Name: Isra

Country: USA

Message: Hello!

I have a situation, where  I had my lace (polyester) wedding dress dyed, from white, to ivory...and they turned it goldish/yellow. I want to lighten up the color and I was wondering if you had any advice. 

Do you think I can put it in the washer on a gentle hand wash cycle and wash it with Oxy Clean? Or Tide white color safe bleach? Or should I just try bleaching it?

I appreciate any guidance you can give!

Don't ever use regular bleach on polyester! The hypochlorite in household bleach will damage polyester, creating a permanent dingy yellow that cannot be removed.

The oxygen-based bleaches such as OxiClean and Tide Bleach Alternative are safe to use on washable clothing, but I don't know whether they will make a difference in the color of your dress. I also have no idea what the care instructions on your dress call for. 

A more effective way to remove color from dyed polyester is to use a color remover. The easiest-to-find color remover is Rit Color Remover, which is sold in many grocery stores and pharmacies, or you can check at a crafts store or sewing store. A different chemical which is equally suitable is found in Jacquard Color Remover.

Both Rit Color Remover and Jacquard Color Remover work best in hot water. Dyeing polyester requires boiling water, so presumably your dress has already survived treatment as rough as this. You can try using either one in warm water first. Since you want only to lighten the color, not remove it altogether, you should try milder conditions first, and proceed to the stovetop method only if necessary.

Note that not all dyes are susceptible to lightening. Some dyes will stubbornly remain the same color, no matter what you do to them. Chances are good that you will be able to lighten the color of your dress, though.

For more information, see my page, "What chemicals can be used to remove dye?".

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