How to Bleach Khakis White

Khaki pants made from cotton or wool can be bleached white.

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Bleaching khakis can be a very complicated process because of the different fibers used to make khakis. Though the color khaki is so often used to describe a kind of pant that it has become a catch-all phrase for the garment, it is still a color and not a fabric. Khaki-colored clothes are made from all kinds of natural and synthetic fibers, some of which cannot be bleached. If the khakis are made from cotton, wool or a blend of both, it is possible to bleach them completely white. Cotton blends with nylon or silk cannot be bleached.

Related Searches:Difficulty:ModerateInstructions Things You'll Need2 large stainless steel potsSoda ashDye detergentHydrogen peroxide, 10 percent hair bleach strengthWhite distilled vinegarBleachBleach stopLatex gloves (optional)Dust mask (optional)Suggest EditsWool or Cotton-Wool Blend Khaki1

Dip the garment in a pot of boiling hot water with 1/2 a teaspoon each of the dye pre-wash and soda ash.

2

Mix 7 1/2 tablespoons of soda ash, 3 cups of hydrogen peroxide and 1 teaspoon of dye pre-wash in another pot with 2 quarts of tepid water.

3

Add the garment to the pot until it is white. It will take between 16 and 24 hours to change color.

4

Mix a gallon of warm water and 1 1/4 cup of distilled white vinegar, and immerse it in for 10 minutes.

5

Rinse the garment and dry.

Pure Cotton Khaki1

Mix equal parts of bleach and warm water in a pot big enough to hold the garment. The solution cannot exceed 50 percent bleach, or it will damage the fabric.

2

Add the garment to the bleach mixture, and let it sit until it is white. The fabric will turn white in the bleach and water mixture almost immediately.

3

Remove the garment from the bleach mixture, and neutralize it in a mixture of warm water and bleach stop.

4

Rinse the garment and dry.

Tips & Warnings

Work in a well-ventilated area, and wear gloves and a dust mask when using bleach.

Do not use bleach on wool-blended khakis. Bleach destroys wool, and the garment will turn into goop.

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ReferencesPro Chemical: Bleaching Wool Using Hydrogen PeroxideRe-Nest: How to Whiten LaundryUniversity of Eastern Michigan: Discharge Dyeing With BleachTexere Silk: Cleaning and Washing SilkLand's End: SweatersAll About Hand Dyeing: FAQ Neutralizing BleachPhoto Credit NA/PhotoObjects.net/Getty ImagesRead Next:

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