Learn how to bleach drop cloth to make it perfectly soft and white for DIY projects.
Learn how to bleach drop cloth to make it perfectly soft and white.
UPDATE MUST READ: I have heard from several readers that the brand of drop cloth you buy makes all the difference. I did not know this, since I have only ever used this brand from Amazon. Other brands turns gray and off white.
UPDATE PART TWO: Thanks to Lori, a lovely reader of my blog, I now know why some other brands won’t turn white. The drop cloths I recommend from Amazon are 100% cotton, so bleachable. Some brands are made with 50% polyester, so unbleachable. I knew people were having trouble with other brands, but now I actually know why!
UPDATE PART THREE: It was brought to my attention by a reader that you should not use this large amount of bleach if you have a septic system.
Why I love drop cloth
You don’t have to hang around the Pinterest DIY scene for very long to find out that drop cloth is a star player in the upholstery, slipcover, curtain and pillow making game.
I have used a lot of drop cloth in our farmhouse and for good reason. It is durable, high quality and, best of all, super cheap.
I did the math once and it works out to about $2.50 a yard. Can’t beat it.
But how does drop cloth go from the rough and coarse tan fabric you find in the paint section at Lowe’s to the soft white beauty you see gracing wing back chairs and farmhouse pillows?
It’s quite simple really.
It all comes down to a whole lot of bleach and little bit of technique.
When you know hot bleach drop cloth, the possibilities are endless.
Video Tips and Tutorial
I start with this drop cloth from amazon. It is the 6-7 oz weight in 9′ by 11′ size.
I buy it in bulk, because I use it (unbleached) for the backs on my farmhouse pillows.
It comes out of the package feeling pretty coarse and looking very tan.
I need it to be bright white, so I can bleach all the slipcovers, when my messy bunch of kiddos put their dirty feet all over the couch. ahem.
The Process
When it comes to bleaching drop cloths there are two methods.
Method 1: Washer method
So, the first thing I do is cut the 9′ by 12′ piece right down the center where the seam is.
I wouldn’t be able to use the middle part where the seam is anyway, and if I shoved the whole thing in the washer, it would be overcrowded.
An overcrowded washer leaves the drop cloth splotchy, which is no bueno.
I put one half of the drop cloth piece into the washer, put it on hot, and set it on the largest size load setting.
I let the washer fill completely before adding any bleach.
Once the washer is full, I add a whoooooole lot of bleach, like about a third of the bottle.
At this point I open all the windows of the house and even the back door all the way. I don’t like to fill my house with all those bleach fumes.
I let it agitate a bit to stir all the bleach around. Then, I pull the knob out and let it sit to soak for several hours.
I go over to the washer every few hours and let it agitate for a minute or so, and then let it sit some more.
The main keys here are:
1. Don’t overfill the washer.
2. Use plenty of bleach
3. Agitate periodically to get the bleach into all the creases, so it doesn’t come out splotchy.
4. Don’t rush it. This should take several hours.
5. Although time is good, I have noticed things going a bit yellowy if I let it sit too long. I think 6-8 hours is a good rule of thumb.
After I have done all this, I pull the knob out and let it finish the cycle.
I throw the drop cloth into the dryer to make sure it is pre-shrunk and super soft.
No top loader?
Now, some of you have probably given up your white drop cloth dreams because you don’t have a top load washing machine.
Not so fast, my friends.
Read on, for there is still hope for you!
I too used to have a front loading washer and a deep desire for white drop cloths.
Method 2: The bathtub method
You basically follow the exact same method as above, with a few differences.
1. Instead of agitating the washer periodically, get yourself a big stick, or something to stir with. You still need to make sure every nook and cranny of that drop cloth has access to the bleach.
2. When you feel your drop cloth is white enough, drain the tub and squeeze out any excess water. Bring it over to your washer and run it through an entire wash cycle on hot.
If you take it out and notice there are splotches, just repeat the process.
Sometimes it takes a few tries to get all the splotches out and get it perfectly white, but enough bleach and time will do the trick every time!
Disclaimer
Double check that the finish on your tub is safe to interact with bleach. If your tub isn’t bleach safe, try to acquire a stainless steal tub, or find a friend who has a top loader you can use.
Woohoo! Now you are ready to make slipcovers for just about anything in your house.
Our couches are super ugly! They are green, ripped and old. They cost $80 for the pair. True story. But can you tell?
I wrote about my drop cloth bench makeover in this post. I found it for $20 on a buy, sell, trade site.
So, at this point, we are talking $100 for all the furniture in our living room.
Oh the glory of humble painter’s drop cloth!
I made the pillow insert for the IKEA tea towel pillows with bleached drop cloth.
This stuff is seriously so versatile!
So, if you want to redecorate your home on the cheap, get your hands on some drop cloth and a couple bottles of bleach!
Pin it for later:
Post contains affiliate links. See my full disclosure here.
