Reverse Tie Dye with Bleach (Step by step Guide)

Tie Dyeing is always hip and now you can learn how super easy it is to Reverse Tie Dye T-Shirts and Jeans to make cool patterns

Who doesn’t love a great tie dye? And, tie dyeing my own clothes has always been one of my favorite summer projects… it’s the old hippie in me, I guess.

My girlfriends and I get together sometimes for a tie dye party in the garden. We gather old T shirts, bedsheets and boring, white socks and enjoy a crafting afternoon together.

Did you see my latest … ICE DYEING ON COTTON

In previous tutorials, I have shared how to tie dye a heart shape and also the accordion fold tie dye method. This time I wanted to show you how to reverse tie dye with bleach.

Unlike traditional tie dyeing where you add color to a light colored fabric, reverse dyeing involves removing the color that is already in the shirt.

Did you know you can also reverse dye with a bleach pen? That’s a really cool way to add specific designs and shapes to your colored tee.

What is Bleach Tie Dyeing?

The basic wrapping and tying techniques are the same as traditional tie dye or shibori, however you don’t need any special dyeing kits or even RIT dyes.

Instead, all you need is a colored t shirt, hoodie or bedsheet and some plain bleach, water and a spray bottle.

First, you will fold your t shirt to create your pattern. Then, instead of adding color, you will apply a bleach and water solution to take away the original color.

You would think the bleached areas of the garment always turn white, but that is not usually the case. It’s interesting to see the color left behind after the bleach has a chance to activate.

For instance, dark blue and black fabrics tend to leave a purple or red color which makes for a pretty cool effect.

How to Reverse Dye, Step by Step:

SAFETY FIRST! Since you will be using bleach, it is a good idea to do this dyeing outdoors. Bleach fumes are toxic and you really do not want to breathe them in.

Also, bleach is extremely hard on your skin so I recommend wearing rubber gloves to protect your hands.

Preparing Your Shirt

You can use any of the traditional tie dye folding techniques for this project including the spiral, bullseye, accordion fold, stripes or crumple method.

Here, I will show you how to do the spiral design but feel free to experiment with other techniques.

First, you will want to thoroughly cover your table with plastic. Remember, bleach will stain or remove the color from anything it touches so make sure you also wear old clothes.

Next, lay your shirt flat on the table, straightening and smoothing out any wrinkles.

If you are using the spiral technique, you need to decide where you want the center of the spiral to be. (It does not have to be in the middle of the shirt).

Now, grab and pinch that spot of the shirt (front and back) and slowly start turning your hand to create a spiral.

Take your time with this, adjusting the folds to keep the fabric neat. Try and keep the folds together as tightly as possible as this will make a neater dye pattern.

In normal tie dyeing, you would now secure your folded shirt with several rubber bands. Since you won’t be moving your shirt around, you can skip this part.

If, however, you want to flip it over to bleach the other side, you may want to secure it. Keep in mind, the rubber bands will block the bleach spray and therefore change the final design.

Applying the Bleach

Begin by adding 3/4 cup water and 1/4 cup bleach to your spray bottle. Gently shake to mix well.

Before you begin spraying your shirt, you may want to test the spray of your bottle in a sink or outside. You want your bottle on the ‘spray’ setting, not ‘stream’, otherwise you end up with lines.

Once you have the spray adjusted, carefully start spraying the top part of the folded shirt with the bleach solution. Make sure you cover the whole top part of the shirt.

Rinsing your T Shirt

Finally, once you’re happy with the bleached out parts of your shirt, rinse it thoroughly with cold water and then wash it in your washing machine.

Don’t wait on this or the bleach will eat through the fabric of your shirt!

That’s all there is to it! The entire process takes only about an hour which is way quicker than traditional tie dyeing.

Now that you know how to tie dye with bleach, have some fun with this technique!

Make up your own patterns and folds and try a variety of different colored t shirts.

Bleach Tie Dye Patterns

As I said, you can use this reverse dyeing technique with any pattern, including all of the traditional tie dye patterns such as: Spiral, Crumpled, Accordion Fold, Bull’s Eye, Shapes (heart, guitar, etc.) and Flag fold.

You can also do random folds and swirls which gives your fabric a more organic look. Also, any Shibori dye method will work including pole dyeing, arashi, kumo and more.

Regardless of which tie dye pattern you choose, each shirt will be completely unique and creative!

For more ideas on how to tie dye with bleach, check out my Bleach Tie Dye Patterns and this article.

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Reverse Tie Dye with Bleach (Step by step Guide)