My 89 year old father lives with us in his own separate apartment that is attached to our home. There was the potential that someone might pop in to visit him, so I went over to his side to do a quick clean...in the clothes I was wearing for the day. Mistake number one.
Favorite black shirt and bleach. Mistake number two!
See it on the bottom right of my shirt. This shirt is soft, flowy and baggy enough where you don't have to suck your stomach in. I was NOT throwing it out!!
I was so mad at myself. I thought for sure when I went to his side to clean it was going to be quick and no harm done. Lol
Couldn't you just cry looking at this.
I remembered an old trick I used on a black sweatshirt of my husbands that was stained with bleach.
I used a Permanent black Sharpie Pen. You can also use the Rub a Dub Permanent Laundry pens. Sharpie makes them too.
Here's the shirt untied and spread out.
Make sure you put something underneath the shirt, because the pen will go through the fabric onto the table.
This is the before spot on the left.
Here's the spot on the right. I put a ruler there so you can see where the original stain was.
All Gone!!!
I've done this on a cotton sweatshirt, shorts and now this shirt, which is 95% rayon and 5% spandex (feels like cotton t-shirt material though).
The last two times I've done this, I've always washed it with towels or non important things just to make sure the "permanent" is really permanent.
It's worked great so far.
I hope you never have to use this idea, but if you do, you'll be thrifty like me and save your favorite shirt. Sharpie makes so many different colored permanent markers now, I think this might work for all kinds of bleach mishaps. Always test the color first to make sure it matches though.
UPDATE...
I found this picture for a 24 piece Sharpie Marker Set. Lots of colors!! Online, most sets seem to be around $20.00. Well worth one shirt I may have ruined.
Happy Thursday,
~Karen~
Great tip, does it work with other colour pens and clothing, I wonder?
ReplyDeleteasaucystitch.blogspot.co.uk
Good tip, I am wondering if it would work on a bathroom rug? I bought a new black rug for the bathroom and accidentally spilled a very small drop of bleach on it the day after I bought it, devastating.
ReplyDeleteI might give it a try and see
Thanks for sharing :)
Hi Karen,Great tip and a really great save!!!Looks like a lovely shirt!!!I have done that with a normal black permanent marker on a raincoat and it also worked!!!Admittedly,it's not something that gets washed often,so not sure how long it will last!!! Have a happy week!!!
ReplyDeleteLove
AMarie
Thanks for this tip, I did the exact same thing with a green waterfall cardigan when I decided to just give the kitchen sink a quick wipe on my way out for the day - bad idea!
ReplyDeleteWill have to see if I can find a similar pen in green.
Interesting tip, never imagined a pen could be used to redeem a ruined cloth, until now.
ReplyDeleteKaren, I have even used fabric pens before. My husband had a polo shirt that had a couple of mystery light spots. It was not a true color but a mix of what looked like green and brown so I used dots to fill in the white spots alternating the green and brown which blended together in the process. You had to know where it was afterwards. It turned out great!
ReplyDeleteYou can buy a cheap color wheel by water colors. It will tell you what colors to mix to match any other items. Jackie
DeleteI've tried this great tip before, with success, but do you have a like remedy for jeans ? I am lethal with bleach!
ReplyDeletetich- You took the words right out of my mouth.I too have problems with bleach spots and have done this very same thing.I tried permanent marker and it worked well for my cotton T-shirt. The only problem I have found with this is after I bleached the bathroom floor.When I made use of the toilet and dropped my black pants I quickly discovered the floor had not dried completely and I ruined a new pair of cotton pants.They were too far gone to be saved by the marker.Live and learn.
ReplyDeleteDonna: if they are black you can try re-dying them to save them. Just go to your local grocery or wally world store and find the Rit dye in the laundry section. You may need to use a tub to do this in, but I don't recommend using your washing machine for black dye (very messy and hard to completely clean off. Even if it's a failure you are only out the cost of the dye and some labor. This is an especially good tip for those well loved black items that tend to fade to a dirty blackish-gray (I'm looking at you favorite pair of capris!) They can be revived with colored dye. But the colored permanent marker is a super tip. Also, you can check out the art supply section or your local craft store for specialty art pens that come in a lot more colors, you might be able to find a perfect match.
DeleteThanks for sharing. Now I'm trying to remember which shirt I need to do this to. No, wait it's a pair of pants. Oh, thank you cause I love that pair of pants.
ReplyDeleteI am a big Sharpie Fan and have used this technique before. Another good tip is the reverse: What to do if you accidently get Sharpie IN something. Rubbing Alcohol. Apply from the back to push the stain out. Sometimes you have to rub a little, but it generally takes out permanent marker with great success.
ReplyDeleteThis is such a GREAT tip for me! I can't tell you how many times bleach comes in contact with my clothes (usually black for some reason)! Thanks again for all your fabulous posts!
ReplyDeleteI prefer not to use bleach !! Because of so many accidents and only on favorites clothes ... This is a great great tip and I'll use it on clothes
ReplyDeleteI now wear when I clean the house ! Now, we can find Sharpies in France.
Merci, merci Karen.
How very clever!
ReplyDeleteI've done the same thing some time ago on my favorite sweatshirt.
