Whitening jeans using affordable methods and means. How and with what you can whiten jeans at home How to whiten green jeans
Today, light-colored jeans are becoming increasingly popular. They look stylish and harmonious. Their significant advantage is that they harmoniously combine with almost any other clothing, favorably emphasizing the created image.
There are several ways to bleach denim
If you want to have such pants in your wardrobe, but only dark models hang or lie there, you don’t need to immediately run to the store and buy a new product, which, as you know, has a fairly high price. With the help of simple methods and the use of available products, any, even the blackest jeans, can be lightened almost to whiteness.
At the moment, the most relevant means, which are present in almost every home, and which are well suited for solving such a specific issue as bleaching dyed denim, are:
- regular baking soda;
- lemon juice;
All of the above substances are known to have a pronounced whitening effect. However, they must be used wisely. Some products are suitable for removing yellowing from the fabric structure, others help whiten it, and others are used exclusively for thin materials.
The whitening process needs to be approached wisely
Therefore, you need to understand that before you make your jeans lighter, you definitely need to familiarize yourself in detail with the features of using a particular bleaching agent. Otherwise, you risk ruining the item. It will be possible to return the lost shade only with the help of special coloring, and this is already a waste of money. If the fabric structure is damaged, then such pants will have to be thrown away altogether.
Whitening methods
Let's consider the options for using each of the above tools separately.
Perhaps the most common way to make jeans much lighter. Whiteness is a special type of household chemicals that not only has good efficiency, but is also widespread, as well as an attractive price. With its help, you can get a snow-white thing with minimal time and effort. It should be understood that this product is developed on the basis of chlorine-containing components, that is, there is always a risk that the fabric may be damaged. To avoid this, it is strongly recommended to follow the instructions:
- prepare a metal bucket large enough to hold the jeans;
- put on unnecessary clothing or a medical gown, gloves, a respirator or a regular mask, as well as safety glasses - do not forget that Whitening is a chemical;
- pour about 7-8 liters of water into a bucket (depending on its volume) and heat it on the stove to a temperature of 80 degrees (no need to boil yet);
- Then a bleaching agent is added to the heated water - about 350 grams. You need to carefully place it with a wooden spatula, and make sure that there are no undiluted particles left on the bottom or walls;
- after this you need to bring the water to a boil and leave it in this state for about 5-7 minutes;
- the next step is to immerse the pants in a bucket of boiling water. This should not be done with bare hands, but with the same spatula or tongs of sufficient length. If the trouser legs rise, they need to be pressed into the water, and make sure that not a single piece of fabric remains above the surface of the water;
- Jeans are cooked for a quarter of an hour. After this, the pants can be removed from the bucket using tongs.
How to bleach jeans white if just boiling doesn’t help? This, by the way, happens quite often, especially if the pants were very dark. It's okay - you need to add about 50 more grams of Whiteness to the water and send the thing to cook again. This procedure can be repeated until the level of lightness of the product satisfies the owner.
Pour whiteness
After completing all activities, the pants must be placed in a previously prepared clean basin and filled with warm running water. Then a small amount of liquid detergent or shampoo is added. There is no need to wash it yet - just leave the pants in this solution for 10-15 minutes. And only then the item is subjected to intensive washing with very high-quality rinsing.
Drying is the final and very important stage.
It is forbidden to hang bleached jeans in the sun, as this will lead to the appearance of characteristic yellow spots and stains.
Do not dry treated jeans in the sun
You can hang your pants indoors, but make sure they are not exposed to ultraviolet rays. The optimal temperature for drying is room temperature.
A common product such as baking soda can also be used to whiten jeans. Just remember that this method is relevant mainly for pants made of thin fabric, for which the use of chlorine bleaches (the same whiteness) is not appropriate.
What do we have to do:
- take about 200 g of soda and mix it with regular washing powder in equal proportions - this is the mixture that will give the best result;
- stir the resulting mass in a bowl of warm water using a suitable tool, for example, the same wooden spatula. All crystals should dissolve;
- after that, jeans are immersed in the basin, which are first turned inside out;
- You need to keep your pants in the solution for at least an hour. Next, you will need to wash them thoroughly and rinse them more than once;
- drying involves hanging the product in the fresh air, but without exposing it to direct sunlight.