How to Bleach Drop Cloth
Video
Equipment
- Washing machine
Ingredients
- 9' by 12' foot canvas drop cloth
- 1/2 gallon bleach
Instructions
- Cut the 9′ by 12′ piece right down the center where the seam is.
- Put one half of the drop cloth piece into the washer, put it on hot, and set it on the largest size load setting.
- Let the washer fill completely before adding any bleach.
- Once the washer is full, add about a third of the bottle.
- Let it agitate a bit to stir all the bleach around.
- Pull the knob out and let it sit to soak for several hours.
- Go over to the washer every few hours and let it agitate for a minute or so, and then let it sit some more.
- Finish the cycle.
- Throw the drop cloth into the dryer to make sure it is pre-shrunk and super soft.
Notes
- Don’t overfill the washer.
- Use plenty of bleach.
- Agitate periodically to get the bleach into all the creases, so it doesn’t come out splotchy.
- Don’t rush it. This should take several hours.
- Although time is good, I have noticed things going a bit yellowy if I let it sit too long. I think 6-8 hours is a good rule of thumb.
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I just had the most fabulous mishap.
I read through your instructions, purchased the same exact drop cloths that you use. Decided I have a front loading washer and I’d play with it to see what would happen.
My curtain panels were perfectly white within TWO hours.
I am not sure which part of what I did worked.
I took the detergent cup out and poured 1/4 bottle of bleach into the washer via the main wash compartment (sans detergent cup). Let the washer start running for about 5 minutes on the sanitize cycle. Paused it, opened door and examined what I had in there. Probably shouldn’t have – it was VERY bleachy. First time in my life I found myself wishing I had an at home eye-wash station.
I wound up adding probably a gallon of hot water straight to the tub and the panels soaked in there for a few minutes (literally less than ten minutes) before I restarted the sanitize cycle. Let it run for a while, then stopped it and RESTARTED it after adding detergent and fabric softener as well as some vinegar.
Somehow the darn things came out totally and completely white. I still don’t know how. But thanks for this tutorial/information, it did help – and maybe my info can help someone else.
Christina, I just tried your “fabulous mishap” this past weekend and it worked for me. The dropcloths I used are not the ones as Lisa’s. They are 10 oz canvas and after bleaching they are a creamy color, which is fine with me. I like the new texture too. Hopefully I’ll start the slipcovers later this week.
Thank you for sharing! I will try this. I am wanting to slip cover the sofa at our lake cabin and this will be much easier than the bathtub.
Hi Lisa,
First of all, I love your blog. I am a Grammy that is obsessed with making a slipcover for my sofa.
I have bleached each of the dropcloths in hot water with a full gallon of bleach. I think this was a bit more than needed as the fabric is fragile now. UGH!
Samantha
Oh no! This whole bleaching thing can be tricky!
Hi Lisa,
Well, just finished the Camelback Sofa for my 90 year mom. Looks great.
Definitely want to sew each seam one at a time. Now on to do my 2 8′ sofa’s.
Thank goodness there are really no curves.
Thanks for all of your amazing nuggets of wisdon.
Samantha
Love your slipcovers! I have also used dropcloths with great success. The dropcloths you recommend from Amazon, how much ironing do they require? How much do they shrink after pre-washing?
Thanks!
They don’t shrink a ton. Also, I have never once ironed mine. 🙂
Ok, I’m giving up! Now I just read that large amounts of bleach can throw your septic tank out of balance, So I’ll need to buy a treatment to add bacteria in to replace all the stuff that was killed by the bleach. Hope it doesn’t cause it to stop working completely, as that is thousands of dollars. Ugh! I think i’ll just go buy some white duck cloth or something so I can get what I want without ruining anything (hopefully it’s not too late)
Oh Laurie I’m so sorry! I didn’t know the thing about the septic tank. 🙁 I will add that as a warning in the post. I honestly have no idea why this didn’t work out for you. I feel like you followed all the right steps. 🙁
Hi Lisa, of course I don’t blame you for any of it, so no need to be sorry. Just wanted to make others aware if they have septic system too. I bought some stuff to put down the drain to get some of that good bacteria down in there. I might try again at a laundry mat some day. In the mean time I just got home with 10 yards of 100% cotton white duck cloth at a great deal of $35. So I am happy, can do what I want and find other projects door the drop cloth. Your explanation is great so if I messed up it’s not your fault. Keep doing what your doing. You’re great at it.
Would love to know where you got the cotton duck at such a great price since my dropcloth is refusing to lighten AT ALL!
Hi Misty,
I got it at Joann fabrics. I got a whole bolt, so I got the end of bolt discount and also had a 60% off coupon from signing up on their app.
Aww you’re sweet Laurie! 🙂 🙂 I am sooo glad you found such a great price for white canvas. Now you are all set to do some slipcovering! BTW I am glad you brought that to my attention. I added it to the top of the post in the updates.