ReplyDeleteoff to staples to try to match a coral and chartruse! The sweater (incredible bargain from Land's End...cardigan for $10) was bleached on the second wearing when I ran out of the drippy house after my husband had power washed> I am a bleach magnet.
ReplyDeleteI never would have thought of that. I know sharpie comes in other colors. It'd have to be exact to match a colored shirt. But if the shirt is bleach stained, there isn't harm in experimenting. Right?
ReplyDeleteI have done this! It is a great idea. And, that is a great shirt!!
ReplyDeleteGood information! I recently splashed whitening toothpaste on a new navy knit blouse. Who knew? I guess I need to wear a bib when I brush my teeth.
ReplyDeleteAnd this is why I don't get dressed until after I brush! Now I'm off to find the clothes that enforced this lesson, and use this nifty tip!
DeleteHow funny! I do this all the time! What does that say about how quickly I learn not to EVER use bleach while wearing anything I like. I do find that I have to reapply the Sharpie after washing, and it can be difficult to color match since I usually wear colors other than black.
ReplyDeleteNoreen
Crafty Journal
So glad you were able to save your nice blouse. My son has a shirt he loves to wear, and since it gets laundered frequently, the tips of the collar and sleeves were wearing. I used a Sharpie to touch up those spots too. The shirt looks new again. I love it when we can find new ways to use products! Thanks for sharing this idea! Enjoy your creative day! ~Vickie
ReplyDeleteAnd it holds up after getting washed?
ReplyDeleteI have a gorgeous pink vintage chenille blanket that has a bleach stain (it was that way when I bought it). And I have been trying to think about what to do. I thought about dyeing the whole thing, but I really like the color it is. Maybe I can find a sharpie the right shade of pink...
Thanks for the tip!
Great idea! I always thought bleach stains were hopeless and sharpies do come in several colors now. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI have used my ink refills that I use for my stamp pads in the same way. Did it on a skirt of mine and bathroom rug. I have a denim skirt that has a bleach stain that I haven't quite found the right color for yet.
ReplyDeleteYep used this before. Works great! Also used the permanent markers to fix scratches on furniture and picture frames. Works great on those also. Thanks for sharing. :)
ReplyDeleteGreat idea. I have a couple of shirts that I didn't have the heart to discard but can't be worn in public. I'll give this a try. Good thing Sharpie makes markers in so many colors.
ReplyDeleteGenius. Thanks so much for sharing.
ReplyDeleteOMG - thank you thank you thank you!!!!! Last November, my husband liberally sprayed kitchen cleaner w/bleach on the counters and got me & my absolute favorite shirt! It was from TJ Maxx (so I couldn't replace it) AND a definite tummy hider, and really pretty. I even moved to another country with it - I have to rush out and figure out how to buy a permanent navy Sharpie in Germany lol!!!
ReplyDeleteI used a red sharpie to extend the life of one of my husband's dress shirts. The fabric around the edge of the cuff and the points of the collar had worn away a bit and exposed the white interfacing underneath. I touched it up with a red sharpie and he was able to wear the shirt a while longer.
ReplyDeleteI love my Sharpie for this type of fix. I even used mine to fix a major scratch on the heel of a shoe I caught coming down a flight of concrete steps.
ReplyDeleteI HAVE DONE THIS!!!
ReplyDeleteSaved my bacon a number of times...and my son's expen$ive TaeKwanDo uniform when I somehow bleached the EMBROIDERY!! UGH!
I love this tip. thanks
I even do this trick on quilts that I am making. I have gotten an entire quilt pieced and then notice a stain or imperfection on the fabric. I use my kids' sharpie collection to correct the problem. Works great!
ReplyDeleteI too have used the good old permanent texta to colour over bleach, brilliant idea isnt it!
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I've used sharpie pens for years now for machine embroidery! There are times when the machine doesn't quite cover the fabric that you're embroidering on and whoila! sharpie to the rescue. I bought an entire set of 30 Sharpies of varying shades and colors. Couldn't live without those little miracles :)
ReplyDeleteGreat on scuffed shoes, belts, or bags also!!
ReplyDeleteI have used Sharpies for this problem and many others around the house! Yes, works great on shoes to refresh the color of the sole edges and heel where nicked.
ReplyDeleteI need a purple Sharpie... :)
ReplyDeleteKristen from The Road to Domestication.com
www.theroadtodomestication.com
I have done this many times only when I wash mine it washes out, luckily it is only one small spot and I usually have a sharpie in my purse and I can touch up at the stop light if I forget.
ReplyDeleteunfortunately I need to use your fix on a couple of things... THANK YOU for a method of recovery for my fab items! it's always the favorite things that get the little dab of bleach on them isn't it?? one of the mysteries of life!
ReplyDeleteHugs & blessings, Edie Marie
Once I dribbled white out on a nice pair of dress pants. Sharpie to the rescue ans I concealed the spot.
ReplyDeletewow,you are great,it looks very cool.I like the t shirt.
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In regards to present day fashion, the fitness world has created a craze of certain items such as gym tank tops and yoga pants that are worn as casual wear by many people on a daily basis, whether they attend a gym or not.
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I also use permanent markers on my shoes/boots. They are great for covering any marks etc from heels. It takes seconds to have your footwear looking new
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