How To Tie Dye A Shirt With Bleach | Neon Tie Dye Shirts

In this project, we will show you how to make these high contrast Neon Tie Dye Shirts by layering TWO tie dye methods⁠—reverse tie dye and regular tie dye!

How To Tie Dye A Shirt With Bleach | Neon Tie Dye Shirts

We are such fans of tie dye, and this project is particularly fun because you get to use two techniques! If you aren’t familiar with reverse tie dye, it is the method of creating patterns on fabric by removing color with a mixture of bleach and water.

After removing the color and washing out the bleach thoroughly, you’ll add neon tie dye colors to the areas where the color was lightened to achieve this bold, high contrast design.

To learn more about the best fabrics to use for reverse dye, how to create reverse dye patterns, and other tips and tricks for tie dyeing with bleach, visit this post!

What You will Need to Bleach Tie Dye a Shirt

Dark Gray Heather Shirt (ours were 52% cotton 48% polyester)
Tie dye
Bleach (this is our favorite)
Mist bottle

How To Make Bleach Tie Dye Shirts With Neon

To learn how to make neon tie dye shirts, watch the video, or read the steps below!

Steps to Make Neon Tie Dye Shirts With Bleach Tie Dye

Step 1: Bind your shirt in a spiral by pinching and twisting the shirt into a bundle.

Step 2: Spray the bleach mixture on the bound shirt. Flip the bundle over and spray the back.

Step 3: Open the shirt and lay it out flat in the sun to lighten. Once it has lightened to an off=white, flip the shirt to lighten the back to an off-white.

Step 4: Once the shirt has lightened, soak it in a mixture of 1 part hydrogen peroxide and 10 parts water to deactivate the bleach.

Step 5: Wash the shirt. We recommend running it through the washing machine with detergent so the bleach is completely washed out.

Step 6: While the shirt is washing, mix your dye colors. Once the shirt is washed, lay it out on a dye-safe surface.

Step 7: Slowly squeeze the dye over the bleached areas of the shirt, filling in all the white.

Tip: You don’t need to saturate the shirt too much, just apply enough dye to fill the white areas with color.

Step 8: Flip the shirt over and add color to any remaining bleached areas (some of the color should have come through from the front).

Note: If you’d like more control over the color placement on the back of the shirt, place a piece of cardboard or plastic inside the shirt to keep dye from spreading.

Step 9: Let the dye set according to package directions. Then rinse until the water runs clear and wash alone for the first wash.