Bleach Tie Dye part 2 (General Hydroponics Shirt)

If you haven’t already, check out my first post on Bleach Tie Dye here .

I had so much fun doing bleach tie dye last time, I thought I’d do it again. This time I grabbed some shirts I had picked up at a Maximum Yield Magazine trade show

tie dye 001

For this batch, one of the shirts I selected was one from General Hydroponics (thank you GH). 100% cotton fabric works best, so check the label before you start.

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The shirts are folded and tied. Folds in and around the center of the chest tend to do well. The GH shirt I believe is in the lower right corner.

The ratio I use for bleach tie dye is 1 cup of bleach to 3 cups of water. The bleach can damage surfaces and skin, so use gloves and care when handling.

tie dye 013

Here you can see the dark blue has bleached out to reveal a maroon color. The change happens rapidly when it starts so do not leave unattended. Once the color has changed, rinse well with cool water, untie, and continue to rinse until the bleach has been removed.

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This is how the General Hydroponics shirt came out. I think it is much more interesting than a “stock” shirt, and is now a one of a kind.

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The above shirt was originally all black. I think it came out exceptionally well.

Especially for folks (like me) who are on a tight budget, a little beach tie dye can be a nice way to punch up your wardrobe. Just remember the process is not without risk, so the garment may wind up ruined, don’t risk what you can’t afford to lose.

I hope you have fun with it, and if you try it, please consider taking some photos of your results and posting them to the Grow with Grubbycup facebook page!

Peace, love and puka shells,

Grubbycup

 

Bleach Tie Dye – Subtractive Art

Tie Dye

With bleach tie dye, instead of adding colors in the form of dyes, the existing dye is removed with bleach. Warning: Only use 100% natural fibers, and there is a danger of damage to the garment. The process involves intentionally overapplying bleach to remove color from the shirt.

To start, gather together 100% cotton shirts, bleach, rubber bands, gloves, and a container to soak them in.

To get started, rinse the shirts, and squeeze to remove most of the water. Now that the shirts are damp, tie as you would for normal tie dying.

Twisting for tie dye

To make a spiral, lay the shirt flat, fold in half lengthwise, and start to twist, starting from the center.

Twisted for tie dye

Continue winding the shirt around the middle, keeping it flat and disk shaped.

tie dye

Secure with rubber bands.

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Other patterns can be made by tying in different places in different ways.

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Once the shirts are all tied. Put on the rubber gloves, and mix the bleach with water. Add 1 cup of bleach to 3 cups of water. Be careful with the bleach as it can damage surfaces or skin.

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Now for the tricky part. Soak the tied shirts in the diluted bleach until the color that is showing starts to fade, approximately 5 minutes. If it is removed to soon, the markings will be faint or non existent, if left too long, the bleach will start to weaken and damage the threads.

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Once the shirt has turned to a lighter color, rinse in clean water, untie, and rinse well in running water. Wash to finish.

Bleach Tie Dye

Bleach Tie Dye

Bleach tie dye

It is a fun and cheap activity, but be careful with the bleach, as it can damage carpets, clothes, and skin.

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