Message: Tried to do a search on your site, still couldn't find an answer. I have some bridal appliqués which I think are alonceon lace, with a tiny corded trim, they are a natural off-white, pale ivory color. I would like to make these whiter, to add to a bridal gown. The fabric was purchased from a bolt at the local fabric store. On the fabric, were the appliqués, over a tiny netting. So I cut one off to test for color removal or brightener to make it more white. I used clorox bleach, and soaked it for 30 minuted dilluted with water - nothing happened, then I did straight pure clorox, for 30 minutes - still no change. I then let it soak in a water/hydrogen peroxide solution to release the bleach agent. It's just a test appliqué, but I figured I would do that, instead of toss it. What would you suggest to make these more white?  Thank you!

What fibers are your Alençon lace made from? Some Alençon laces are made of cotton, some of rayon, some of polyester. I hope that yours is made of cotton or rayon, because chlorine bleach (which contains hypochlorite) is bad for synthetic fibers such as nylon. The netting in the background of your lace is probably nylon, which is highly susceptible to damage from bleach. The fact that you neutralized the hypochlorite with peroxide is good, as it will prevent further damage to the fiber.

A problem with bleaching any textile is that not all colors can be removed. Some dyes and some natural colors are simply not susceptible to the chemical attack that bleaches out the coloring. There might be no satisfactory answer to your question.

However, in some cases a dye which does not respond to bleach will respond to a sulfur-based discharge chemical, or vice versa. You might want to experiment to see if a sulfur-based discharge chemical will have any better results than your bleach did. I don't think it's highly likely, but it's possible, and thus worth a test. All of the sulfur-based discharge chemicals have pretty similar results to one another, so you only need to try one. They all work better the hotter the water you use them in, so, although it is easier to use them in the washing machine, I recommend that instead you use them in a non-aluminum pot on top of the stove, and heat them to a simmer (180 to 190°F).

For a discussion of different chemicals that can be used to remove color, see "What chemicals can be used to remove dye?"; scroll down to the section on reducing agents. The easiest sulfur-based discharge chemical to obtain is Rit Color Remover. Follow the stove-top directions for Rit Color Remover:

Do not use Rit Color Remover on something you've bleached, without first washing thoroughly (as you have already done), because the chemicals will not work better together, and may produce undesirable results. It's fine to try the one treatment after the other, as long as the item has been thoroughly washed (and, in the case of chlorine, neutralized with peroxide or Anti-chlor).

This procedure might be just what you want; it might work well to whiten your appliques. However, it might have no effect at all. It's possible that what you have there are unbleachable appliques which must be reserved for another project, one in which their off-white color is desirable.

There is one other treatment that you can use. Instead of removing color, it adds more light. Substances called optical brighteners absorb invisible ultraviolet light and emit it as visible blue light. These substances are found in most laundry detergents, but you can buy much more concentrated forms. The best is probably the Optic Whitener sold by Dharma Trading Company; another option is yet another Rit product, Rit Whitener and Brightener. (I do not often recommend the use of Rit dyes, since there are usually better choices, but I strongly recommend the use of some of Rit's non-dye chemicals.) These products make off-white fabric appear more white. They work best with heat (Dharma's Optic Brightener at 160°F). I don't know whether this would be exactly what you need, or whether the effects will be too subtle to solve your problem. It might be worth a try.

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