Name: Lizzie M. 

Message: I just bought a brand new skirt and unknowingly splattered bleach on it. It is 55% organic cotton, 35% recycled polyester, and 10% spandex. I understood from the site that I need to remove the skirt's color, probably with Rit Color Remover, but then I don't know where to go from there- since cotton fabrics and polyester fabrics are dyed differently when blended with spandex. What kind of dye should I use, so as to no damage the spandex?

Thanks so much for your help and time! I greatly appreciate it!

I'm afraid I have bad news for you. You cannot use Rit Color Remover or Jacquard Color Remover in room temperature water; they require very hot water, but hot water is bad for spandex. The same problem means that you cannot dye the polyester fibers in this skirt, because polyester cannot be dyed without high heat (typically half an hour or longer, boiling with disperse dye). If you dye this skirt, the 35% of the fiber that is polyester will not be able to "take" any dye whose application requirements are safe for the spandex. You will never be able to get a good color match to the original color.

The best thing you can do is to color in the bleached spots with a fabric marker or even a permanent marking pen, as described in my FAQ under "How can I fix the bleach spots on my favorite clothing?". Match the color of the marker to the color of the skirt, as closely as possible. Be sure to save the marker in order to repeat the treatment, in case your repair wears off after time.

If the marker does not give good enough results, consider embroidering over the spots, or sewing on an applique of some sort.

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