How to Lighten a Denim Jacket With Bleach

I decided to lighten a denim jacket with bleach to make it look more on trend with today’s style. Denim jackets have been a fall staple for years, but the color of the jackets have varied. You don’t have to go out and buy a new denim jacket, instead maybe you can bleach the one you already have in your closet. In this post you’ll find how I easily bleached a denim jacket that I got from Goodwill.

This post contains affiliate links, meaning I may earn a small commission if you were to purchase any of the items linked at no additional cost to you. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I’ve been collecting denim jackets because I’ve been inspired to do multiple DIY projects with them. I found this jacket at Goodwill, but the wash seemed to be more in line with the trend around 10 years ago. This particular jean jacket fit me well, but I didn’t love the wash, so I decided to bleach it.

Here is what the jacket looked like before a little DIY magic!

This jean jacket was really dark in some parts and really light in others. There was almost a graininess to the denim, which I didn’t love.

This project was so simple and it took less than two hours! Below you will find a video as well as step by step details on how you can easily bleach a jacket.

Video Tutorial: How to Lighten a Denim Jacket

I made a short video that will walk you through all the steps! My videos aren’t great, but I think it is helpful to actually watch the process.

How to Bleach a Denim Jacket

Below I have highlighted more detailed instructions.

Supplies

Here are all the supplies you will need:

• Denim jacket – either one you already have or one from a thrift store!
• Bleach
• Rubber Gloves
• Bucket

1. Fill the Bucket Half Way With Water

I decided to do this project in the bathroom. When dealing with bleach, you’ll want to be sure this is out of reach for pets and kiddos.

I put the 5 gallon bucket in the bathtub and filled it up halfway with water.

2. Pour in the Bleach

I then poured the bleach into the bucket, this way you will be working with diluted bleach. I only poured around 1/4 of the jug of bleach into the water.

3. Submerge the Jacket

Place the jacket in the bucket. Make sure the jacket is completely submerged, if any pieces are sticking out they will not get bleached.

4. Readjust the Jacket After 30 Minutes

Wait 30 minutes, and then check on the jacket. I took the jacket out and then placed it back in. I did this just to make sure that all of the jacket is able to get bleached.

The water/bleach solution will change color by this step. For me, it was a dark brown color.

5. Remove the Jacket and Rinse

After another 30 minutes, a total of one hour soaking, I removed the jacket from the bucket. You can then dump the bleach/water and rinse off the jacket in the shower. You won’t be able to tell what the results will be until the jacket is dry.

If you have a darker jacket than what I was working with, you can soak it for longer. I have read that some people have soaked their jacket for up to three hours, checking on it every 30 minutes.

6. Wash and Dry

The last step is to throw the jacket in the washer and dryer to get the full results!

Results of Bleaching the Jacket

I was pleasantly surprised to see how this method evened out the color of this jacket. The front pockets are still a litter darker than I like, but I am okay with it. I could have started the process over again if it really bothered me.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this tutorial on how to lighten a denim jacket with bleach! Be sure to check out these other DIY blog posts for more inspiration:

• How to Reverse Tie Dye a Sweatshirt
• Thrift Store Lamp Makeover
• DIY Pom Pom Dress
• DIY Pearl Hoop Earrings

Thanks for reading!

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