How to lighten jeans at home: effective ways to whiten denim

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Author of the article

Svetlana Pavlikhina

Reading time: 7 minutes

How to lighten jeans? This question may be of interest to fashionistas and fashionistas who have decided to update their wardrobe. Methods of lightening clothes that have served for many years will help you achieve interesting effects and create something original.

Why lighten jeans

The reason lies in fashion trends, because light jeans are a constant classic. It is believed that plain trousers look simple and strict.

To achieve the effect of volume, to give them a “zest”, local lightening is often done.

You can lighten jeans at home, but in a factory setting this procedure is performed in the desired areas using a special apparatus that treats the product with a jet of sand.

Special bleaching products are also used..

For girls who want to look slim, this life hack will come in handy. A partially bleached product visually makes the legs longer.

It is worth paying attention to the fact that a dark-colored item will not become completely white, but only a few tones will change.

So, jeans are lightened in order to:

update your wardrobe;
give new life to an old thing;
buy a new product for little money;
make an original design;
look fashionable;
visually become slimmer in new trousers.

For the lightening procedure, denim clothes that have a light blue tint are ideal.

How to make a pattern on jeans with white

If simply changing the color of denim trousers is not enough, you can try patterned, stained bleaching on the fabric to get an extraordinary and unusual design.

The easiest way to make an original small pattern on denim is to leave clothespins on the fabric before immersing the item in boiling water.

Recommended reading: How to remove rust from white clothes

To bleach the fabric with stripes, the jeans must first be twisted and tied with lace to secure them.

To achieve a clearer pattern, jeans are processed by hand. White is applied to the sponge and they begin to “draw” a pattern on the fabric. To obtain an even pattern, you should use stencil cutouts of various figures.

You can put white in a spray bottle and spray it on your jeans - then you will get uniform drop-shaped stains.

The gradient is made in a similar way - using a sponge, white is applied to a section of fabric. And after the material has been bleached, the product is washed off.

Features of lightening denim

Jeans is a durable, dense fabric with which you can perform many different manipulations: make artificial abrasions, holes, dye. You can also bleach it at home.

There are ways that help you change your favorite product.

The main condition for successfully completed stages is the correct selection of products that create a whitening effect.

The peculiarity of the process is that you can get a new item almost for free, because in the store bleached jeans are more expensive than plain models.

Bleaching also helps hide the stain once it was created.

However, before you decide to bleach your jeans, you must remember that this disrupts the structure of the fabric, reducing the service life of the item. Such a result sometimes does not depend on the means used.

Special cases

When you want something new and completely bleaching isn't an option, you can use a few tricks to give your old jeans a new, unique look.

Extraordinary design

The gradient looks impressive and unusual on jeans, i.e. a smooth transition of color from dark to light from top to bottom or vice versa.

To do this, you need to use bleach solutions of different concentrations. Apply them using a dampened sponge as intended.

Important!

Wear gloves to avoid damaging your skin.

Scuffs

To lighten denim and give it a distressed effect, you can use sandpaper, pumice or a piece of brick.

Simply rub one of the suggested materials onto the jeans in the desired areas. But use this method only on thick fabric.

Small tricks will help you create a custom design yourself:

Stars

To obtain them, leave the clips on the fabric before boiling using wooden clothespins. When exposed to high temperatures, colored plastic may fade and leave streaks on the product.

Stripes

Thick stripes will be obtained when the item is twisted strongly, thin stripes - when twisted weakly. Secure folded jeans with white or beige rope.

Drawing from a template

Simple but interesting drawings can be made using citric acid. Having selected a stencil, apply it to the fabric and paint it with a brush dipped in lemon solution.

Note!
Place thick fabric or cardboard in the pant leg to prevent the design from being printed on the back side.

An interesting result can be obtained using a sprayer. Pour the solution into the spray bottle and treat the desired areas.

You can lighten the item in parts. For example, lighten the waistband and top of one leg and the bottom of the other, or just one half.

