Dying fabric can be a great way to get the look that you want.
However, dying your fabric is not always an exact science, and you need to have an idea of what to expect before you start dying your fabric.
What color can I expect when dyeing?
All dyes and fabrics will have a slightly different outcome, so it is important to know that you might be looking at a variety of results. Blue, for example, will turn different shades of red or pink if you bleach them. The length of time, fabric material, and color will affect the outcome.
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However, the color depends on the material.
Check this article if you’re looking to dye polyester with fabric dye.
Bleaching your Fabric:
One great way to change the color of your fabric is by bleaching it.
Depending on what color fabric you are working with, you can bleach it to get a wide variety of outcomes.
Another way to take your fabric to the next level is by bleaching your fabric in different designs to get them a different look.
Bleaching can be a tricky process, so I have included some examples of what to expect when you bleach your fabric.
1. What Color Does BLUE Turn when Bleached?
Generally, when you are working with blue, you could get a variety of results.
What you get when you bleach blue mainly depends on what color blue you start with.
Darker blues, such as royal blue, will either turn a red or pink color depending on how dark they start, the fabric, and how long you leave the bleach on.
If you have a lighter blue color, you will get a lighter off-white or white color.
2. What Color Does GREY Turn when Bleached?
When working with grey fabric, you will likely get a pink color if you choose to bleach it.
Like blue clothes, you can also get grey clothes to turn white when bleached if they are light enough.
3. What Color Does PINK Turn when Bleached?
Pink clothes can turn white when bleached.
This is also a great way to turn originally white clothes that turned pink back to white.
4. What Color Does RED Turn when Bleached?
If you have ever painted, you know that adding white to red makes pink and bleach similar.
Bleaching your red clothes will likely turn them pink.
Depending on what fabric you are bleaching, or how long you keep the bleach on, you might also get white.
5. What Color Does BLACK Turn when Bleached?
Black clothing will not turn grey when bleached despite what most people think.
Normally, when you bleach black clothing, you will get a red or orange color.
Which one depends on the article of clothing and what type of dye was used on it in the first place.
6. What Color Does YELLOW Turn when Bleached?
White clothes can turn yellow over time with use and can be bleached to turn back to white.
Similarly, yellow clothes are also likely to turn white or off-white after they have been breached.
7. What Color Does GREEN Turn when Bleached?
Green clothes have a few options that they can turn to.
Like most colors, a green shirt can turn white when bleached.
Another potential option for green clothing to turn when bleached is light yellowish green.
8. What Color Does PURPLE Turn when Bleached?
Like red, purple is likely to turn pink no matter what type of purple you are bleaching.
9. What Color Does ORANGE Turn when Bleached?
Orange, when bleached, will almost always turn a lighter shade of orange.
It is also possible that the lighter orange color will look yellow after being bleached.
10. What Color Does BROWN Turn when Bleached?
Brown behaves in a very similar manner to grey.
When bleached, a brown fabric is likely to turn pink.
Many fabric turns pink when dyed because they react with the chemicals in the dyes that turn pink, even if the original color doesn’t resemble pink.
11. What Color Does BEIGE Turn when Bleached?
Beige is a lighter version of brown and can turn a few different types of color.
Beige can either turn pink like brown, off-white, or white.
12. What Color Does WHITE Turn When Bleached?
White should stay white when bleached.
The only benefit of bleaching a white fabric is that it will freshen up the item and look newer and cleaner after a lot of use.
Most people wait until their white clothing becomes discolored and yellowing before they bleach it.
This will take the yellow coloring out of the item and give it a whiter look.
How Long Should you Keep the Fabric in Bleach?
Bleaching fabric is a delicate process.
Bleach is a very harsh chemical that will change your fabric’s color but can also ruin your clothes if left on too long.
Before you bleach your fabric, you might want to do a test strip. This will help give you a better idea of what color your fabric will turn and let you know how your fabric will take to the bleach itself.
Make sure that you prepare your bleach before you use it. The main thing that you need to do is dilute it.
Normally, you will want to use 1/4 of a cup of bleach per gallon of water. If you do not dilute your bleach, you will ruin your clothing, and the fabric will begin to break down.
When it comes time to bleach your fabric, you will really want to make sure you do not leave your fabric in the bleach for too long.
Make sure you read the directions on the bleach you are using, but if you do not have clear instructions, you will usually want to make sure that you do not bleach your fabric for more than 5 to 10 minutes.
If you are worried about your clothes’ integrity, you can also use an “all-fabric” bleach, which is generally gentler and more forgiving on your fabric and will be less damaging than other options.
Are There any Colors you Should Not Bleach?
There is not really a specific color that you should not bleach.
But that doesn’t mean that you can bleach anything.
When it comes to what not to bleach, you should really look at is fabric type or how it was originally bleached instead of what color it happens to be.
Some fabrics that you can use bleach on include cotton, acrylic, nylon, polyester, or cotton/poly blends.
However, it would be best if you didn’t bleach the following:
- Wool
- Silk
- Mohair
- Spandex
- Leather
In addition to certain fabrics that you shouldn’t bleach, you also shouldn’t bleach your fabrics if it is a “non-fast color.”
This means that This means any colored items that might have been discolored by a diluted solution of sodium hypochlorite bleach.
Make sure that before you bleach your fabric, you know what you are working with, you have an idea of what color you are hoping for, and test your fabric to determine what will happen when you apply bleach to your fabric.