How to Dye a Bleach Stain on Upholstered Furniture

Remove the bleached fabric from your upholstered furniture. Unzip and remove the fabric from cushions if it's zipped into place. Use an upholstery staple remover if the piece of fabric is stapled into place and requires the staples to be pulled free before removal. Remove tacks holding the fabric in place with a ripping chisel, placing the head of the chisel against each tack and then prying it up and out of the piece. Wear safety goggles when removing either staples or tacks.

Wash the affected area using a sponge and mild detergent to ensure that all traces of the bleach are gone from the fabric. Rinse thoroughly with cold running water, and then allow the fabric to dry.

Mix a small batch of cool water reactive powder dye the same color as your fabric in a cup. Add the amount of dye recommended by the dye manufacturer to hot water, and then stir the mixture to dissolve the dye within.

Place a plastic sheet over a flat surface, then lay the affected fabric over it, with the bleached area centered on the sheet.

Saturate a piece of clean cloth with the dye, then wring the cloth out to the point where it no longer drips. Rub the cloth over the bleached area to apply the dye, covering it completely, as well as a small section of about one-quarter to one-half inch surrounding the affected area to help the dye blend in. Wait about 20 minutes for the dye to set.

Cover the plastic sheet with a piece of cloth and then place a second cloth over the dyed area. Iron out the dyed area with a hot iron set to steam in order to set the dye into the fabric even more.

Wash the fabric by hand with a mild detergent using cold water to rinse any excess dye from the fabric. Rinse the fabric repeatedly after washing with cold water, until the water runs clear with no coloration from the dye. Hang the fabric and allow it to dry completely before returning it to the upholstered furniture.