To do this, boil only the desired area of the product; the rest of the surface should be outside the container and remain dry throughout the entire process.

The best results can be achieved by boiling jeans in the classic color of light blue or light blue. Only blue pants can make white jeans. In other cases, only an approximate result can be achieved.

Stretch and overly thin products are not suitable for boiling.

Don't bleach colored jeans. It is unknown how the pigments and dyes contained in the fabric will react to the treatment. But if the desire is irresistible, try treating a small, inconspicuous area first and evaluate the result.

Another interesting way to whiten jeans by creating an original pattern in the video:

Many fashionistas are interested in the question: “ How to lighten jeans?

“
—and
this is not surprising.
Although nowadays there are a huge number of different models of jeans, the originals never sleep! Everyone wants to look unusual and unforgettable, and when you have three pairs of denim trousers almost indistinguishable from each other in your closet ,
you can’t be very original.
We have to come up with something new. A good solution is to lighten denim trousers at home.
You won’t spend extra money, but you will be able to transform your clothes and give them originality. You can read recommendations on how to evenly lighten jeans in our article.

Means used

For whitening without cooking, various natural and chemical preparations are used. Before you start, you need to test the method on a small piece of denim. This will help prevent the item from being damaged in the future .

Hydrogen peroxide in the form of a solution

Sold in pharmacies and safely lightens fabric by two to three tones. Take 5 tbsp. 3% solution, add it to 10 liters of water, soak the jeans for half an hour.

To lighten the item evenly, you need to stir the contents every five minutes, squeezing the fabric a little.

Soda

Denim can be easily lightened with baking soda. This method is safe for both human health and the product. Dark trousers will become lighter if washed in a solution. It is prepared as follows: mix baking soda (100 g) and washing powder (80 g), pour hot water (+70 ⁰C).

The jeans are turned inside out, placed in liquid, and left for an hour and a half. Then squeeze, rinse, and dry in the fresh air. This procedure can be done several times.

Domestos

This is a chemical product that is not used for cleaning or bleaching things. It is not advisable to lighten jeans with Domestos, but it is still possible with minimal harm. To do this, mix the detergent with water (3 liters) and stir thoroughly.

Immerse the item in the resulting solution. It is important to monitor the process, and when the desired effect occurs, remove the pants from the solution. After the procedure, jeans must be washed and rinsed in clean water several times.

White

Whiteness is used in the same way as Domestos. However, there is another method. The trousers are pre-rolled to create a pattern.

If you simply squeeze them carefully, the streaks from the product will be vertical, and if you use clamps, then they will be horizontal.

Pour one glass of Whiteness into hot water, boil the liquid, stirring. Pants are placed in the solution. You need to keep it on fire for a while depending on what color you want to get.

If boiled for a long time, the pants will be almost white, even if their original color was dark.

Lemon acid

This is a natural and harmless remedy with which it is possible to achieve lightening without destroying the fiber structure.

Take 10 tsp. acids, add the product to warm water (1 bucket), stir. Pants are immersed in the solution for five hours, rinsed and dried.

Lemon juice is successfully used instead of acid (also take 10 tbsp).

Soda

How to whiten jeans, in addition to what is listed above? Of course, using a soda solution. This is the most budget option for decorating pants. For bleaching liquid, you need to mix a powdered synthetic detergent in a volume of 100 g. with 120 g of soda and fill it all with heated water. When the contents become homogeneous and the water has cooled, the product turned inside out is placed in a container with dissolved soda for an hour and a half. After jeans have been bleached, they should be rinsed, but not thoroughly washed. The result will not be too obvious, so the procedure is repeated every time the product is washed, which will make the pants lighter and lighter.

To whiten jeans, there is another simple way using synthetic products that help in cleaning bathrooms, toilets and sinks. It is enough to take 100 ml of a detergent, such as toilet duck or Domestos, mix it in 3 liters of water and immerse the jeans indefinitely. It is necessary to monitor the degree of exposure of the solution; when the discoloration approaches the desired result, the pants are removed from the water and washed thoroughly in warm water.

