Denim bleaching is a great way to customize your style, while saving money on the newest fashions. With just a few household materials, you can create an ombre, bleached or light denim look for your shorts or pants. Learn how to bleach shorts at home.
EditSteps
EditBuy Denim
- Find some denim shorts that fit you well. If you want to adjust the length, you should do it ahead of time.
- Alternatively, you can make shorts from jeans that fit well. Either cut them off at the appropriate length or cut and hem them.
- The darker the denim, the more dramatic your faded or ombre look can be. The ombre style is generally darker near the top and fading into a bleached white color at the bottom.
- Try on your shorts before you dye them. If you want an ombre look, draw a line with washable marker at the point you would like to start and stop the fading.
EditWork Station
- Find a small plastic tub with which to hold your bleach and water solution.
- Dying your shorts in a tub outside is preferable to dying them in the sink in the house. It is safer, with more ventilation and less chance of accidental contact with the skin.
- Place the plastic tub outside. Make sure it is not accessible to children or pets.
- Put on your rubber gloves. Fill the tub half full with a 1 to 1 solution of water and bleach.
- Add a few drops of laundry soap. This should stop yellowing in the bleached areas. Mix it with a gloved hand.
EditDying Shorts
- Clip your shorts onto a trouser hanger. You will be able to hook it to something to keep them from falling all the way in. You do not need a hanger if you plan to dip the entire pair of shorts in the bleach.
- Submerge the shorts completely in the bleach solution.
- If you are trying for an ombre dye pattern, submerge them 2/3 in the solution, then slowly pull them over the side of the tub over the course of your dying time.
- Keep them in the bleach for 2 to 12 hours. The length of time will depend upon how dark the denim was in the first place and how light you want them to be bleached.
- In order to bleach shorts bright, you will want to leave them in for approximately 8 to 12 hours.
- Check the shorts frequently. You should be able to notice the change in color and make adjustments.
EditRinsing and Finishing
- Pull the shorts out of the water. Rinse them in a laundry sink. Put them in the washing machine on a normal cycle.
- Dry them as usual.
- Consider dying your bleached jeans a different color. Buy fabric dye at the craft store.
- Mix the dye according to package instructions. Then, use your cleaned plastic tub to submerge your bleached shorts in the new color.
- Remove, rinse and wash.
EditTips
- Always use safety precautions when working with bleach. Protect your skin and eyes. Keep it away from children and pets.
EditWarnings
- Beware that using too much bleach in your solution will weaken the fabric. Pure bleach will eat away at the fabric, leaving holes.
EditThings You'll Need
- Denim shorts
- Bleach
- Rubber gloves
- Well-ventilated work area
- Plastic tub
- Fabric scissors
- Clothes pins
- Water
- Pant hanger
- Laundry soap
- Measuring cup
EditRelated wikiHows
- How to Bleach and Fray Shorts
- How to Make Dirty Denim Distressed Cut Off Shorts
- How to Bleach Jeans
- How to Streak Your Jeans With Bleach