Reverse Tie Dyeing with Bleach Tutorial

Tie Dyeing has always been one of my favorite summer projects… it’s the old hippie in me, I guess. My girls and I get together sometimes for an afternoon tie dye party which is lots of fun. Get out the tie dyes, t-shirts, white socks and don’t forget the wine.

This time I wanted to try Reverse Tie Dyeing with Bleach. Instead of using fabric dyes or RIT, all you need is a colored tee, some plain bleach and a spray bottle. The basic wrapping and tying technique is the same as with traditional tie dye. The only difference is that instead of adding color, you are removing it with the bleach.

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It’s interesting to see the color left behind after the bleach does its thing. Dark blue and black fabric tends to leave a purple or red color which makes for a pretty cool effect. This was a new technique for me, but I’m pretty happy with how the T-Shirts turned out.

Reverse Tie Dyeing with Bleach

Supplies:

– Colored T-Shirt
– Spray Bottle
– Bleach
– Water
– Vinyl Gloves (optional)

Since we’re using bleach, it’s a good idea to do this outside. You don’t want the fumes or drops of the bleach staining anything in the house.

Fold the Fabric

I decided to do the spiral design but feel free to experiment with other tie dye techniques such as accordion fold.

Cover your table with plastic. Lay out the shirt, straightening out any wrinkles. Now, decide where you want the center of the spiral to be. Grab 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.

Spray with Bleach Water

Add 3/4 cup water and 1/4 cup bleach to your spray bottle and gently shake. Spray the top part of the twisted up shirt with the bleach solution. Make sure you cover the whole thing.

Note: test the spray of your bottle in a sink or outside. You want a ‘spray’, not a ‘stream’.

Let the shirt sit for anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes, depending on the progress. Check it every few minutes to see how the reverse dye is working. Mine took about 20 minutes.

Rinse your Tee:

Once you’re happy with the bleached areas, wash your shirt (washer or sink) and hang to dry.

Related Fabric Dyeing Tutorials

How to Paint Tiger Stripes 
23 Tie Dye Ideas and Projects 
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How to Tie Dye a Heart Shape
Tie Dyed Cotton Long Johns
Decorating and Dyeing with a Bleach Pen