It is worth listening to some recommendations to obtain a more satisfying effect:

In order for the product to be partially processed, you should use a sponge soaked in a brightening solution. After the necessary areas on the jeans have been treated, do not touch the pants for 5 minutes. This method will allow you to achieve unusual effects when you need to bleach one pant leg or those areas that can later be treated with a grater and pumice stone to wipe out small holes.
In addition to all the products described, there are kits that can be purchased at a specialized fabric and scrapbooking store. But purchasing such chemicals is not a budget option; in this case, it is easier to buy a ready-made product.

You should not deny yourself the pleasure of experimenting with your own appearance, especially when the issue concerns old clothes. And even if you can’t find the right jeans in the store, you can create an ultra-modern look by transforming what you recently purchased. The main thing is to remember safety precautions and perform all actions in a well-ventilated area.

How to bleach a product in a washing machine

It is as safe as possible to bleach the product in the washing machine. To do this, you need to select a delicate cycle or wash denim.

Add citric acid tablets to the powder - 10 pcs. (they are pre-crushed).

The jeans are turned inside out and placed in the drum. Wash for forty minutes or an hour.

You can also whiten a piece of jeans several shades in an automatic washing machine with hydrogen peroxide.

Peroxide tablets (Hydroperit) in crushed form are added to the powder.
It is better to take a powder with a whitening effect.
Wash the product for half an hour.
Dry outdoors.

The water temperature during washing should be +40…+50 ⁰С. Baking soda (2 tbsp) is added to the drum. When washing white jeans, mix 2 tbsp with the powder. peroxide.

How to lighten ombre jeans at home

To create an ombre effect on jeans yourself, regular white is best. To do this, you will need chlorine bleach itself, water, a plastic container or a spray bottle. Rubber gloves will ensure the safety of your hand skin when working with the product. There are several ways to carry out this procedure:

method 1:

Pour 1 part white and 2 parts water into a container.
Immerse in the solution the part of the jeans that you would like to lighten (for example, to the knees or to the crotch level).
Leave for 1-1.5 hours and rinse at least 2 times.
After lightening, it is important to wash the item at a temperature not lower than 60ºС.

method 2:

Place the jeans vertically, hanging them on a rope.
Fill a spray bottle with white and water (1:2) and evenly spray the part of the product to be clarified.
Evaluate the resulting color when rinsing.
To create a double ombre, spray the desired part of the jeans with undiluted white.
Treat seams and buttons with a cotton swab dipped in active liquid for an “aging” effect.
Upon completion, washing at 60ºС and intensive rinsing is required.

Features of lightening depending on the color of the fabric

You can lighten things with bleach, which contains sodium hydrochloride. It is added to the water depending on what result is required; the dosage is also affected by the color of the fabric being bleached.

Black jeans

It is difficult to lighten black pants, and there is no way to make them snow-white. However, you can achieve an off-white hue by boiling it.

For whitening you will need:

Whiteness – 200 ml;
7 liters of water;
iron bucket;
stirring stick;
gloves.

Whiteness is added to a bucket of water and brought to a boil, then the jeans are slowly lowered, which must be held with a stick so that they do not float up.

Cook for ten minutes, stirring constantly to avoid streaks. When the fabric becomes lighter, take it out, rinse, and dry.

Blue

Blue trousers, especially if they fade a little when washed, lend themselves well to bleaching three tones.

Washing with chlorine detergent works great. To do this, add 100 ml of Whiteness to 10 liters of water, soak the item in the solution for three hours, and then wash it using the usual method.

White

Such jeans do not require total bleaching, but it is necessary to return them to their original whiteness, remove yellow spots and other contaminants. Baking soda will do the job.

It must be mixed in a 1:1 ratio with washing powder, add the mixture to hot water, soak the item for two hours, then wash. The procedure is repeated if necessary.

