This article was co-authored by Amy Guerrero. Amy Guerrero is an Arts and Crafts Specialist and the Owner of Sunshine Craft Co., a crafting studio based in Phoenix, Arizona. Amy specializes in macrame, DIY crafting, and teaching fiber arts. She offers monthly in-person and online workshops along with having developed a range of DIY craft kits for at-home projects. Amy holds a BS in Industrial Design from Philadelphia University. She worked as a graphic designer before starting her own business. Sunshine Craft Co. is a creative hub that offers a wide range of workshops, tools, and resources for any craft project to inspire creativity and community engagement. This article has been viewed 384,604 times.

Acid washing is a process of partially bleaching jeans with chlorine bleach. Many people like the style of acid washed jeans, but buying them from a store can be expensive. You can make homemade acid washed jeans with a bleach mixture, an old pair of jeans, and a well ventilated area.

Steps Select an old pair of jeans. Acid washing jeans will remove a lot of the color. You should not acid wash a pair of jeans you are attached to. Select an old pair of jeans for the acid washing process.If you do not have an old pair of jeans, stop by a local thrift store. You can find a cheap pair of jeans there, which you can acid wash at home.
Tie each jean leg in a bunch with rubber bands. This will help give your jeans the patchy, tie-dye like appearance of acid washed jeans. Work with one jean leg at a time, tying parts of the legs with rubber bands.[1]There is no exact method for tying the jean legs. It depends on the kind of pattern you want. If you want a very tie-dyed appearance, twist your jeans in multiple places up and down each leg and secure these twists with rubber bands. If you want a less chaotic look, only twist and secure a few parts of the jeans. You can try concentrating on a particular area, like the lower legs or knees.Once you’ve added as many twists as you want, roll up each pant leg. Use a large rubber band to secure each pant leg in a tight roll. Your jeans should now be tied together in a small, lumpy bunch.Advertisement
Fill a bucket with 2.4 liters (800 ounces) of cold water. Choose a bucket big enough to comfortably submerge your jeans. Make sure to use cold water. If you have to, run the water in your sink until it becomes cold.[2]Make sure to measure the water. Your bucket may have measurements written on the side. If it does not, use a separate measuring cup or container to measure out 2.4 liters of cold water.
Add 1.4 liters (48 ounces) of bleach to the water. You want to use a chlorine bleach, which you can purchase at most hardware stores and supermarkets. Make sure to use gloves when handling the bleach. Pour your bleach into the water, making sure to measure out 1.4 liters.If you want a higher contrast look, add slightly more bleach than 1.4 liters. This will make the bleach solution more potent, stripping more color from the jeans. Submerge your jeans in the bleach. Wear gloves when you do this. Dunk the jeans into the bleach solution until they’re more or less fully submerged.If part of your jeans are not submerged in bleach, this is okay. You will be flipping the jeans later. Just make sure the jeans are mostly submerged in the bleach solution.
Turn your jeans over every 20 minutes. Set a timer to make sure you’re turning them over regularly. Always use gloves when handling the jeans. Turning your jeans over regularly will make the acid wash effect even throughout.You will begin to see the jeans change as you turn them over. Some color should be leaving the jeans, giving them a whiter look.
Soak your jeans for 30 minutes to an hour. How long you soak depends on the effect you want. For a more defined acid washed effect, soak the jeans longer. This will strip them of more color. For a mild look, only soak the jeans for about half an hour.Check on the jeans regularly if you’re unsure of how long to soak them. Once you see the effect you want forming, you can remove the jeans.
Rinse your jeans with cold water. Make sure to soak out all the bleach. You can run the jeans under cool water in your sink. As always, wear gloves when handling jeans. Bleach should not touch your bare skin.You can also hose down the jeans in your backyard.Make sure to rinse every part of the jeans to remove all the bleach.When you’re finished rinsing, wring out the jeans.
Wash and dry your jeans. Use a cold cycle in the wash. You will want to run two cycles. Run one cycle without detergent, and then another with detergent.After two wash cycles, hang your jeans to dry. Do not put them in the dryer.You should now have a pair of acid washed jeans. Wear gloves when handling bleach. It can be dangerous for bleach to come into contact with bare skin. Wear a solid pair of plastic or rubber gloves when handling bleach.[3]Examine the gloves prior to handling bleach. Make sure they are free of any tears. Throw out and replace torn gloves for your own safety.
Work in a well-ventilated area. The buildup of bleach vapors can cause dizziness, eye irritation, and respiratory problems. When working with bleach, always work in a well ventilated area.[4]If possible, acid wash your jeans outside. This will provide the most ventilation.
Wear eye protection. Safety goggles are important when working with bleach. Bleach can cause serious damage if it gets in your eyes.[5]In the event you get bleach in your eye, flush with water for 15 to 20 minutes. Remove any contacts you were wearing.Call poison control shortly after getting bleach in your eye.
Wash your hands after handling bleach. This is especially important if you’re going to be eating after handling bleach. Wash your hands with soap and warm water after the acid washing process. Bleach should not stay on your hands for long, and should never be ingested.[6] Video
Community Q&A QuestionHow do you dispose of the bleach in the bucket without damaging the environment?Community AnswerDown the sink is going to be your best bet. Definitely not in an outside storm drain. Those go directly to groundwater and local watersheds.
QuestionDoes this work better with old jeans or new jeans?Community AnswerThe bleach can weaken the elastic in new jeans, so I recommend doing this with a pair of old jeans.
QuestionHow do I acid wash a pair of blue jeans to uniformly very light sky blue?Community AnswerSame as above, but no rubber bands, and probably 90 minutes total, flipping every 20. Tips For an ombre effect, you can dunk the top or bottom of your jeans solution into the bleach bucket and slowly dunk more and more of the jeans in over the course of 1 hour. Remove and wash without detergent.Thanks
It’s a good idea to wear old clothing when acid washing your jeans.Thanks Things You’ll Need Jeans
Rubber bands
Chlorine bleach
Water
Bucket
Rubber gloves
Outdoor work space
Washing machine
Scissors
Spray bottle
Nylon brush
Old work clothes

References ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xEUPsfu5YYA
↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xEUPsfu5YYA
↑ http://www.home-ec101.com/how-to-use-bleach-safely/
↑ https://www.ag.ndsu.edu/flood/home/chlorine-bleach-safety
↑ https://www.ag.ndsu.edu/flood/home/chlorine-bleach-safety
↑ https://www.ag.ndsu.edu/flood/home/chlorine-bleach-safety About This Article

To give your jeans an acid-washed appearance at home, try bleach-dying them. Start with an old pair of jeans that’s already a bit faded and worn. Twist or bunch up a few sections of the legs and tie them off with rubber bands. Next, fill a bucket with about 800 ounces (2.4 L) of cold water, then add 48 ounces (1.4 L) of chlorine bleach to the water. Put on heavy rubber gloves and submerge your jeans in the bleach mixture. Every 20 minutes, turn your jeans over to help ensure that they are evenly saturated. Let the jeans soak for 30 minutes to an hour total, then rinse them under cold water and wring them out. Wash your jeans in the washing machine on the coldest setting twice, first without detergent and then with detergent. When you’re done, hang the jeans up to air dry. To learn how to stay safe while acid washing jeans, like what kinds of gloves to wear, keep reading!

Reader Success Stories “This article helped me not only to learn how to bleach my very first jeans, but as well as to carry out safety precaution while handling the pants. Thanks, you guys!”…” more