What Chemical Can I Use on Jeans to Get the Acid Wash Look?

According to Amanda Peterson of the University of Missouri, "acid wash" is a term coined by Rifle Jeans, an Italian company that began using chlorine to remove denim pigment in 1985. Though a spokeswoman for Levi Strauss and Company claimed acid wash was a "complete misnomer," the style became a hit trend in the late 1980s. Acid wash is used to make jeans look worn and edgy, and this look can be replicated with common household items.

Instructions

1

Soak a pumice stone in a bucket of laundry bleach for 24 hours.

2

Lay several old towels on a hard surface. Place jeans on top of the old towels.

3

Put on rubber gloves to protect your hands. Pour two parts bleach and one part water into a spray bottle.

4

Spray areas on the jeans you want to appear lighter with bleach. Rub areas of jeans you want to look bleached, torn and rugged with the pumice stone.

5

Watch the jeans for about 10 minutes to see them begin to fade. Leave bleach on jeans until you have achieved desired lightening results.

6

Run a heavy wash to remove the excess bleach from the jeans. Do not put any other clothes in the wash with the jeans or they will get bleached. Dry jeans as usual.

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