How to Acid Wash Black Jeans

Last Updated: February 9, 2023

In acid washing, the top layer of color is stripped away on a piece of clothing to expose the white fabric underneath. The process is usually done on jeans or other denim clothing. It creates a worn, faded look that you can accomplish yourself at home. Follow these steps to acid wash black jeans.

Steps

1
Wear old clothes that you would not mind getting bleached. Put on rubber gloves to protect your hands when handling the bleach.^{[1]
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2
Soak pumice stones, the kind used in pedicures, in laundry bleach overnight. Do this in a well-ventilated place.

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3
Combine 2 parts bleach with 1 part water in a spray bottle. Shake the bottle to mix the bleach and water together. Lay your black jeans out flat.^{[2]
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4
Bunch up areas of the jeans, if desired. Hold them in place with elastic hair ties.^{[3]
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5
Spray as much or as little of the bleach solution as you want on your jeans, whether bunched up or flat, in the locations where you want the acid washed look to appear.^{[4]
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6
Scrub the bleach-soaked pumice stones onto the jeans wherever you choose. This will wear the denim down and help acid wash them.
7
Wait 10 to 15 minutes for the fading on the jeans to occur.
8
Set your washing machine for a small load and fill it with water. Wash your acid washed black jeans several times by themselves or with clothes that are safe to be bleached.^{[5]
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9
Put your faded jeans in the dryer and dry as normal. Leave them in the dryer until completely dry if you wish them to shrink. Otherwise, remove the damp jeans and hang them to dry completely.

Community Q&A

Question

Can I just spray the bleach and water on the jeans, then use a regular sponge to make the denim fade?

Community Answer

You should apply watered down bleach to a sponge and apply that to an already wet pair of jeans. Wait 5 minutes and wash on cold.

Warnings

Never let the bleach solution remain on the jeans for more than 20 minutes before washing them. After 20 minutes, the bleach will start to eat away at the denim.

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