Hi, I don’t think you need to apologise. People should know the cans and can’ts of what is on their own property or septic tanks, washing machines, plastic or metal bath tubs etc. Just the same as it’s their own responsibility to check what fabric their drop cloth is. I honestly can’t believe how some people blame others for their own stupidity.
Hi,
I love your blog. I’m making a slipcover for my loveseat, and have bleached the same drop cloth you have twice and it is still a cream color. is yours as perfectly white as it appears in the images or is it a little off white. My next step is to try to add some bluing ad see what happens.
It is pretty much totally white. It takes a lot of time and A LOT of bleach. 🙂
I thought I had the time and bleach covered. I used over half a bottle of bleach for each cloth. I tried different timing/amounts for each of four portions of drop cloth. each one twice. Cloth 1, over 8 hours the first time, 12+
(overnight) the second time on the same cloth, still off white(but lighter than the original). Cloth 2, 4 hours 1st time (thought maybe it was too much time before and was just experimenting), nope, again I did it over night not much lighter. each time using at lease a 1/2 gallon of bleach. I can’t fill my washer with the lid open, so I put the cloth in and start the cycle, when the water is above the cloth, I add bleach diluted in a big pail. Agitate once in a while. and finish the cycle after the time, I’ve tried adding bluing, which may have helped a little. I’m not giving up. lol. Challenge accepted! I’m going to cut smaller squares and experiment to see if i can get at least one of them to turn white and maybe find your secret. I’m over a week invested at this point, and if i can perfect it, I will make many more projects. Now off to the bleach lab….
Hi, love your slipcovers! Just a thought…have you tried this using cold water? When I was using cloth diapers, I always heard hot water makes bleach less effective. That said, I doubt the canvas would get as soft with cold water as it does with hot.
Hey Tanya! Thank you! I haven’t tried cold water. From my understanding the hot water is crucial to the whitening process.
I’m ready to make slipcovers for hand-me-down white sofa and love seat. Long story short, when Hubs and I went to pick it up it was no longer white but it was loaded up for us anyway. 🙁 The furniture itself is good but gross and I’m ready to make slipcovers for them. I love the slipcovers you have on your sofa and loveseat. Do you have a tutorial or steps for them? I have a general idea from watching your chair slipcover and others on the internet. Do you have two rows of ties on the back? Anything would help.
Love your website.
Mari
I don’t have a tutorial specifically for the couches, but maybe I should make one. 🙂 I use the same process as I do with the wingback chair!
Thank you so much for your reply. I’ll thoroughly look at the wingback chair tutorial.
I apologize for the timing of my message. It wasn’t until later that I read your post on the birth of your son. What a joy!
Oh no worries Mari! I sat in bed for an entire week with him, so I had a lot of time to respond to comments. 🙂
So I had just discovered this same thing too! I had tried bleaching drop cloths (and actually wrote a post about the semi-fail that it was, haha) and while they got nice and soft, they definitely didn’t change color for me. When I bought another cloth for a different project I realized the tag said 50% polyester. Oooooh…suddenly things started to make sense! I knew polyester doesn’t take dye, so I realized it probably wouldn’t bleach either. I just bought one of the drop cloths that you have linked too (100% cotton, woot!) so I’m going to try that and see how it goes! Then I’ll have to update my old blog post with the results! Thanks Lisa for sharing all your wonderful projects and tips with us =)
Very helpful info, indeed! I had no idea that was an issue until someone brought it to my attention, because I had only ever used that brand. I wondered how people were having so much trouble, because it always worked great for me. You should have much better luck this time around!
Hi there!
I tried both the bath tub method and washer method on either half of my drop cloth, tending to them for a few hours, about 5. But neither had lightened at all. So I added more bleach and let them set over night, using 2 whole bottles of bleach. I also added some fabric softener five hours later when they still hadn’t lightened any (Because at that point I figured why not). Left them over night and still no change, totaling 15 hours.
I think it has to do with the brand I used. 9’x12′ 8oz from the local Menards, I live in a rather rural area and didn’t want to wait for the post. Do you have any tips for stubborn drop clothes that just won’t bleach out?
It is the brand! I have heard this from several people over and over now. The brand really matters. Others don’t turn, and some even turn gray. I have only ever used the Amazon brand I linked.
Sorry! Hadn’t read all the comments. I actually did manage to bully it into white, not quite as white as yours, but it had only looked darker because it was still wet.
Is there a particular brand that turns gray? I would like to work with gray for some of my slipcovers.
Or do you have advice on dying drop cloth fabric?
For that I would bleach it and then use Rit Dye to turn it gray. I did that with some pillow covers in my living room a few years ago. The only tricky part will be getting it to turn the exact shade you want. When I did it, I ended up with some very dark gray pillows. If you want light gray, maybe try using a quarter of the bottle and then working your way up, since it would be easier to make it more gray than less. But, my advise it to bleach it white first.