I know so many of us having been looking for little projects to do at home to keep us busy! One of the things I immediately added to my at-home to-do was DIY bleach dye! Over the weekend, my sister and I finally gave it a go. I was amazed at how simple, quick, and easy it was! And the best part is that you probably already have all of the supplies!

DIY Bleach Dye in 5 Quick Steps

Tie dye and bleach dye are very on-trend for spring and summer. And I love that it’s so easy to DIY! But the benefit of bleach dying is that you likely already have all of the supplies around your home! In total, it took us about 30 minutes to DIY bleach dye, and I was so happy with the results!

Step One: Assemble Your Supplies

The first thing you’ll need is an item to bleach dye! I chose a very beloved sweatshirt that had several stains on the front. As much as I tried, I couldn’t get them out. It also was saturated in color enough to make it the perfect item to bleach dye! If you want a higher contrast tie dye effect like mine, darker colors work best. My sister used a baby blue sweatshirt and ended up with a cloud-like finish. Both are pretty, but starting color does make a big difference with how visible the bleach dye turns out!

You’ll also need 3-4 oz of bleach, a spray bottle or squirt bottle, gloves, at least 4 rubber bands, and a well-ventilated area to work in! (We used our hall bathroom with the windows open!)

Step Two: Prep Your Bleach Dye Technique

There are so many bleach dye technique options, y’all! I spent quite a while looking at a variety of options online before settling on a classic spiral twist. The scrunch technique is also super simple!

To get a tight spiral, my sister used a fork in the center of my sweatshirt. She then twisted it slowly, gathering the outside of the sweatshirt and the sleeves into a big spiral!

Then we used rubber bands to secure it and keep it in place. We didn’t have a ton of rubber bands around, so I ended up using a mix of clear hair elastics and rubber bands. I spaced them out evenly and only ended up needing four. Depending on your technique, you may end up needing more!

Step Three: Mix Bleach + Apply

To make the bleach dye mix, I added 3 ounces of bleach and 3 ounces of water to a squirt bottle. Honestly, I probably could have gone with 4 ounces of both! I started running out when it came to the back of the sweatshirt. But I was happy with the end result! For items smaller than a sweatshirt, you could get away with less! Be sure to put on gloves before applying bleach!

I soaked the front of the sweatshirt and massaged it in. Then I flipped the sweatshirt over and applied the bleach to the back as well! I also tried to dip the sweatshirt in the bleach that remained at the bottom of the tub! Next time, I’ll be sure to close the tub drain until I’m done! I definitely lost some down the drain!

Step Four: Let Set

How long you let the bleach dye set really depends on your item and the effect that you want! I saw immediate results once I applied the bleach and could have rinsed it out within a couple of minutes! I’ve seen some tutorials recommend immediate rinsing, and some say that you can leave it on up to 30 minutes. I ended up leaving the bleach on for 10 minutes!

My top recommendation is simply to monitor the progress and rinse once you’re ready! Lighter garments may require more time. My sister’s sweatshirt sat for about 20 minutes! Darker ones can be rinsed much quicker! I wouldn’t suggest leaving the bleach on for too long, however, as to not damage the fabric!

Step Five: Rinse Thoroughly + Wash and Dry Separately!

Once the bleach dye has set for the amount of time you like, unwrap it and check out that masterpiece! I was honestly a little shocked at how bright it turned out! But after rinsing, I liked the result a lot more!

Rinse thoroughly until the water runs clear! Then wash and dry in the washing machine separately! You wouldn’t want any residual bleach or dye to get on other clothes!

The Finished Product!

Sweatshirt (TTS) | Leopard bike shorts (TTS) 

TADA! What do y’all think? I truly love how my sweatshirt turned out. It gave new life to an item that I wouldn’t have worn outside the house. And of course, I’m already looking for something else I can DIY bleach dye. ?

See me style this sweatshirt in my bike shorts outfit post!