What exactly to use to whiten jeans

To whiten jeans, there are many lightening agents - chemical and natural. To achieve the best results, it is worth studying the solutions and ingredients by testing them on an area of the product that is less noticeable.

White

You can make jeans white as quickly as possible by using white as a brightener, which is sold at a hardware store. The main advantage of this product is the unlimited decoration possibilities. You can bleach your pants and display patterns and elaborate designs on the fabric.

Before you start working, you need to properly dilute the liquid; for this you will need to prepare:

bucket, preferably metal;
clips, clothespins, elastic bands and ropes;
high-density rubber gloves.

Complete lightening of the pants

After preparing the equipment, you should begin the process itself, using jeans and whiteness.

To begin with, dilute bleach in a bucket filled 2/3 of the volume with water.
The resulting consistency is brought to a boil.
Jeans are immersed in hot water until they are evenly covered with the solution.
It is necessary to boil the jeans for 5 – 20 minutes, depending on the required degree of exposure.
After the time has passed, the pants are thoroughly washed under cold water, washed and dried.

Important

Leaving denim fabric in a chlorine solution for a long time will lead to complete destruction of the product. Therefore, under no circumstances should you violate the time frame.

Drawings and patterns

To create uneven white spots on jeans, repeat the above steps, only by hooking the necessary areas with clothespins or elastic bands.

And, for complex divorces, other methods are used:

vertical lines lighten when the product is rolled;
horizontal lines are obtained when assembling according to the “accordion” type.

Important

It is important that if the pants float to the surface during boiling, press them down with a stick or other object. To obtain an artistic design on jeans, thick cardboard is placed inside the pants and a small amount of bleach is measured into a specially designated container. Using a brush or other similar object, the intended design is applied to the fabric, after dipping the drawing device into the prepared liquid

To obtain an artistic design on jeans, thick cardboard is placed inside the pants and a small amount of bleach is measured into a specially designated container. Using a brush or other similar object, the intended design is applied to the fabric, after dipping the drawing device into the prepared liquid.

To make drawing on a denim product easier, you can pay attention to the following points:

Use special stencils - cut out shapes in the form of stars, hearts, circles and others on film or thick cardboard, then evenly distribute the bleaching liquid with a sponge.
Paper substrates for cakes and pastries are suitable for stenciling.
A long stick leaves uniform streaks if first soaked in bleach.
If you put the prepared solution into a spray bottle or moisten a brush with the liquid, you get an interesting splash effect left by the bleach.

After applying the required design to the product, the jeans are rinsed in cold water and then washed in the usual way.

Gradient

For gradient whitening of jeans, a suitable method is to soak the fabric in a whitening solution. This bleaching option is good because the result is obtained without boiling. Take a container with a diluted solution of whiteness, into which the part of the pants necessary to obtain changes in color is immersed.

The area that remains untouched is on the surface

It is important that the product is wet, this will allow the gradient pattern to be evenly distributed. The position of the jeans should prevent the formation of folds and folds

Slight brightening effect

Is it possible to bleach jeans without boiling? Yes, but the lightening will not be strong, but the density of the material will remain.

Boiling thins the fabric, which affects the service life of the product and artificially ages it.

Light discoloration can be achieved using hydrogen peroxide, baking soda, and lemon juice.

Old trousers are partially lightened by applying bleach with a brush or sponge. A soda solution is poured onto the desired areas if you want to create a “spilled” effect.

For soft transitions, the item is gradually removed from the concentrated bleach solution.

Universal ways to remove traces

The most common stains on denim are grease stains from eating and drinking. There are many homemade and industrial products that will not leave a trace of the problem. The choice depends on the situation and preferences of the hostess.

How to remove using folk remedies?

The stain should be removed immediately; there may not be time to go shopping to buy special household chemicals. Homemade recipes are less expensive and consist of ingredients that are always on hand.

Salt

Experienced housewives know that a natural absorbent - table salt crystals - will help deal with most stains on fabrics.

