How to Bleach Drop Cloths!

I am so excited to share with you all how to Bleach Drop Cloths for rugs, furniture recover, upholstering & more!

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How to Bleach Drop Cloths!

Nice fabric for upholstery can run so expensive. But for those of us who love crisp whites & canvas textures, there is hope! Miss Mustard Seed has a wonderful post that inspired me to try this drop cloth bleaching method out. And today I thought I would share my experience with this technique.

IMPORTAINT: Make sure to use 100% cotton dropcloths. The cotton is what allows you to get that white color. HERE are the ones I use.

The first time I did this, I just added a few cups of bleach, and soaked for maybe hours. It really didn’t make a difference. Here is the method that did work for me:

1. Fill the washer machine with hot water.

2. Pour a whole whooping god amount of bleach into the machine. A cup or two really won’t do anything. I recommend using like half the container for best results. Let it run for a few minutes to mix up the bleach with the water. Press stop & open your washer machine up again.

3. Place your dropcloth(s) into the washer and make sure they are completely submerged. I recommend doing one at a time so that it will bleach evenly.

How to Bleach Drop Cloths!

4. Soak it. I let mine sit overnight. Make sure the area is well ventilated. That stuff smells awful! A good 10-15 hours will really make it brighter!

5. Run the load through.

6. Do another load, but this time add soap and peroxide to the water to neutralizer the bleach so it won’t eat up the fabric.

7. Dry & admire your new canvas cloth!

How to Bleach Drop Cloths!

I was trying to get mine the color of the blanket on my bed, so I really wanted it to be as white as possible. It’s still a little off white, but no where close to the original color.

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Doesn’t it look great on my headboard?

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It turned out pretty white up against my ultra white walls.

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Here’s a bench and a chair I upholstered with the bleached drop cloth.

How to Bleach Drop Cloths!

If you love drop cloths like me, try using one to make a rug! See my tutorial HERE!

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  1. Jill Flory says:

    The second time you ran it through with soap and peroxide – did you add more bleach then or not? Thanks!

  2. Is there a way to do this with a front load machine?

  3. jw282001 says:

    Don't add bleach the second time. Just the detergent & hydrogen peroxide for the second load. I'm unsure on a front load machine since I don't have one. You can bleach these in a utility sink, bathtub or a large bucket being careful. Other blogs talk about using these other methods also. Good luck!

  4. Sroller says:

    How much peroxide did you use? Very excited to try this! Thanks for the blog!

  5. I think I'll just wash mine and then paint it white. I'm too scared of bleach!

  6. Tracy says:

    Where did you purchase your drop cloth from? I have had success with one drop cloth and can’t remember where I bought it. Menards drop cloths won’t turn. Thanks!

  7. Nancy says:

    I bought a drop cloth from Lowe’s and used a gallon of bleach and it still won’t turn white. What am I doing wrong….

    • Hannah Hathaway says:

      Hi Nancy- did it lighten the color at all? I can’t guarantee how every fabric will react to the process, but if you soaked it long enough it should at least make the color brighter. Personally, mine became more of an off white linen color.

  8. Jennifer says:

    What I’ve read is that you have to make sure you buy 100% cotton drop cloths in order to bleach them out properly!

  9. Lavanderblu says:

    Hannah, do you recall what brand drop cloth you used? And do you know if it is cotton, or if it’s polyester blend? I’ve just purchased some drop cloths, and would hate to try bleaching them if the process isn’t going to work.

  10. Kay says:

    Surely that much bleach damages a septic system. Is there any other way to whiten the cloth?

    • Hannah Hathaway says:

      Thank you for bringing that up- I seriously never thought of that, as we haven’t had a septic system until this new house. You can always buy the Live Bacteria Packets to put in your septic system as well.

  11. Katherine says:

    I bought everbuilt drop cloth from home depot. i tore it at the seam and ran 2 times using a whole bottle of Clorox each time. It lighten a little bit but no where near the white I was expecting. It doesn’t say whether it is cotton or a blend.. any suggestions?

    • Hannah Hathaway says:

      Hey, it must not have been pure cotton. You can try doing the process again (I’ve gotten ones from Lowes pretty white), but you may want to look at using a different brand.

  12. Mickey says:

    I have a septic system so will be using tub outside for bleach. Should I wash the drop cloth before i bleach.

    • Hannah Hathaway says:

      Hey! I’m not sure about washing before hand- but I would definitely wash afterwards! That way you will neutralize the bleach.

  13. Cathleen Castaneda says:

    Just wondering how much peroxide to add when washing with soap.

  14. Barbra says:

    What brand of drop cloth did you use, so many of them are not bleachable.

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