How can I save a red sweater that has a bleach stain?

Patricia
by Patricia

My favorite sweater came out of the wash like this; I’m assuming leftover bleach😟. I tried re-dyeing with orange Ritz but it merely tinged the splotch. Anything else that can be done??

  8 answers
  • Judy Judy on Nov 04, 2018

    Patricia how disheartening. Can you dye it a darker color and leave in longer to make sure he bleached part gets soaked in? Or bleach the whole thing! Make spots all over it or use rubber bands like the dye.

  • Chloe Crabtree Chloe Crabtree on Nov 04, 2018

    Bleach is a powerful agent. Not even re-dying will ever even this out. I am sorry.

  • Cheryl Cheryl on Nov 04, 2018

    What if you used a concentrated amount of dye with a little water and a paintbrush to blend it in? Permanent markers can camouflage it nicely, but you may need to touch up after washing. Are stains in a location where you could cover with embroidery, or a patch, or a pocket? Maybe get a rubber stamp and stamp other designs with bleach to blend it all in and look intentional.

    My easy out is to wear it anyway, and if someone mentions it, tell them " Yeah, bleach, just happened, and it's my favorite sweater too..." Check on ebay for the maker/size/color, and you WILL find another to replace it! I would almost promise........

    • Patricia Patricia on Nov 04, 2018

      I like your idea if the paint brush and concentrated dye! Definitely going to try that!! Thanks!

  • Deb K Deb K on Nov 04, 2018

    Yikes! Because the dye didn't work, you could try finding a felt pen in the same color and color it, but you will have to color after each washing.

  • Oliva Oliva on Nov 04, 2018

    Actually, it's akin to a Rohrschach ink blot of a face. I'd use embroidery floss or similar to highlight it, letting others believe it was custom designed.

  • Lynn Sorrell Lynn Sorrell on Nov 04, 2018

    Once something has been bleached it will not retain color, Could try some permanent markers???? Not sure if any of this will help https://www.persil.com/uk/laundry/laundry-tips/stains/how-to-remove-bleach-stains-from-clothes-prevent-future-stains.html

  • Hope Hope on Nov 05, 2018

    This happened to one of my favorite shirts. I ended up tie dying it. It turned out great!!!

  • Mindshift Mindshift on Nov 06, 2018

    I agree that once something gets a bleach spot redyeing it won't fix the problem. First, finding the exact color of dye is unlikely. Second, because the dye will change the color of the entire sweater, you are still likely to have a mismatched spot of color.

    A better choice is to turn the spot into part of a work of art. Make sure to wear old, worn out clothes while doing this. Mix a 50/50 water/bleach solution in a spray bottle. Insert a piece of cardboard or poster board inside the sweater to prevent bleach from seeping through to the back of the sweater. Lay the sweater on a protected surface, preferably outside or in a well-ventilated space, and smooth the fabric so it has no wrinkles. Lay a stencil over your sweater so that the bleached spots are under part of the open area of the stencil. Tape the stencil in place, then cover the rest of the sweater with plastic wrap to prevent overspray. Spray the stencil openings so they are wet, but avoid the already bleached area if possible. Bleaching that will make it even lighter. Carefully remove the plastic wrap and the stencil, but leave the cardboard in place. Wait up to 8 minutes after spraying, but no longer than 10 minutes for the bleach to work. You will see the color begin to lighten after about 2 minutes. When you think the new bleached areas look the same as the original bleached spot, use a water hose to rinse the sweater and stop the bleaching action. Continue rinsing for a full minute, remove the cardboard insert, squeeze out as much water as possible and toss the sweater in the dryer. https://i.pinimg.com/736x/1c/c6/90/1cc690b0792b62e1059720859761495b.jpg

    Most people do a reverse stencil. They place cutout design pieces on the clothing, then spray the bleach around the pieces. The area where the pieces lay stays the original color and the area around the design gets lightened. These next two links show that.

    http://roseycornercreations.blogspot.com/2012/04/bleached-t-shirtswhat-not-to-do.html

    https://www.brit.co/bleach-t-shirts/

    You can also use a bleach pen to draw a design that incorporates the spots. This is much easier to do on a flat knit. Remember that the first place you draw is going to get lighter than the last place you draw. I think it best to have your design thought out before you begin.

    http://www.clothpaperscissors.com/blog/create-doodles-on-t-shirts-with-a-bleach-pen/