This procedure can be repeated several times. With each subsequent wash using baking soda, the shade of the pants will become lighter. It is also very important to monitor the temperature of the water in the basin - it should not be cold or too hot. The optimal temperature is approximately 30-40 degrees. To find out what the temperature of the water is, you can lower a regular thermometer into it.
Another quite effective way. Lemon is known for its whitening properties. Its juice is actively used not only in the food industry, but also in the cosmetics industry. To whiten jeans using this substance, you need to prepare an appropriate solution based on it.
To do this, take about 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, which is mixed in one liter of water. If you need, for example, 4-5 liters to soak your pants, then take the appropriate amount of lemon juice. Next, the item is immersed in a solution poured into a basin and kept there for several hours.
Then everything is standard - washing and thorough rinsing in running water. The event ends with drying, avoiding direct sunlight on clothes.
This product is not only a high-quality antiseptic, but also a good bleach. Today, this is perhaps the cheapest way to make jeans much lighter. You can perform this activity as follows:
- The pants fit in the washing machine. It is not necessary to turn them inside out;
- two tablespoons of hydrogen peroxide are added to the compartment for detergents;
- the delicate mode and rinse are activated;
- Not too intense spinning is allowed.
After removal there is no need to re-wash the product. It can be dried indoors, but it is preferable to hang it in the fresh air. Of course, ultraviolet rays should not reach the structure of the bleached fabric.
How to bleach jeans at home without damaging them? When working with chlorine bleaches, you need to remember that violating the time limits for cooking pants can lead to irreversible consequences. Otherwise, the fibers will begin to dissolve, and this will lead to the fact that the thing will simply become full of holes.
Wear protective gloves when bleaching
If you want to bleach only the outside or back of your trousers, you can take a foam sponge, soak it generously in Bleach and wipe the fabric. After five minutes, the pants will need to be thoroughly rinsed and dried in the manner described above.
A similar method can be used to make stains on the surface of pants - for this it is recommended to use a regular spray bottle, with which bleach is sprayed onto the desired places.
If you bleach jeans using baking soda, then you need to remember that it must be mixed with washing powder. In modern washing machines, there are several compartments in the tray. The decision to load powder into one and soda into the other is incorrect. The fact is that soda is an active chemical substance with an abrasive structure. That is, it can damage the internal elements of expensive household appliances and significantly reduce their service life.
By the way, this warning does not apply to hydrogen peroxide. It is completely safe for the washing machine and the clothes themselves - this is a very important advantage.
If you don’t have fresh lemon on hand to squeeze juice from, it is recommended to replace it with concentrated citric acid. But instead of one tablespoon, in this case you will have to use 1 teaspoon.
Jeans have long become an integral part of the wardrobe of every modern person. They are now available for sale in a wide range, which sometimes only complicates the selection and purchasing process. In addition, prices for products from well-known brands are quite high; only a few can afford them.
Of course, it will be quite difficult to replace branded jeans with products from the mass market, but thanks to your imagination you can even turn a simple pair into a current wardrobe item. To do this, it is enough to know how to lighten jeans to turn your old trousers into new and stylish ones.
You can become a designer yourself and realize your ideas with minimal time and money! Grab a pair of old jeans and take a few minutes of free time to diversify your wardrobe with stylish clothes with exclusive designs!
There are a huge number of ways to radically change the color and style of jeans, so you can easily choose the most optimal one for yourself. None of them require the purchase of expensive materials, because everything you need can always be found in your home.
The main thing is to know how to bleach jeans and prepare the necessary materials for this in advance. The result will pleasantly surprise you, because in just a few minutes your old jeans will become completely different!
Hydrogen peroxide is a great way to refresh a pair of jeans.
Have your jeans lost their color after washing? Thanks to the use of hydrogen peroxide, you can quickly and efficiently lighten them. This method is perfect for those who are not ready to spend a lot of time boiling trousers or washing them in a washing machine with soda.
It can also be used to change the shade of denim shorts if you want to make them more modern and lighter. You can do this at home, using only peroxide added to the powder during washing. A few drops will be enough to achieve the desired trendy effect the first time.
In addition, the housewife can use Domestos toilet cleaner by diluting a glass of this solution in 3 liters of water. In the resulting composition, you will need to soak a pair of jeans until the saturation of their shade is exactly what you intended.
