Name: Lorna
Message: Searched your site, did not see answer to this: I'm using bleach to make decorations on dark Tshirts, but when rinsing bleach out it gets all over. Is there a home remedy solution that stops the bleaching action? Tried vinegar, didn't work, perhaps didn't use enough. Thanks.

Warning: Don't use vinegar to 'neutralize' chlorine bleach (hypochlorite), because one product of the reaction is deadly chlorine gas. Never use any acid, such as vinegar, with hypochlorite bleach.

The normal way to neutralize bleach after discharging dye is to rinse it with water as soon as the color as lifted sufficiently, and then immediately soak the fabric in a bleach neutralizing solution (see below). If your bleach is getting all over during the rinsing stage, you may be using far more bleach than you need to. Try using bleach that has been diluted with three times as much water, or use a Clorox Bleach Pen, which contains thickened bleach and is ideal for discharging fabric.

Always prepare your bleach neutralizing solution before you even begin to apply your bleach to your fabric. After rinsing, you will soak your garment in the bleach neutralizing solution for fifteen minutes, stirring occasionally. There are three main choices in what you can use to neutralize your chlorine bleach.  The best and cheapest bleach neutralizer is Anti-Chlor, which you can order by mail from PRO Chemical & Dye. It is a powder, sodium bisulfite (or perhaps sodium metabisulfite), which is economical because just under one gram of Anti-chlor is required per gallon of neutralizing bath. (They recommend 2.2 grams for 2.5 gallons of water; 1 level teaspoon of ProChem's stuff is 2.2. grams.) You can buy potassium metabisulfite at wine-making supply stores anywhere for extremely similar results. Another good alternative is Bleach Stop from Dharma Trading Company; it is more expensive because have to use a lot: one ounce (28 grams) per gallon of water (4 liters). For those who have not planned ahead by purchasing Anti-chlor or Bleach Stop, and who want something to neutralize their bleached items TODAY, drugstore 3% hydrogen peroxide, which is sold as an antiseptic, can be poured over the bleached item, after rinsing in water. This is very effective and it is safe, but it is usually not as economical as Anti-Chlor. 

Be very careful when using hypochlorite bleach. It is quite toxic, far more so than the dyes we use. Always use sturdy waterproof gloves to prevent any skin exposure, and use a good respirator, not a dust mask, to protect yourself from extended exposure to the fumes, and/or work out-of-doors or in a chemical fume hood. Overexposure to chlorine bleach can cause chemical burns to your skin as well as serious systemic effects.

For a lot more information on neutralizing hypochlorite, see the page "How can I neutralize the damaging effects of chlorine bleach?"

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[updated February 23, 2008]