We’ve all tie dyed for fun before, but what about for fashion? Tie dying is a great way to give that old shirt you haven’t worn in two years a brand new life. But tie dye doesn’t always have to involve vibrant colors and crazy patterns.
Bleach tie dye gives you all the benefits of regular tie dye while still remaining office and age-appropriate.
Interested in learning more? Keep reading on for more details!
What Is Bleach Tie Dye?
Bleach tie dye, or reverse tie dye, is exactly what it sounds like. Instead of using color dye to make those famous firework-like explosions on your clothing, you can use bleach as an alternative to still present the illusion of tie dye while also keeping your outfit within a specific monochromatic color palette.
This means that you will need to start with a colorful piece of clothing for a muted end result, rather than starting with a white base and adding the color on top.
Benefits of Reverse Tie Dye
One of the biggest benefits of reverse tie dying is that it perfectly bridges the gap between youthful and mature. Tie dye reminds us of our childhoods. Whenever you’re confronted with tie dye, you can’t help but be thrown back to those hot summer days, barefoot in the backyard, tie dying with a popsicle in hand until the sun goes down.
We’re here to introduce you to rainbow tie dye’s older sibling: Bleach tie dye. Bleach tie dye can still provide you with that playful tie dye pattern without the bright colors.
That’s not to say that bleach tie dye doesn’t give you any color, though. Most of the time, bleach tie dye will simply mute or lighten the base color of your item and leave behind a gradual, ombre design in the process.
So, in the end, you still get a visually interesting piece of clothing that can be worn just about anywhere--the beach, the office, to brunch, or to bed--and still get to enjoy the fun process of tie dying, too!
How To Reverse Tie Dye
As a process, reverse tie dying isn’t much different than regular tie dying, but it does require a bit more caution.
Because you will be using bleach, you should definitely make sure to take extra precautions, like working outside or in a well-ventilated area, wearing gloves, and even covering your eyes for safety.
Just like regular tie dye, there are a number of different methods you can try to get the desired pattern you want.
Let’s break down everything you need to know about reverse tie dying:
What You’ll Need
- Household bleach
- Medium-sized container
- Tongs
- Gloves
- Towel
- Spray bottle
- Item you intend to bleach
Method #1 - Getting Your Hands Dirty
This method definitely involves the most physical contact between you and the bleach, so if you’re feeling hesitant, methods two and three might be a little more your speed.
Here’s what you’ll do:
- Set up your materials in a well-ventilated area
- Submerge the soon-to-be-bleached fabric in water, either in a kitchen sink or bathtub
- Wring out excess water and fold the fabric into your desired shape (we’ll get to that later)
- Put on gloves and pour bleach into the container
- Make sure there is enough to completely submerge the fabric in bleach
- Do not use a container you plan to eat from at a later date
- Fully dunk the fabric into the bleach-filled container
- Depending on what kind of fabric you’re using, you should hold your item for anywhere between two to 20 minutes. You will be able to see the fabric bleaching in real-time, so if you’re unsure how long to keep it in, just use your best judgment based on what you see.
- For reference: linens will only take two to five minutes to bleach, while cotton blends will take closer to 15 to 20 minutes
- Remove the fabric with gloves and tongs, rinse either in a sink or with a hose for several minutes
- Don’t be surprised when the color changes as you wash--this is completely normal
- Toss it in the wash for a final cleaning, then in the dryer to heat set
Method #2 - Spray, Spray, Spray
Make sure your accuracy is on point before trying this method! The directions are as follows:
- Set up your materials in a well-ventilated area
- Submerge the soon-to-be-bleached fabric in water, either in a kitchen sink or bathtub
- Wring out excess water
- Lay your item on a towel and fold it into your desired shape
- Wearing gloves, pour bleach into a spray bottle
- Use this spray bottle for bleach products only
- Spray your item as much as you’d like
- Wait five to ten minutes before flipping sides
- Note: this method takes the longest for the bleach to saturate, which means the color will take 30 to 60 minutes to appear.
- Wait until the color has completely set, and go in for a second round if needed
- Rinse with a hose or in the sink
- Complete a full wash and dry cycle before usin
Method #3 - Best To Be Direct
This last method might get a bit messy, so maybe consider leaving your sneakers indoors for a while. Here are the steps:
- Set up your materials in a well-ventilated area
- Submerge the soon-to-be-bleached fabric in water, either in a kitchen sink or bathtub
- Wring out the excess water and fold into your desired shape
- Lay your item on a towel
- With gloves, pour the bleach directly onto the fabric on both sides
- Let it sit for ten to 20 minutes as the color changes
- Add more bleach if needed
- When finished, rinse well in water for several minutes
- Complete a full wash and dry cycle before using
Patterns To Try
When it comes to tie dyeing, the pattern possibilities are endless. You can apply rubber bands in random places for an unpredictable and totally unique design, or you can make purposeful placement decisions to achieve a specific look.
Below are some design techniques to help get your creativity and inspiration flowing.
The Folding Technique
If you’re interested in making your tie dye look precise and deliberate, the folding technique might be right for you. Follow these steps for a perfectly symmetrical square pattern:
- Fold the fabric in half
- Fold it in half again, and then once more
- Apply the bleach to the folded edges of the fabric
- Repeat the same on the other side
As you can probably guess, this technique works best with bleaching method #3 for more precise application.
The Stripes Technique
Who doesn’t love a good stripe moment? Here’s how to bleach some stripes into your life:
- Roll the fabric from collar to hem
- Use rubber bands to create even-sized chunks down the fabric
- Apply bleach to every other section for a striped design
Once again, because this technique calls for precision application, make sure to use method #3 when bleaching.
The Chevron Technique
Now let’s turn it up a notch with a classically chic chevron pattern. The instructions are as follows:
- Fold the fabric in half lengthwise
- Take the half closest to you and fold it in half again so that it is aligned with the center fold
- The sleeve will have to be folded in half in order to maintain the pattern
- Repeat with the other side
- Wrap the fabric in a series of diagonally placed rubber bands
- Apply bleach to each section
This technique can be achieved best with either method #3 or method #1.
The Shibori Technique
Shibori is a tie dyeing method that was created by the Japanese many centuries ago. There are dozens of ways to achieve a shibori design.
Below is just one of many examples:
Kumo
The word kumo means “spider” in Japanese, and that’s exactly what your fabric will look like with this shibori technique.
Follow these steps to make your very own kumo design:
- Accordion fold the fabric into a rectangle
- On one side of the rectangle, pinch and bind off equal sections of the fabric with rubber bands
- Create a zig-zag pattern by repeating step two on the opposite side of the rectangle
- Add a series of tightly wrapped rubber bands down each zig-zag stripe to create the look of long, pointy legs
- The more rubber bands you add, the less space left between each “web” pattern
- Squeeze the rectangle into the center and wrap a few rubber bands around it for security
- Be sure that the “spider” does not fold in on itself
- Apply the bleach to your fabric
Bleach Your Best
Bleach tie dye is the perfect DIY project for every free spirit looking to channel their inner child. Not to mention, it can be done with just about any fabric, clothing item, or linen decor piece you have and will always come out looking completely unique.
So don’t delay--treat yourself to a popsicle and a good old-fashioned tie dye session today!
Sources:
What Is Shibori? How the Textile Is Made | House Beautiful