Has anyone tried using bleach to put a pattern on to a mermaid tail instead of using fabric paint? I am thinking or revamping my tail made of thick lycra and wondered if anyone has done this before.
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Has anyone tried using bleach to put a pattern on to a mermaid tail instead of using fabric paint? I am thinking or revamping my tail made of thick lycra and wondered if anyone has done this before.
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It could weaken the material to the detriment of your design. I've used bleaching on cotton T-shirts before and it's all well and good for that but I've stayed away when it comes to spandex or lycra materials as I'm wary of its impacts on the elasticity and the longevity of the material. Other people may have different experiences though, I've personally never tried it.
As far as i know bleach pretty much destroys anything elastic (makes its super brittle very fast) so I wouldn't use it on anything that has stretch.
Bleach will destroy the fabric too. What about making some scale STENCIL sheets? Print them on thicker paper, gently stretch the fabric on a flat surface, and paint with the stencil (carefully at edges)???
FYI - with any fabric, after bleaching, RINSE, then rinse again in water with Hydrogen Peroxide. (Drug store strength) That will help neutralize any bleach still in the fabric.
Originally Posted by Astridia
Ok I'm just going to say this is for an experiment on an old tail. And I know how bleach works i did textiles at college.
I wanted to know if anyone has had any Experience with this. The fabric soaks up so much pain 2 bottles didnt manage to cover my small fluke properly.
I'm sorry if I sound ungreatful I appreciate the advice everyone has given. I probably should have been more clear in the original post.
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Wishing you well.
It could be awhile before someone comes by with any conclusive results. If you're in a hurry your best bet is to spot test with the bleach solution you intend to use. A fine mist would be suitable to see any noticeable change. As you already know most lycra, polyester and synthetic fibers can have a colorfastness to them that prevents bleaching and dyes which just leads most people to steer clear from experimenting with them. Due to this property I'd probably suggest testing using different ratio's of your bleaching agent if results fail.
Bleach did nothing. No colour change. No damage.
Left it over night as well just to make sure.
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