Please note that you can lighten jeans using this method quite quickly, but you should definitely wear rubber gloves on your hands, which will provide reliable protection from the aggressive composition.
After soaking, hang the pants and leave them to dry completely. After which you can wash them in the machine and, if necessary, repeat the described procedure.
Using white for lightening
Another method for making denim color is to use whiteness. With its help, you can quickly whiten your old shorts or a boring jacket. Even dark-colored jeans will radically change it after applying whiteness at home. The method can be used both before and after washing. By following all the recommendations, you are guaranteed to get the desired result!
- You can create streaks by twisting your shorts. In this case, the number and frequency of streaks will directly depend on the density of the twist. To obtain a horizontal pattern, the use of clamps is required, and for a vertical pattern, rubber bands are required. After which the fabric will be covered with tiny “stars”.
- Prepare a large container by filling it with 1/2 of its volume of water. Here you will not need hydrogen peroxide, but will need 1 cup of bleach. You need to pour it into the pan after the water has heated to a temperature of 80 degrees. After which you will need to boil water and at the same time stir the jeans in the container.
- After the liquid boils, you can begin the whitening procedure. To do this you will need to weld your pants. When doing this, you need to make sure that the denim is completely immersed in the solution and periodically use a spoon to return it to the water. This method can be used at home, spending just a few minutes to get the desired color.
- If, 15 minutes after the start of bleaching, the color has not changed, then you should add more whiteness and weld the jeans again.
- When the shade is exactly what you wanted, you can take out the jeans and remove all the clips. Don't forget to rinse your pants in running water!
If there is nothing at home but soda
You can change the shade of your old shorts or jacket at home with regular baking soda. This is the best solution for thin jeans, which simply will not withstand all the manipulations with peroxide and whiteness. Highlighting with soda will be a simple and straightforward way to achieve the desired result, while maintaining the integrity and strength of the material.
The method is that soda is mixed with washing powder and used for washing in an automatic machine. It will allow you to make your shorts white at home if you correctly determine the required amount of soda and the right time.
To achieve a better effect, you can soak your trousers or jacket in this solution for several hours and then wash them.
Please note that after the first time you will not be able to achieve strong highlighting! Therefore, after washing, it is advisable to repeat the process the required number of times until you are completely satisfied with the color.
You can change the color of a jacket or shorts at home using vinegar. To do this, you need to apply it to the surface and leave for several hours.
But keep in mind that this method will only work if the blue jeans are light enough, since acetic acid is not strong enough!
If you decide to boil your shorts, then it is best to do this after washing, since some dyes are washed out even under the influence of simple washing powder.
You can draw an original pattern on the surface of the material with citric acid diluted in warm water. You will like this method if after washing your jeans don’t turn out the way you wanted. You can also weld shorts in a special textile dye when you want to add a pop of color to a bleached pair of old jeans.
Even the most comfortable and favorite jeans can lose their appeal over time. It’s a shame to throw it away, and I don’t want to wear it anymore. What to do? There is an exit. Any denim clothes can be turned into a fashionable new thing, since you can even whiten jeans with home remedies. There are several ways to do this.
Lightening with citric acid
Aromatic lemon juice is a natural bleach given by nature. Masks, face creams, and nail lightening agents are prepared on its basis. The same property is also used to change the color of denim. To whiten, mix the juice of one lemon with a liter of water. You need to soak your clothes in this solution. If there are no fresh citrus fruits in the refrigerator, you can replace them with citric acid. The mixture is prepared from 1 teaspoon of powder and 1 liter of water.
Leave for at least 1 hour depending on the desired result. To obtain a light effect, citric acid is poured into the washing machine compartment along with the powder. Don't be afraid of damage! On the contrary, the acid will clean the internal parts of the machine from plaque.
Whitening with soda
Lightening with baking soda powder is the simplest whitening method. This method is also well suited for processing clothes made of thin or stretch fabric. Soda is mixed with powder or other detergent. The resulting mixture is foamed in warm water. Immerse the jeans in the soapy solution and leave for approximately 3 hours.
The items are then washed by hand. It is not recommended to use a washing machine, as baking soda damages the surface of the drum. It is unlikely to achieve significant results after one procedure. Because whitening jeans by several shades is achieved only by repeated soaking. This method is quite labor-intensive, but it is absolutely safe for human health.
