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 soft and white in this tutorial

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

4.47 from 66 votes
Learn how to bleach drop cloth to make it perfectly soft and white. Bleaching drop cloth is an inexpensive way to make slipcovers for couches and wingback chairs. At about $2 per yard, bleached drop cloth is also the perfect home decor weight fabric for diy curtains.
Cook: 6 hours
Total: 6 hours
Servings: 1 9 by 12' Piece of Bleached Drop Cloth

Video

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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.

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139 Comments

  1. Julie Blanner says:

    This is perfect! With three girls, things are bound to not stay as white and clean as they once were. I definitely think a drop cloth is in our future.

  2. Ashley says:

    I’m loving all of these tips!

  3. Tanya Schroeder says:

    This is an amazing post! I didn’t know I need a drop cloth but now I think I do!

  4. Francis says:

    Thanks for these wonderful tips. I would like to share this on my social media accounts. I learn so much from you guys and your comments! 🙂

  5. Katie says:

    Has anyone tried bleaching a PB comfort slipcover?? We bought a great sectional on Craigslist and the covers are a bit more yellow than we’d like. So I’d love insight!

    1. Lisa says:

      I’ve had PB comfort sectionals for years — one has a white cotton twill slipcover and the other has warm white denim. I’ve bleached them both – no issues at all. They come very clean and stay soft. I never, ever dry them — put them back on damp; they dry quickly. Good luck!

  6. Jen says:

    I love the curtains in this post!!! Just a word of warning, though. I bought the drop cloths from Amazon which are linked in this post. I suspect, however, that at least the ones I received are not 100% cotton. The description from Amazon says they are 100% cotton. BUT I used 1/2 gallon of bleach and soaked and agitated one cloth in my washing machine for about 2 hours but they did not lighten at all. I then looked at the packaging I received and it does not specify what the cloth is made of. I don’t know if perhaps the seller accidentally shipped me the wrong item (though the packaging looks like the picture on Amazon), OR if these are no longer made with 100% cotton? Perhaps I should have soaked them longer, but it seems I would have made some progress after that much bleach and time – especially since one commenter here said she got great results in 2 hours – with 1/4 gallon of bleach if I recall correctly. In any event, I love the look of the curtains in this post and plan to shop the fabric store for something that will give a similar look.

    1. Amy Gadapee says:

      Just an FYI I have ordered several of the drop clothes link here, 10 to be precise, some had a seam and had double stitched hems with white thread, the others were one solid piece of fabric with a single stitched hem in brown thread. The results have been varied between the two versions but they are only intended to be drop clothes so the materials aren’t necessarily consistent. The company does sell 100% cotton duck at very reasonable prices and you would be getting all of the same material in a continuous cut. You can request samples from them free of charge!

  7. Tiffany says:

    I just want to add I used this method with Clorox and the same dropcloths. Our water heater is set to a relatively low temp so I boiled water and added it until it was steaming. Then I slowly showered the bleach into my giant totes and covered them. They bleached BRIGHT white within a few hours. I also did it with a few other 100% cotton items I had to the same effect. I used about a half a gallon of bleach for each load and covered two sofas with the fabric. It’s the real deal! The hotter the water the faster they bleach. I am trying it now just to lighten some 100% cotton slipcovers I have (don’t want full on white, maybe a warm white?) we will see how it goes!!

  8. Professional Cleaners Sydney says:

    Wow.,truly jaw dropping! The results were perfectly soft and white. Thanks.

  9. Danielle says:

    Hey Lisa! So I tried this out and it worked great! I made a custom slipcover for my mom’s craigslist sofa and we couldn’t be more pleased. However when we ordered more to make curtains, we got a different product. I think they changed their product and I’m so disappointed. We ordered it on December 28, 2018. The end result was similar to the first few we did for the sofa, but not the same. I bleached 2 drop cloths in 4 batches since I cut them in half. Each one came out the same way and I used the same methods I used before to make the slipcover. I don’t know what they did to change the fabric, but it has changed. I just wanted to inform everyone! It doesn’t come out as quite as white as the original did.

  10. Elaine Nichols says:

    Hi!
    Just found your website and read through all the comments and advice. Thanks!
    I am wondering if you have ordered and received any new stock from this source and if it is as good a quality and the same 100% cotton fabric that you have received in the past.
    I will be bleaching these dropcloths and a 9×12 cut down the middle should be a good fit for a 72×36 and a 72×48 window for each window. Thanks for any update you and your readers can give me on current stock.
    Elaine