One second of inattention, one mishandling, and you have bleach stains on your clothes. While it’s not too annoying on a white t-shirt, it’s not the same for colored fabrics. And if we are talking about “stains”, we might as well say it clearly: bleach does not stain, but discolors. This is why it is extremely difficult to treat, but not absolutely impossible. In this article, grandmother explains how to remove and how to clean a bleach stain on clothing without damaging it. If you act quickly, it may indeed be possible to “unfasten” the laundry. And if it proves impossible to make it disappear by using the right “stain remover” to prevent discoloration and remove stains, we have ideas for making the stained area look great again.
1) Remove a bleach stain as quickly as possible
The only way to save your garment and get it back in good condition is to act quickly. If you wait, it will be too late! To do this, start by identifying the material of the clothing. Indeed, for cotton or wool, we would rather use ammonia. And for the other materials (synthetics, linen, jeans, etc.), we will use hydrogen peroxide. Here you will need to dab the bleach stain with a clean cloth. Then wash in the washing machine or by hand. This should normally save the garment. (Surprisingly, but for once, we will not have used baking soda, white vinegar, lemon juice or Marseille soap to achieve this magic trick!)
Some special cases and tissues to treat differently:
-The velvet should be rubbed gently with soft-grained sandpaper.
-For the addremove the bleach with absorbent paper or a dry cloth. Then, erase the stain with shoe polish of the same color as the leather.
-The silk : There is nothing to do here, because this fabric is too fragile! If the dry cleaner can’t do anything, you will need to camouflage the stain as explained below.
2) If that didn’t work, try staining the stained area
If it’s a solid color, you can always try using a dye knowing in all honesty that this technique is not not always very effective. With bleaching, the fibers are very damaged and may not set well, making stubborn bleach stains impossible to dye. If it’s a t-shirt that you particularly like and you don’t want to make a rag out of it, you can try everything. Above all, choose a dye kit suitable for the fabric and as close as possible to the initial color of your garment, and follow the instructions.
If that still doesn’t work, you can also use a textile marker. These are indelible textile markers which allow you to color the bleach stain neither seen nor known. Don’t hesitate to go to a craft store with your garment to choose the right shade.
3) Be creative or opt for a cover-up to hide the bleach stain!
If you can’t get a bleach stain out, a few tips can help hide it. Choose your hide from poverty : iron-on patch to stick with an iron or sew, badge or pin’s, brooch, hole, lace insert, pocket added by you, etc. You will find what you need in haberdasheries, supermarkets or on specialized sites. You be the judge what will be best depending on the location of the areas to be camouflaged. Otherwise, it could “stain”!
It is also possible to make other stains or create a “tie and dye” effect to give a new look to your garment. After all, if nothing else has worked, you have nothing to lose! This will give the impression that it was done on purpose. There are many techniques to do this, but generally the garment is made into a ball. Then spray with bleach diluted in cold water. (You should never mix bleach with hot water!) You can also immerse the garment in a basin of bleach water for a two-tone effect. For this step, do not hesitate to wear gloves and protective glasses. Then rinse with cold water and machine wash the garment alone. This is very important so as not to create a halo on another item of clothing. And there you have it, your garment will have a new look!
Be more careful next time or better yet, swap your bleach for more natural and equally effective products!