Domestos - improper use
Chemical toilet cleaners contain active substances that can also make jeans much lighter. Half a glass of concentrated liquid is diluted in 3 liters of water. The resulting solution is used to moisten the trousers and leave them to bleach. When the fabric becomes lighter, the items must be rinsed thoroughly. But this method also has a drawback. Jeans after bleaching smell unpleasantly like disinfectant. The scent disappears only after a few washes.
Gentle whitening with hydrogen peroxide
For some types of denim, the use of aggressive bleaches is not recommended. In this case, hydrogen peroxide will come to the rescue. This method will not lighten dark things, but will allow you to quickly get rid of yellow spots without damaging the structure of the fabric.
To whiten jeans, you need to prepare a liquid mixture of 6 liters of water and 6 tablespoons of hydrogen peroxide. Wet clothes. After a few hours, wash with soap or powder.
Whiteness: aggressive, but effective!
The most popular and accessible method is to lighten things with chlorine bleaches. To do this, pour water into a bowl and add the required amount of product to it. The proportions are usually indicated on the packaging, so you must carefully read the instructions before the procedure. Having lowered the trousers into the liquid, it is advisable to periodically stir them with a plastic stick. If after half an hour the fabric has not begun to lighten, then you can add a little more bleach, first diluting it in water. When the clothes acquire the desired shade, they should be rinsed in cool water and then washed.
To create trendy stains on jeans, they are twisted and then dipped in a weak whitening solution. The more the fabric is twisted, the finer the blur will be. To obtain maximum effect, the places of twists are fixed with clothespins or thick elastic bands.
Bleach is quite aggressive on fabric because it contains chlorine. It can bleach clothes very badly. However, you should be careful and careful when using white. Too much exposure destroys the fibers of the material, the fabric becomes thinner, and holes form.
Despite the fact that this method gives quick and noticeable results, it is important to adhere to safety rules. Bleaching must be carried out in a well-ventilated area. It is forbidden to mix whiteness with other chemicals (ammonia, vinegar). Lightening should be done with special rubber gloves.
How to “boil” denim?
In the past, “varenki” were so popular that folk craftsmen learned to create similar trousers at home. For whitening you will need the following components:
- Whiteness – 250 ml;
- Water – 7 l;
- Large bucket;
- Plastic or wooden stick;
- Protective gloves.
Pour white into a bucket of water and place on the stove. When the liquid boils, slowly lower the jeans into it. To prevent clothes from rising to the surface, they must be held with a previously prepared stick. If after 10 minutes the fabric does not begin to change its color, then you should add a little more white.
Cook for at least ten minutes. It is necessary to constantly stir the clothes to avoid streaks. As soon as the jeans have lightened, they are removed from the container and rinsed thoroughly. It is better to dry them in the fresh air to completely get rid of the pungent smell of bleach.
When bleaching, you need to take into account the color of the threads on the seams. They are not always lightened along with the fabric and, after processing, can contrast with the overall shade of the jeans.
If your jeans fade a lot, it will be even easier to get rid of the dye. You just need to spin them in the washing machine a few times. The water temperature must be at least 60°C. As a result, things will not only stop shedding, but will also become noticeably lighter.
It is important to remember that after bleaching, jeans become softer and thinner. In this regard, it is not recommended to lighten trousers made of thin and delicate denim.
Dark blue jeans bleach perfectly, gradually losing pigment. But when lightening black things, you need to be extremely careful. Sometimes the result does not meet expectations at all. Pants may bleach unevenly and develop unsightly pink, red or orange stains.
Old jeans in a new way
It is not necessary to completely lighten your clothes. Interesting colors can be done in a variety of ways:
- Apply bleach with a sponge or brush.
- Create a fine splash effect using a brush or spray bottle.
- Make white spots with an old pipette.
- To get the “spilled” effect, you just need to pour the solution onto your clothes.
- Draw stars, stripes, designs using a special bleach pen. It is sold in hardware stores.
- Create stylish scuff marks. To do this, select areas are easily rubbed with fine-grained sandpaper or pumice.
- Perform a smooth color transition or change the shade of only the lower part. The essence of this process is to gradually remove items from the bleach solution.
