Blogger / 28 September, 2022 / Nanny Anita

How to Make a Bleached T-Shirt

I had really wanted to have this bleached t-shirt activity posted during the summer holidays, but due to a few setbacks I haven’t been able to get it done until now.  The main problem was trying to figure out the best bleach to use to do this.  Most things I had read on this said to use Clorox.  However, Clorox isn’t readily available in the UK, and the Domestos equivalent isn’t ideal.  I mean I didn’t really want to use toilet cleaner with small children.  After speaking to the fountain of knowledge i.e., my mum, I settled with using Milton.  Milton isn’t really a bleach, it is used for sterilising baby bottles, so it is very gentle, but it will definitely bleach clothes if you get it on them.

Make sure you follow my crafts for older kids and teens board on Pinterest for more ideas.  Don’t forget to save the pin for later.

To make your own bleached t-shirt you will need:

• Milton
• Paintbrush
• Pencil
• Something to protect your surfaces
• Cardboard
• T-shirt (not white)
• Damp cloth
• Tape (optional)
• Spray bottle (optional)
• Apron

Before you start, you will need to cut out some cardboard to put inside your t-shirt.  This is so you don’t bleach the back when you are working on the front of the t-shirt.

You can either totally free style your shirt, draw an outline on in pencil, or use tape to create your negative space.  BB and YC went for drawing the design on in pencil, whereas EC went with tape.

I highly recommend using an apron to cover your clothes as you probably won’t want to bleach them as well.

When you are ready, paint or use a spray bottle to make your design.  You can use a damp cloth to sponge over your bleach when it reaches the desired effect.  It also helps it from totally destroying the fibres of the t-shirt (although that shouldn’t be a huge problem if you are using Milton).

When it is all finished, rinse the t-shirt in cold water before putting it through the wash.

Just as a note, please be super careful when disposing of any bleach that you have used.  It can, when mixed with other cleaning products, cause chlorine gas (again this shouldn’t be an issue with Milton, but please still exercise caution).

If you enjoyed making a bleached t-shirt with your little ones, be sure to check out my wax crayon t-shirts and polymer clay bracelets.

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