Bleaching jeans to lighten

last year

Can anyone on here tell me how to go about lightening a pair of jeans for my granddaughter..

they are the darker denim now and she wants the lighter denim.

she will not wear flair legs or any of the newer wide models or any with holes so have to try and fix these skinny jeans that she has. i know i can put them in washer with bleach but was wanting to hear if anyone has done that and what amounts to use.

thanks for any suggestions.

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User

last year

last modified: last year

Oh, also... try thrift or consignment stores? So many people are into purging their closets that it's easy to find clothes that are a little bit out of date (such as skinny jeans). That is totally where I go when I'm looking for things that I can't find in retail stores anymore.

Not sure about yours, but the thrift stores in my area have decent return policies.

Comments (11)

maire_cate
last year
last modified: last year
I guess the tricky part is getting a uniform color on the pants. I didn't do this on purpose but I accidentally 'bleached' a pair of jeans by splashing pool chemicals on the leg. Even though I washed it off the bleach removed the color from the legs but the seams only lightened a little.

This is what Clorox suggests.

https://www.clorox.com/learn/how-to-bleach-jeans-lighter/
Lyban zone 4 thanked maire_cate
Funkyart
last year
I never got good results with trying to bleach a darker denim to a light denim. As Maire-cate mentioned, the seams don't lighten up as well ... and I never achieved a uniform light color.

I would hate to see a favorite pair of jeans ruined -- I would recommend just finding a pair of light denim skinny jeans. There are plenty of options out there that are not flare or wide leg .. Old Navy may not be her preferred brand but I know they have them. I am sure there are other stores selling them too. Just my opinion .. if you are set on trying the bleach approach, the link above is probably your best bet.
Lyban zone 4 thanked Funkyart
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Thanks Carolina prowash - this is exactly what I needed. I knew bleach would do it - I just wasn't sure whether it would screw up the finish, which is still pretty nice. For Commanche - I feel your pain. I've read your other thread, but I don't think my problem is the same as yours. I've got a few mildew spots, mostly where the sun hits the deck last - not a completely blackened surface. I stripped my deck the beginning of this summer, then brightened it (before staining), and it was a LOT of work. For what it's worth, I switched from ATO to Woodtux this year, and I like it a lot better. As for riles, well, you did hijack the thread, but I don't mind since I got my answer from Carolina. As for your blackness under the tree, I would try a mild bleach/water mixture on it. If it's mildew, the black spots will come off fairly easily. Just be sure you clean it very well next spring to get rid of any latent mildew before you stain. You'll probably have to put down a brightener as well, because by then, the ipe will have silvered some. After 4 years with our gorgeous ipe deck, I will tell you that ipe is a lot of work unless you are ok with allowing it to go silver. Wish we could do that, but our house is a redwood color, and a grayish-silver deck just would not fly.
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Bunny
last year
I prefer a lighter, faded shade on jeans. They all seem too dark (and always look new) and I think with the stretch fibers and other synthetics they just don't fade naturally like they used to.

I tried a bleaching experiment with a pair of jeans I didn't care about. Cut off a few inches at the bottom and soaked them in a very dilute bleach/water. I let them sit in there for a long time, several hours. The amount of lightening was VERY minimal and it had the slightest yellow cast, something that I don't like at all. Like they've spent too long in a smoky room.

I'd settle for the darker color if I could just find a pair proportioned to my 28-29 length.
Lyban zone 4 thanked Bunny
Funkyart
last year
Good point, Bunny -- so many of the skinny jeans have stretch fibers and synthetics these days.
Lyban zone 4 thanked Funkyart
Bunny
last year
Funky, I should have mentioned that my bleaching experiment was with a near-100% cotton content, to give it a best chance. It will lighten, but the slight yellow cast is not worth it to me.
Lyban zone 4 thanked Bunny
Lyban zone 4
Original Author
last year
thank you, i think you all convinced me that it is not worth the hassle. i will donate these two paires and try to find new that she likes.

not easy with a tall skinny 12 year old.
User
last year
last modified: last year
not easy with a tall skinny 12 year old.

Do you have a Uniqlo in your area? Their stretch jeans and jeggings are quite long. I think this is because they offer inexpensive hemming rather than stocking a bunch of different lengths. Also, I love their stuff-- surprisingly decent quality for a low price point.

If not Uniqlo, then Old Navy and Gap offer different lengths (or at least they used to, I haven't bought jeans from them in a long time).
Lyban zone 4 thanked User
Funkyart
last year
I am not normally an Old Navy shopper -- but I have needed to pick up some inexpensive jeans as I lose weight (not willing to invest any real money until I hit my goal weight). I have been fairly pleased-- I pick them up when they are in the $15-20 range so no big deal if I don't wear them for long. They also have a range of options.. skinny jeans to wide leg... stretch to no stretch... petite, regular and long sizing.. etc.
Lyban zone 4 thanked Funkyart
morz8 - Washington Coast
last year
12 yr olds can be so hard to please ;) It's almost as if coming into their own and looking for their confidence. My niece went through a stage where she would put a little foundation on her lips because 'they were too naturally colorful'. She didn't wear foundation but did on her lips.

And she and about three of her friends shaved off their eyebrows in the bathroom one day, then drew them back on. A disaster of course.

I've only bleached jeans accidentally. I had gotten a pair of charcoal yard jeans incredibly dirty while working on a project and really ground clay based dirt into the knees. I put them in a hot water wash with some bleach, detergent. They came out palest gray, looked clean, but all the stitching was highlighted - it did not bleach. Of course they were OK for their purpose which was outside work. I wouldn't do it to a pair important to me.
Lyban zone 4 thanked morz8 - Washington Coast
ratherbesewing
last year
Bleaching can be tricky depending on the fabric. In the past, I have bleached drop cloths. If there is ANY polyester in the fabric (or the topstiched thread), it won’t bleach. Do the jeans have any stretch to them? This would indicate Lycra which is a polyester. The jeans should have a fabric content tag somewhere on the inside. Good luck and show us the results!

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