If possible, it is advisable to try each product on old jeans. You can also buy a pair of cheap pants just to experiment.
Jeans do not go out of fashion, do not get boring and can be combined with any clothes and shoes. This is pleasing, but it is not a reason to wear the same jeans for years under the pretext of their enduring relevance. In fact, fashionable jeans change their appearance, style, shade and decor year after year. To keep up with trends, you need to regularly update your wardrobe with trendy jeans. Would you say it's expensive? So, you can make your jeans lighter, brighter, more elegant with your own hands without any special financial costs. If you know how to lighten jeans at home beautifully and stylishly, then no one around you will simply guess about your tricks. But you will look no worse than fashion bloggers!
Interestingly, our mothers knew very well how to lighten jeans themselves, and used these techniques when it was simply impossible to buy fashionable jeans. Nowadays, lightening jeans yourself is no longer associated with a narrow range of clothing stores. Everyone can buy jeans in the right size and style, but they are all the same. But you can make your jeans lighter and more original with your own hands, and create an exclusive model to suit your taste. And even if you are tired of your once favorite ready-made jeans, feel free to make them lighter, bleach the jeans in whole or in part, experiment and enjoy both the process and the result. Even if something goes wrong, you will still have practical experience in lightening jeans and unique pants, from which, in a pinch, you can make summer denim shorts.
Denim shades: how to choose the color of jeans?
Classic jeans cannot boast of a variety of colors. Initially, denim, or denim, was dyed with the chemical pigment indigo. Indigo crystals are deep purple, like blue ink or office ink. Denim trousers, even the darkest ones, have a different shade due to a special technology for dyeing jeans: the warp thread is dyed, but the weft thread remains white (therefore, real jeans are almost white from the inside out). The multi-colored jeans you see in stores and fashion catalogs are not dyed with indigo, but with other pigments, usually sulfur-based. Industrial fabric dyes do not fade or wash off, but may fade slightly.
It is this property of denim that will help us lighten jeans. If you don’t want to be disappointed with the result, consider the following nuances: 
You shouldn’t lighten your expensive and/or favorite jeans for the first time; it’s better to experiment with old and no longer needed pants. For training, trial and error, you can buy jeans in a stock store or second-hand store and hone your skills on them.
How to lighten jeans beautifully? How to make washed jeans?
Varenki jeans, a famous hit of the 1980s, have returned to fashion catwalks! To keep the reception authentic, make light wash jeans at home. You can share the fun with your parents, giving them the opportunity to feel nostalgic, or lighten your jeans yourself using traditional technology: 
The described method of lightening jeans by boiling is basic. If you wish, you can adapt it and immerse the jeans in boiling water not entirely, but partially (knee-deep, one pant leg, only the upper part, etc.) depending on your creative ideas. You don’t have to twist the jeans, then the light spots will be more blurred, without obvious boundaries and stripes.
How to make jeans a little lighter at home?
Washed jeans are a bright and stylish way to transform boring trousers, but they are not appropriate in every situation. Sometimes you have to make do with modest and discreet light blue jeans that look elegant and gentle. And you can make these jeans yourself too! 
The big advantage of this method is the ability to control the result and achieve the finest nuances of light blue. At the same time, plain jeans are lightened evenly, without transitions or stains.
How else can you lighten jeans yourself?
There are other ways to lighten jeans, just for those who are on a creative quest. Previous generations of home-grown clothing designers have come up with and repeatedly tested the following alternative lightening recipes:
- Hydrogen peroxide is added to water to wash jeans. This allows you not only to lighten dark ones, but also to whiten jeans that have turned yellow from time to time. Peroxide does not harm the washing machine, so if you find the substance in powder form, feel free to add it to your automatic washing powder.
- Lemon juice is a natural, environmentally friendly fabric bleach. Citric acid has a similar, but more pronounced effect. Acid and/or lemon juice is added to the water when soaking the jeans and left for 30-60 minutes. If the result is weak, the soaking time can be extended.
- It is not necessary to lighten the entire jeans. You can avoid getting them wet at all, but soak a cotton swab in concentrated bleach and leave random stains and/or streaks on the legs. This stylistic technique will make your jeans unique. Stains can be applied not randomly, but according to the laws of visual perception, in order to visually improve the figure.
