach or color remover on a small, hidden spot of your garment before saturating the entire item. If the fabric does not turn white or changes color, do not attempt to whiten it.
• There is no commercially available white dye to add to your clothing. To whiten, you must remove the color with products such as bleach or color remover.

[Edit]Warning

• Chlorine bleach can be toxic if you breathe in the fumes. Work in a well ventilated area and wear a face mask if necessary.
• Never use undiluted bleach on clothing. It is strong enough to destroy the fibers of your garment (especially delicate ones like silk or wool) and ruin your clothes.^[13]

[Edit]Reference