When the idea of bleaching a T-shirt comes up, many folks think of tie-dye designs. The shirt is twisted and then tied in knots, both large and small. The crafter then dunks the shirt into a bucket or bathtub of water and bleach, usually a 50/50 solution, until the effects begin to occur. The bleach turns the color of the exposed shirt areas, while those in the knots stay protected and remain colored. The shirt then gets pulled out, un-knotted and rinsed with running tap water. The result creates circular, flowery patterns across the T-shirt. The same process can also be used with various color dyes -- ergo the name, tie dye.
Similar to a stencil for spray painting, crafting a stencil for shirt-bleaching works by forcing exposure to occur in pre-determined shapes. The crafter first finds a thick paper or plastic material and carves the stencil into it. This may be a pattern or a shape, or it may be words. Once the stencil is finished, the crafter then lays the stencil onto a shirt. A diluted mixture of bleach and water are brushed onto to the shirt through the stencil, with a small applicator or brush. This protects the rest of the shirt while the exposed part lightens as the bleach lightens it. To stop the process, the crafter then washes the shirt quickly. Leaving the bleach on will eventually eat the shirt and create holes in the bleached garment.
Applying stripes works the same way as stenciling, but more care is involved with this method. The crafter needs to use tape or cardboard to block out the bleach from non-targeted areas of the T-shirt, (which can be difficult to do with fabric), while still trying to create straight lines. However, with a bit of patience, the effect can be seen in a few minutes when enough stripes are created across the shirt. The shirt should be rinsed with water immediately.
A splatter approach to applying bleach on a shirt works a bit differently than stencils or stripes. The two previous methods required planning and design, but the splatter choice involves a bit of chaos. Instead of worrying about blocking out areas of the shirt, the crafter simply dips the applicator in a solution of bleach, and then flings it at the shirt. The effect creates spotty stains across the shirt in different directions, depending on the angle of the fling. Once the bleach spots set in, washing the shirt cleans off the excess bleach.
By whichever method you choose to bleach a T-shirt, wearing gloves will protect your skin. Bleach uses powerful, corrosive chemicals, and if left on your skin, they can cause skin irritation. Plastic gloves prevent this effect from occurring. Additionally, if you’re using the splatter effect, wear goggles to protect your eyes, and wear an apron to protect your clothes, as well. Flinging an applicator forward also has an unexpected return motion, which can create small droplets of the bleach and water solution coming back in your direction.