If it’s your first time bleaching your jeans, don’t start with your absolute favorite pair. Give your self a little wiggle room to mess up by bleaching a pair you care less about.
If you want a more “natural” lightening agent, an alternative to bleach is to fill the bucket with concentrated lemon juice instead, though this will be much more expensive. [3] X Research source It might help to get your jeans damp in normal water before putting them in the solution.
Take them out after thirty minutes for a subtle fade. If you want them to lighten a lot, you may have to wait hours. It looks darker when it’s wet, so take it out a little before its the color you want. [4] X Research source
You can hang dry or machine dry them.
You have to be patient with this method, and ignore the weird looks of the people living in your house. Who knows, maybe you’ll start an inside-out jeans trend!
If the tag on your jeans specifically says to wash cold, you should follow those instructions. It will just take a few more washes to lighten your jeans.
Rub your jeans with a handful of coffee beans if you don’t have stone or sandpaper. The acid will help your jeans fade. [6] X Research source