How to Fix a Black Shirt With Bleach on It
If you have ever spilled bleach on your favorite black shirt, then you know how difficult it is to remove the stain. Bleach can be very damaging, and it’s important that you do not try to fix it yourself. This article will provide a step-by-step process on how to fix a black shirt with bleach on it without damaging the fabric any further. First, you will need to fill a sink with cool water and add a cup of white vinegar. Submerge the black shirt in the water and let it soak for at least 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, remove the shirt from the water and rinse it thoroughly with cool water.
Materials Needed
- Clothes that are the same color as your shirt
- Liquid dish soap or a laundry detergent for whites
- White vinegar
- Salt
- A bucket or sink with tepid water
Instructions: How to Fix a Black Shirt With Bleach on It
Step One:
Start by grabbing any clothes that are the same color as your shirt. Cut them into strips about one inch wide and two inches long, so you have plenty of pieces for each section of the shirt. Once you’ve cut up the clothes, start knotting the strips together at one end. You should use about seven or eight strips for each section of the shirt.
Step Two:
Begin dabbing the strips of clothes on your shirt in a vertical motion. This will soak up any liquid from the bleach and help you remove it easier. Continue with your normal laundry procedure. Rinse, launder and dry your clothes as you normally would once the bleach is gone.
Step Three:
Fill a bucket or sink with tepid water to rinse off all of the black residues that may have gotten onto your clothes, as well as those that have been soaked up. Allow your clothing to air dry in a well-ventilated room, which will help to eliminate the vinegar smell. If you are not able to wash your clothing right away, place it in a bag or container until you can get to it.
Step Four:
Add a cup of liquid dish soap or laundry detergent for whites to the water and mix it in with your hand so that all the clothes get coated. Next, submerge each section of the shirt into this mixture and let them soak until you see bubbles coming out (about two minutes).
Step Five:
Remove the shirt from the water and place it on a towel before dabbing away any remaining bubbles.
Step Six:
Once you have removed the majority of the bubbles, it is time to rinse them off. Fill a sink with cold water and then submerge all sections one at a time for about four-five minutes each before removing from the water. Fill a bucket with a mixture of water and vinegar. The ratio should be about one cup of vinegar for every two gallons of water. Once again, submerge each section in the solution for four-five minutes.
Step Seven:
Now that your shirt has been washed, let air dry outside or use a dryer on a low setting.
Some Tips & Tricks
Here some simple yet effective tips that should be helpful for anyone looking to get bleach stains out of their clothes.
Tip One: Make sure you have a good washboard that is not too big to avoid getting your clothes stuck.
Tip Two: To keep dirt at bay, make sure the washing board has holes in it for water to go through.
Tip Three: If there are stains on your shirt before going into the bleach, try mixing a cup of white vinegar and a cup of laundry detergent before putting the shirt in for a wash.
Tip Four: To avoid getting your clothes stuck on the washboard, try wetting them down with water first to make sure that it is not too rough on clothing.
Tip Five: Make sure you have a good rinse to get the bleach off of your clothes.
Tip Six: Add some vinegar into your rinse water in order to remove any stains that were not removed by adding soap or detergent before washing.
How To Prevent Future Bleach Stain From Your Shirt
The problem is that bleach will continue to break down the fabric until it disappears. How, then, do you reclaim your shirt? To prevent future bleach stains from your shirt:
- Wash with a solution of one cup of white vinegar and two cups of water in the laundry detergent dispenser or use straight vinegar if using liquid soap for hand-washing
- Use a product containing enzymes; they help break down the impurities and remove some of the soil, like the Stain Release® with Advanced Enzyme Formula.
- Apply a prewash stain remover to the bleach stains and launder as usual.
- Hang your garment in direct sunlight for an hour or so after placing it into the washing machine. Sunlight will bleach away any residual stains left on your shirt.
- Place the garment on a towel, then press firmly to extract moisture until dry. Repeat as necessary.
- Remove any bleach residue by soaking the shirt in white vinegar overnight
- Lift the shirt from the bowl after it has soaked for ten minutes and wring out as much liquid as you can by hand.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can You Fix a Bleach Stain on a Black Shirt?
Yes, you can. How to Fix a Black Shirt With Bleach on It goes over everything you need to know about removing bleach stains from black shirts and other clothing items, including the best methods for pretreating clothes with products that will help them resist or remove future bleaching stains.
What Color Does a Black Shirt Turn When Bleached?
The color of a black shirt will depend on the type, brand, and level of bleach used. How to Fix Black Shirt With Bleach goes over all types and brands that may be bleached with household chemicals. The first thing you should do if bleach accidentally comes into contact with your black shirt is to rinse it thoroughly in cold water.
If the bleached area was small, then this will take care of it. However, if there are large bleach areas all over the shirt or an oily stain from where you put down fabric softener before putting clothes in the dryer, don’t worry because we have tips for those situations too!
How Often Do You Need to Wash Clothes After Bleaching?
It depends on how much bleach was used and the size of the load, but it’s best not to wait more than 24 hours. If you’re worried about an item getting dirty during that time period before washing, lay a clean towel on top of it.
Conclusion
If you are looking for a quick way to get your black shirt back and access bleach, here is what you need. Fill up an old plastic water bottle with the liquid of choice. Pour the solution over the stained area of your shirt and leave it in place for about 10 minutes before washing as usual.
This should do wonders! The clothes will be clean again without any traces that they were ever dirty at all! Just make sure not to use too much bleach because this could damage the fabric fibers on darker clothing items. If you still find that confusing, read this full blog on how to fix a black shirt with bleach on it, and we assure you that you will come out with something new.
You may read also: How To Distress A Shirt With Bleach
Nancy Behan
Nancy is an embroidery artist, fashion blogger and a full time editor at DIY quickly. Nancy edits the fashion section on DIY quickly, focusing on the embroidery and cross stitch articles, alongside with fabric and other costume design elements. She graduated from the University of Michigan with a Bachelor of Arts in Art History. She loves to work on her own projects, read books and watch romantic movies in her spare time.
