Don't throw out that bleach-stained shirt! This simple trick can save your wardrobe
- Replies 1
Clothing stains are unavoidable - they’re bound to happen, no matter how carefully we look after our garments!
And while there are some tried and tested methods to remove stains, unfortunately, one common agent is impossible to get out of fabric even with the best of efforts: bleach.
Bleach is an extreme decolourising agent that we need to use with caution, but sometimes accidents happen - and when they do, it’s likely that you’ll be saying goodbye to your beloved shirt...or will you?
While bleach stains are mostly irreversible, one clever mum has found a creative way to add a new design to her bleach-stained shirt.
'I spilled a drop of bleach on my T-shirt so I thought I would hide it with more bleach,’ she wrote in a post in the Kmart Home Decor & Hacks Australia Facebook group.
You read that right, folks! The woman then revealed that all she needed were some cotton buds, toilet bleach, and her imagination.
‘It did go through to the back so I just touched them up a little,’ she finished.
The mum also shared a photo of the shirt, showcasing the ‘paw prints’ that she imprinted on the garment using bleach.
The post was met with positive feedback from more than 1,300 users who thanked the mum for her creative tip.
One user wrote: ‘I'm going to fix my shirt with this method as soon as possible. Thanks for the idea!’
‘Now this is thinking outside the box! What a creative mind you have might have started something,’ another praised.
A third chimed in: ‘Very innovative, I would have just sworn and chucked it.’
‘This is brilliant. I don’t know how many times I’ve splashed a drop on my clothes and it’s always on dark-coloured clothes too,’ another added.
Some users shared how the mum’s tip helped them with salvaging their garments.
One person shared: ‘I am a mum of five girls who all love black tights and we always get the sizes wrong for each one of them whenever we organise our wardrobes. So, with your method, I wrote their names on the elastic part. Worked a dream.’
But, of course, not everyone was blessed with artistic capabilities - and some users have had less luck with reviving their bleach-stained garments.
‘Keep in mind that bleach ruins the fibres and the t-shirt may get holes quicker than with no bleach,’ one user cautioned.
‘Learned it from my own experience with bleach, any spot on clothes ended up a hole not before long.’
Another recommended: ‘To stop it from seeping through your clothes, you could put cardboard inside of it if you decide to try this tip. Let it dry then wash it.’
Meanwhile, some users shared their own designs using the mum’s tip.
One mum shared: ‘This is what my daughter has done with a cheap Kmart t-shirt, bleach and a paint brush.’
‘She has done some tie-dye with Milton bottle cleaner stuff once when I had some leftover bleach.’
It’s no secret that bleach is the go-to fabric cleaning agent for most people despite many claims that it can ruin your garments.
Fortunately for those who are looking to avoid using bleach at all costs, there are a number of alternatives that they can try.
One of the most popular alternatives is to create a paste using baking soda and hydrogen peroxide. Baking soda helps to dissolve the stain while hydrogen peroxide acts as an oxidising agent.
Use an old toothbrush to carefully scrub the paste onto your stained fabric, and then rinse with cold water and let it sit for several hours.
Another alternative is to mix equal parts lemon juice and warm water and soak your fabric for 15 to 20 minutes before washing it as normal. The natural bleaching properties of lemon juice can help to lighten the fabric and reduce the appearance of the stain.
If these methods don’t work, you can try using white vinegar. Mix a one-to-one ratio of white vinegar and water in a spray bottle, and then spray your fabric.
Use a laundry brush to work the vinegar into the area before rinsing it off and then wash as usual. The acetic acid in the vinegar breaks down the bleach molecules, lifting the stain or at least making it lighter.
So, there you have it, folks! Who said that you can't improve the way your damaged clothes look by adding a little bit more flair to them? Better yet, have you tried saving your bleach-stained garments before? Share your experiences with us in the comments below!