If your favorite jeans have lost their original appearance due to prolonged wear, do not rush to part with them. You can add a little modernity to old jeans with minimal expense and effort. There are different ways to whiten jeans, transform them, or return them to a flawless white color at home.
Jeans in our life
Comfortable and practical denim trousers are the most popular clothing for all ages. Different fabrics, models, styles and colors allow these clothes to be appropriate for any event.
Old, worn jeans also remain in demand. After simple manipulations at home, they are in no way inferior in appearance to fashionable denim products with light stains, scuffs and patches. They continue to be worn with even greater pleasure.
Means and methods of whitening
Various methods are used to bring worn denim trousers back to life. Depending on the purpose and quality of the material, soda, ammonia, bleach, citric acid, washing powder, and turpentine are used at home.
In some cases they are simply soaked in a special solution, in others they are boiled, rubbed, sprayed, etc.
How to make jeans white again
Over time, white jeans develop stains and turn yellowish or gray in color. To return impeccable whiteness use:
- Hydrogen peroxide. When washing, you can add two tablespoons of hydrogen peroxide to the washing machine along with the powder.
- Oxygen bleach. Regular use will promote lightening.
- Baking soda. Jeans that have lost color during washing will be helped by adding baking soda powder at the rate of 10-20 grams per 1 liter of water. This will soften the water and enhance the effect of the powder.
- Citric acid or lemon. Often used to soak jeans for whitening purposes. Squeeze lemon juice into heated water or add a pack of acid, soak in this solution for 2 hours, and wash the trousers.
How to remove stains
It is much easier to put stains on white jeans than to remove them later. But there are effective means to cope with this problem.
Fresh stains can be removed by machine washing with a good detergent in hot water at 60°. If the stains are old, wash white denim by hand with the addition of 4-6 tablespoons of ammonia, especially carefully in areas with stains.
Ammonia is a powerful bleaching agent that will help deal with the yellowness of jeans.
Complex stains and dirt on white jeans are removed by boiling in water with 50 ml of ammonia and 30 ml of 3% hydrogen peroxide. Jeans completely covered with the solution are boiled for at least 30 minutes and then washed.
Using chlorine bleach can remove stubborn stains on white jeans. Nothing can remove the traces left by bleach. Therefore, they must be washed separately from other things.
If the fabric of white trousers contains cotton or linen fibers, the traditional method using turpentine will help remove stains.
Approximately 4-5 tablespoons of turpentine are dissolved in a bucket of water, mixed, loaded with jeans and kept in the solution for 12 hours. After that they wash it.
Bleaching with bleach and soda
The method of lightening with whiteness at home allows you to radically change the color of jeans. Fabric bleaching occurs under the influence of chlorine contained in bleach. Pour water into a bucket to fill 2/3 of the volume, heat it to about 80 degrees, dilute it with white (200 ml). Stirring constantly, the solution is brought to a boil, after which the jeans are completely immersed in it and boiled for about 20-30 minutes.
The cooking time depends on the desired degree of lightening - the longer, the lighter. But even here everything should be done in moderation. If you overdo it, the structure of the material will be disrupted in places, which will have a detrimental effect on the thing as a whole.
Original ideas for whitening jeans
If you limit the effect of bleach on the material, make knots, pinches or twisting, you can get an original pattern in the form of unbleached stars and multidirectional stripes.
Partial bleaching with white can be done without boiling:
- A beautiful effect will be obtained if you spray bleach on the fabric and wash it after 5 minutes.
- Jeans can be partially lightened in some places by treating them with a sponge soaked in white. After which you must wash it after 5 minutes.
It should be remembered that whiteness corrodes the fabric if the exposure time exceeds 5 minutes. Therefore, it must be washed off thoroughly.
For the “aging” effect, the bleached areas are additionally treated with coarse material or sandpaper.
When is the best time to lighten with baking soda?
If the jeans are made of thin material, bleaching them with white will simply destroy them, they will fall apart in your hands. In this case, baking soda will help out; it is mixed with washing powder and diluted with water.
For every liter 1 tsp. soda Jeans are soaked in this solution for an hour, after which they are washed by hand. To obtain the desired effect, lightening is carried out several times.
With minimal investment of money and time, you can update your jeans by adding an exclusive product to your wardrobe.