Name: cody

Message: Hi, do you have any suggestions of specific kinds of dyeing I can do with bleach? Splatters I know, anything else?

You can use a Clorox Bleach Pen to draw lines and words.

If you wear a respirator to protect your lungs, and preferably work outside to avoid damaging furnishings, you can spray diluted bleach on fabric using a hand-held sprayer, the kind used for window cleaners and the like. 

(Do not reuse a window cleaner bottle for bleach, because the ammonia in window cleaner reacts with the hypochlorite in bleach to create deadly poison gas; you can usually buy new, unused sprayers for about a dollar from the drug store.)

Placing stencils on the fabric before spraying can give wonderful effects. Look at this post about a "bleach stencil tutorial". Also see "How to make cool designs on shirts using bleach".

Using a 3-dimensional object as a stencil while spraying from an angle can make intriguing shadowy shapes; Jane Dunnewold demonstrates this in her book Complex Cloth.

Bleach and other color removers can also be used for tie-dyeing by dipping the fabric into the bleach, or pouring bleach over the fabric. See "How to Tie Dye on Dark Fabric".

Since bleach is a dangerous chemical, I have to include my usual warnings:

Whatever techniques you use, please keep in mind that household bleach is a very toxic chemical. Be careful not to breathe fumes from it, nor to allow excessive skin exposure. A respirator with an acid gas cartridge will protect your lungs from chlorine fumes. Use sturdy rubber gloves, not flimsy latex gloves, to protect your hands while working with bleach.

Bleach can continue to damage fabric even after you have washed it. To completely stop the destructive action of bleach, after rinsing your bleached material, soak it in Anti-Chlor or Bleach Stop or a mixture of hydrogen peroxide with water. Do not use vinegar or another acid to neutralize bleach. See "How can I neutralize the damaging effects of chlorine bleach?".

Never use household bleach on synthetic fibers, such as nylon or spandex, in which it will eat holes, or polyester, which it will permanently stain an ugly yellow. Also, strictly avoid using bleach on animal-type fibers, such as silk or wool. Only natural plant fibers such as 100% cotton, linen, or hemp can withstand chlorine bleach. For fibers that should not be bleached, it is often possible to use sulfur-based dye removal chemicals, such as Rit Color Remover; see "What chemicals can be used to remove dye?".

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