Neutralising solution:
Prepare a solution of one part vinegar to three parts water. When you bleach fabric you must use more than water to stop the bleaching action. The bleach can actually rot the threads. Leave the fabric in this solution for at least five minutes. It will not harm it if you leave it in longer. Remove and rinse. Wash in warm soapy water or put it through with your next family wash.
Tips:
When I use bleach gel I actually wash the gel off with a sponge before putting the fabric in the neutralizing solution. Otherwise the gel smudges off onto other parts of the fabric and a precise drawing can be ruined. If you are after random effects you may well prefer to leave the gel on there.
Safety tips:
- Follow the bleach manufacturer's instructions.
- Take care not to inhale bleach or splash it on your skin.
- Work in a well ventilated area, preferably outside.
- Wear protective clothing such as gloves, apron, long sleeves and long pants.
- Wear a filter mask and take care to avoid spray drift.
Ideas to try:
- Use strips of masking tape across the fabric to block out areas from the sprayed solution. Likewise cut out shapes from Contact or wax paper and press onto the fabric. Spray with the bleach solution.
- Draw with a wax candle or oil pastel to create resist areas. Spray or brush the bleach solution over these areas. Remove the wax/pastel later by placing the fabric between several sheets of clean paper and ironing until all the wax is absorbed by the paper.
- Lay objects such as fern, leaves, string, pebbles onto the fabric prior to spraying it.
- Follow tie-dyeing techniques. Try folding, pleating, knotting and scrunching the fabric in various arrangements to create a wide variety of effects by dipping and dyeing, and refolding and re-dipping.
- Apply the diluted solution over the fabric using various tools:
- Sponge
- String
- Toothbrush
- Frayed fabric or rope
- Drips off a stick
- Eye dropper
- Block shapes cut from foam or sponge and dipped in the solution