Painting with Bleach & Using Bleach Thickener

Let's get started!

Work in a well ventilated area, outside is the best. Wear something you don’t mind getting bleach on along with gloves and eye protection. Cover your work area with newsprint or a drop cloth.

The Basics

Mix your bleach 1 part bleach to 3 parts water - Safety Tip - always pour the bleach into the water so it dilutes as you pour it in

You can use this right on the fabric, applying it with a synthetic bristle brush, you can make a batch large enough to submerge items, squeeze it on with a squeeze bottle, spray it with a spray bottle, etc.

Pro-Tip- Not all colors turn to white with bleach. Some blacks go to a rust color. Some greens go to yellow. etc. Some dyes don’t, or hardly don’t, discharge at all. So before your final project it is very important to test the diluted bleach on the back side of a hem or something.

You can use Bleach Thickener for more control to slow the spread of the bleach.

To mix a solution for painting or printing the following ratios work well.

Solution for painting:

• 12 grams or 1 Tbs Thickener
• 25 ml or between 1/16 to 1/8 cup bleach

Screen or block printing solution:

• 25 grams or appr. 1 Tbs + 2 tsp thickener
• 37ml or appr. 1/8 cup bleach

We made up enough to fill a Gutta Pen and make a DIY Bleach Pen.

Adjust thickener amounts above for desired consistency. Bleach can be added up to 50%. Mix until smooth. A spoon or small wire whisk works well. Be careful not to splash! Water can also be added to thin the consistency.

We marked out the design with a washable white pencil that could be seen against the black shirt.

Paint or print this mixture onto fabric that has been previously dyed, and leave to dry. The longer the mixture is left on the fabric, and the thicker the application of the bleach paste, the more dye will be removed. However do not leave it on for several hours as the bleach may weaken the fabric. Once dry or discharged to taste, rinse with cold water, then soak in Bleach Stop to deactivate the bleach.

It is very important not to skip the Bleach Stop, even though the bleach is mostly rinsed out, it is impossible to wash it all out so you need to neutralize the trace bleach left in the fibers. This is what will prevent slow damage over time that results in holes. To do so, use 1 oz. of Bleach Stop per gallon of warm water, make enough to fully cover your items and then agitate for 15 minutes.

Finally, wash your garment with some Dharma Dyer’s Detergent and you are ready to over dye it or wear it!