And while there are some tried and tested methods to remove stains, unfortunately, one common agent is impossible to get out of fabric even with the best of efforts: bleach.
Bleach is an extreme decolourising agent that we need to use with caution, but sometimes accidents happen - and when they do, it’s likely that you’ll be saying goodbye to your beloved shirt...or will you?
While bleach stains are mostly irreversible, one clever mum has found a creative way to add a new design to her bleach-stained shirt.
'I spilled a drop of bleach on my T-shirt so I thought I would hide it with more bleach,’ she wrote in a post in the Kmart Home Decor & Hacks Australia Facebook group.
You read that right, folks! The woman then revealed that all she needed were some cotton buds, toilet bleach, and her imagination.
‘It did go through to the back so I just touched them up a little,’ she finished.
The mum also shared a photo of the shirt, showcasing the ‘paw prints’ that she imprinted on the garment using bleach.
The mum managed to salvage her bleach-stained shirt using only a cotton bud, toilet bleach, and creativity. Credit: Facebook/Kmart Home Decor & Hacks Australia.
The post was met with positive feedback from more than 1,300 users who thanked the mum for her creative tip.
One user wrote: ‘I'm going to fix my shirt with this method as soon as possible. Thanks for the idea!’
‘Now this is thinking outside the box! What a creative mind you have might have started something,’ another praised.
A third chimed in: ‘Very innovative, I would have just sworn and chucked it.’
‘This is brilliant. I don’t know how many times I’ve splashed a drop on my clothes and it’s always on dark-coloured clothes too,’ another added.
Some users shared how the mum’s tip helped them with salvaging their garments.
One person shared: ‘I am a mum of five girls who all love black tights and we always get the sizes wrong for each one of them whenever we organise our wardrobes. So, with your method, I wrote their names on the elastic part. Worked a dream.’
But, of course, not everyone was blessed with artistic capabilities - and some users have had less luck with reviving their bleach-stained garments.
‘Keep in mind that bleach ruins the fibres and the t-shirt may get holes quicker than with no bleach,’ one user cautioned.
‘Learned it from my own experience with bleach, any spot on clothes ended up a hole not before long.’
Another recommended: ‘To stop it from seeping through your clothes, you could put cardboard inside of it if you decide to try this tip. Let it dry then wash it.’
Meanwhile, some users shared their own designs using the mum’s tip.
One mum shared: ‘This is what my daughter has done with a cheap Kmart t-shirt, bleach and a paint brush.’
‘She has done some tie-dye with Milton bottle cleaner stuff once when I had some leftover bleach.’
Some people said that you can tie-dye bleach-stained clothes to give them a new life. Credit: Credit: Facebook/Kmart Home Decor & Hacks Australia.
It’s no secret that bleach is the go-to fabric cleaning agent for most people despite many claims that it can ruin your garments.
Fortunately for those who are looking to avoid using bleach at all costs, there are a number of alternatives that they can try.
One of the most popular alternatives is to create a paste using baking soda and hydrogen peroxide. Baking soda helps to dissolve the stain while hydrogen peroxide acts as an oxidising agent.
Use an old toothbrush to carefully scrub the paste onto your stained fabric, and then rinse with cold water and let it sit for several hours.
Another alternative is to mix equal parts lemon juice and warm water and soak your fabric for 15 to 20 minutes before washing it as normal. The natural bleaching properties of lemon juice can help to lighten the fabric and reduce the appearance of the stain.
If these methods don’t work, you can try using white vinegar. Mix a one-to-one ratio of white vinegar and water in a spray bottle, and then spray your fabric.
Use a laundry brush to work the vinegar into the area before rinsing it off and then wash as usual. The acetic acid in the vinegar breaks down the bleach molecules, lifting the stain or at least making it lighter.
So, there you have it, folks! Who said that you can't improve the way your damaged clothes look by adding a little bit more flair to them? Better yet, have you tried saving your bleach-stained garments before? Share your experiences with us in the comments below!
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