It must be poured onto the surface , allowed to work, and then shaken off the fabric.

The product must be washed after processing. To achieve a flawless result, you can add a stain remover to the powder.

Table salt works well on fresh stains from grease, wine, and other liquids.

Laundry soap

A panacea for many types of pollution. The algorithm of use is almost always the same. You can soak a bar in water, soap the area of fabric with the stain, leave it for a while, and then rinse thoroughly.

Some housewives believe that the product works more effectively in the form of a paste. The soap must be grated, add a little water, and treat the stain with the mixture.

To avoid the formation of stains on the fabric, the product must be washed. Pay special attention to rinsing to rid the fibers of the soap solution.

Potato starch

An effective remedy that can be found in the arsenal of every housewife. 15 g of starch must be diluted with a small amount of water until a paste forms, applied to the stain and wait until the mixture dries.

Shake off the product, remove any residue with a brush and put it in the washing machine. Starch can be seen in raw potatoes, grated.

How to clean using household chemicals?

Leading manufacturers of household chemicals offer products for removing stains from fabrics with different compositions and spectrum of action.

Popular release forms:

Housewives invariably trust:

Antipyatin Lemon solid soap

A product based on natural bile enzymes . Effectively removes fresh and old protein and organic stains and breaks down fat molecules even in cold water. Does not cause allergic reactions, suitable for children's things. Price 40 rubles per 90 g. Read reviews here, here and here.

Vanish Gold Oxy Action

Concentrated oxygen powder based on surfactants. The product is universal for all types and colors of fabric, does not contain chlorine. Removes difficult stains, used for pre-treatment, soaking and washing. Price 600 rubles per 500 g. Read reviews here, here and here.

Bagi stain remover spray 100 types of stains

A liquid surfactant-based product with enzymes removes stains of varying complexity from any type of fabric, including delicate ones. Price 400 rubles per 400 ml. Read reviews here, here and here.

No matter what marketers promise customers, there are no universal stain removers. Choosing a product for treating denim should take into account:

The effect of lightened stains

To lighten the material partially and with stains, before bleaching, you need to apply the selected product, for example, Whiteness, to the desired areas with a sponge, then soak the product in a solution of water and Whiteness for five minutes.

You can make streaks with a brush, painting on the fabric with bleach. For the procedure you will need clamps and elastic bands.

Procedure:

Fill a container (10 l) with water up to half and boil.
After boiling, add Whiteness (1 cup), stirring.
Place the trousers in boiling water for fifteen minutes.
If after five minutes the jeans have not lightened, then add more Whiteness to the solution.
Afterwards, the jeans are taken out, washed in clean cold water, and dried.

The process is dangerous for the skin, so you need to wear rubber gloves.

How to brew properly

Washing jeans became popular in the second half of the eighties. Home-made jeans have become a cheap version of the expensive foreign original.

Nowadays such a thing is also in great demand, and it is not difficult to make. To boil jeans at home without much effort, you need to follow this procedure:

Fill a large iron container three-quarters full with water;
heat the water to a temperature of 80 degrees until steam begins to form and add a glass of bleach;
After mixing well, wait until it boils and lower the pre-rolled and secured jeans with elastic bands. It is best to use wooden tongs, as they may corrode the skin on your hands;
wait 15 minutes, stirring gently. Prolonged exposure of the product to chlorinated water can damage the fabric, so it is not recommended to boil the product for more than 20 minutes;
Place the jeans in a pre-prepared bowl of cold water and rinse well;
hang to dry in the fresh air.

At the end of the procedure, an unpleasant odor will be felt in the room for about a day, so constant ventilation is recommended.

The result after boiling will directly depend on the quality of the jeans fabric and the bleaching agent used. The advantage of this method is the ability to independently choose the degree of lightening of the product. If you don’t like the result the first time, you can try bleaching a second time for a lighter color. The process is quite complex, so before you start bleaching jeans, you should experiment on another product so as not to spoil an expensive item.

