Drop cloths have been a popular staple of frugal decorators for a while now. But, it wasn’t until this week that I understood. I actually bought a set a few weeks ago and was so dissappointed in the texture, color and the massive seam running right down the middle that I cut my losses on the postage and sent them back.

I have decided to replace my living room drapes, since I am giving that room a makeover and definitely want white. Everything I looked at, though, was too short. I wanted at least 106″ panels and I needed four.

Then, I stumbled upon my friend Lisa’s blog post about bleaching drop cloths. Her before and after shots are so pretty.

Hmmm, at approximately $2.50 per yard, I could have four panels for $40!! The only problem was that Lisa used a top loading washer and mine is a front loader.  You will not be able to use a front loader because it doesn’t fill with water or have a soaking setting. The other two options are to use a bathtub or take them to a laundromat.

I am going to show you the bath tub method, although  . . .

Disclaimer #1

I think I may have “ruined” the enamel finish on my claw foot tub by doing this. It has yellowed considerably from the bleach and while I did try to neutralize it with hydrogen peroxide and it is fading a little each day, I am pretty sure we will need to repaint it. If you have a fiber glass tub, this should be fine, though, from what I hear.

Disclaimer #2

If you are on septic, DO NOT bleach drop cloths! They require too much bleach for a septic system’s live bacteria and will be expensive to fix. Just stick with buying white canvas fabric.

Sorry to disappoint!

So all that to say, I humbly submit this post in hopes that learn from my mistakes and know that decorating involves risk.  However, it is still worth it to keep researching and moving toward the goal of a beautiful home.

This post contains affiliate links to products I know and love. Click here to read a full disclosure.

Materials Needed

• Drop Cloth
  • I cut the big, bulky seam right out of the middle and was able to use one drop cloth to make two curtain panels.
• Bleach
  • I get mine at Costco and it is concentrated, you will use a TON of bleach, an obscene amount. So have two bottles per drop cloth.
• Rubber gloves
• Bathtub
  • Fiberglass finish, see my disclaimer above
• Wooden board(s)
  • to cover the tub
• Plastic tub
  • to transfer the bleached cloth in
• Hydrogen peroxide
  • to neutralize the bleach when you are done

Tutorial

• Measure 20 gallons of the hottest tap water you can get and add it to your tub.
  • Determine where this line is in your tub and you can use that as a guide for the next time you fill it.
• Pour 1/3 of the bottle (!) of bleach into the tub and mix with your gloved hands.
• Add one drop cloth and get it to submerge.

• Cover the entire tub with the boards to trap the heat in.
  • If you don’t do this it will take  f o r e v e r  to bleach (this is the voice of experience talking here).

• Turn the fan on in the bathroom and shut the door, the fumes are terrible.
• Leave for six hours.
  • Stirring twice throughout the process to keep them from turning out blotchy.
• After six hours, drain the tub and repeat the whole process, totaling twelve hours. This will leave you with soft, white, speckle free fabric.
• Transfer in a plastic bin to your washer and add hydrogen peroxide to the wash cycle to stop the bleach from working.
• Dry in the dryer to make them soft and pre-shrunk.

Now you will have a beautiful piece of white fabric to work with for slipcovers, table runners, curtains, pillows, etc.

Here are the DIY Farmhouse curtains I made with mine!

What will you make?

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