How to Reverse Tie Dye a Sweatshirt with Bleach

I’m not sure if you’ve heard, but tie-dye is cool again! So, I decided to reverse tie dye a sweatshirt with bleach to get in on the trend. In this post you will find a step by step tutorial on how I bleached my sweatshirt.

Tie dyeing traditionally is done with a white shirt and then you add color to it. However, when you use bleach you are actually taking color away, this is why it’s called reverse tie dyeing.

Tie dyeing is an easy DIY project because it doesn’t have to be perfect!

Creating this look is also really inexpensive. Sure you can buy a $50 tie dyed sweatshirt, or you can make your own from a Goodwill sweatshirt, which is what I did! I spent all of $3.99 on this sweatshirt.

Green bleached reverse tie dye sweatshirt from Goodwill

Materials Needed

To create this look, you will need the following items:

I selected a dark green sweatshirt to dye from Goodwill. Of course, you can always dye a t-shirt as well following these same instructions.

In general, a darker color will have more of a dramatic effect once bleached. Also, something to note is that bleaching something does not necessarily mean it will turn white. The colors can vary based on the colors in the original dyeing process. For example, I saw online that someone else bleached a black shirt and it turned orange.

If you don’t have time to scour a Goodwill store you can also find inexpensive sweatshirts at Walmart. This one is currently $7.50. Or check out this one from Amazon for $7.99. And if you want to create some matching sweatpants, you can find these at Amazon or these at Walmart.

Steps to Reverse Tie Dye a Sweashirt

This is my first attempt at creating a video! It’s vertical since I created it with the intent to share it on IGTV.

Step One: Wash your shirt

Throw your shirt in the washing machine or get it wet in the sink.

Step Two: Fold Your Shirt

I folded my sweatshirt vertically and in an accordion style. The easiest way to explain this is in the video.

You don’t have to fold your shirt this way, there are a variety of techniques when it comes to folding a shirt to be dyed. However, this technique is how I thought I would achieve the look I wanted.

Step 3: Secure Rubber Bands

Once the shirt is folded, tightly secure rubber bands on it. I placed them three inches apart.

Step 4: Create the Bleach Solution

I was a little scared to pour straight bleach onto the shirt, so I took my squeeze bottle and filled it with half water and half bleach. Be sure to wear rubber gloves when handling the bleach!

By using the squeeze bottle, you will have more control when applying the bleach.

Step 5: Start Bleaching

Move your shirt to the bathtub or shower to begin the bleaching process. Squeeze the bleach mixture over the shirt. Flip the shirt over to apply to the back as well.

After a couple minute you should be able to see some color change. Don’t leave the bleach on for more than 20 minutes because it can eat through the fabric.

Step 6: Rinse, Wash and Dry

Cut the rubber bands off and rinse the sweatshirt. Once you’ve rinsed it throw it in the washer (alone) and then the dryer.

The color will be much more pronounced once it’s dry!

Tutorial on how to reverse tie dye a sweatshirt. Also known as bleach tie dyeing

I loved the results of my new sweatshirt! This is such a fun way to give some extra life to an article of clothing that would otherwise be pretty boring. I also bought a long-sleeve t-shirt that I still want to bleach.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this post about how to reverse tie dye a sweatshirt!

Thanks for reading!

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