Everyone wants to look stylish and extraordinary without spending money on every fashion item. Old, boring jeans can be transformed with your own hands at home and the result will be the squeak of fashion.

Gentle whitening products

It is easy to bleach jeans or a jacket without harming the fabric if you choose the right product. For products made from stretch, twill and denim, cooking or soaking in chemicals (Domestos, Belizna) will do almost no harm.

If the material is of lower quality and dense, then gentle substances should be chosen.

Safe whitening procedures include those that contain the following components:

hydrogen peroxide;
baking soda;
lemon juice;
citric acid.

It is important to note that although they are safe, they give minimal results. You can achieve what you want only after several procedures, which are not carried out immediately, but after five to seven days.

For example, hydrogen peroxide will not help lighten a dark item, but it will help get rid of yellow stains on white jeans. To do this, take 6 liters of water and 6 tbsp. peroxide, mix, soak clothes in the solution for two hours. Then wash as usual.

Reasons for bleaching jeans

Jeans are the most popular item of clothing for both women and men. They go perfectly with regular T-shirts, formal jackets or blouses. Jeans are universal, but not everyone can afford to buy new ones every season. Made from durable fabrics, they are quite expensive, which is why many are looking for a way to update their appearance.

How not to spoil something

To prevent things from deteriorating, it is better to use natural products.

When aggressively bleaching, it is important to consider the color of the trouser threads . They are often not bleached and contrast with the rest of the product.

A great tip is to try bleaching your old jeans first.
It is best to evaluate the result of the bleaching procedure (i.e. color and shade) after drying. If they are not brightened enough, the process is repeated.
It is better to add aggressive bleach to a minimum.
When using Belizne and Domestos, you must use gloves and put a mask on your face.
Do not mix different bleaches as this can create toxic fumes.
If you feel unwell during the procedure due to a strong odor, you need to open the windows and leave the room.

It is better to dry jeans not in the house, but in the open air, to get rid of the unpleasant odor.

Safety

When working with aggressive bleaching agents, you first need to think about safety. To do this, follow a few rules:

First of all, you need to find a suitable place. A bath is perfect for the whitening procedure;
Protect your hands with rubber gloves; contact with chlorine on your skin can cause burns;
the bleaching room must be ventilated, otherwise there is a risk of poisoning from toxic fumes;
Avoid getting the product into your eyes; if this happens, rinse them well with running water;
If you get it in your throat, rinse it with boiled water;

Tips for quality lightening

A few tips to follow for better results:

Blue or indigo jeans are better suited to bleaching;
a gradient pattern can be achieved using a regular sponge;
patterns can be created with a solution of citric acid using a stencil;
To achieve a blurry effect, spraying a solution of varying degrees of concentration with a spray bottle in different places will help;
sandpaper can also be a way to whiten or create scuffs;
Jeans fabric becomes thinner and softer after treatment with bleaching agents;
achieve the desired result gradually, try not to overdo it with aggressive means.

When choosing a lightening method and carrying out the procedure, follow the instructions and be safe. Using the available tools that everyone has in their home, you can create an original thing, while spending a little time and saving money. Don't be afraid to experiment, you will definitely succeed!

Women's boiled jeans: how to “create” them and what to wear them with?

The “Iron Curtain” that separated the USSR from the West began to gradually lift during the years of perestroika. Fashion was one of the first to slip into the “scoop” hole. And now the elite of perestroika youth are showing off in printed denim clothes. It was almost impossible for an ordinary Soviet person to get such a new thing. But those whose relatives flew abroad on duty were the happy owners of light-colored American cowboy trousers.

Washed jeans are back in fashion! You'll be surprised how easy it is to cook them yourself.

The bulk of the people could not even dream of such a replenishment of their wardrobe, because trade in foreign things was called profiteering and was punishable according to the Criminal Code. Traders secretly “pushed” a new pro-American fashion to the people. But the astronomical cost of the pants remained an insurmountable barrier even for illegal purchases.