How Can I Bleach out Denim Where I Have Taken out a Dart?

Lay the jeans flat on a stable work surface. Bleach causes permanent staining, so you may want to protect the surface with an old sheet or towel; spread it flat on the surface and lay the denim jeans on top.

Slide a folded paper bag into the waist of the jeans. The paper bag will stop the bleach from bleeding through onto the opposite side of the denim jeans.

Prepare a bleach-neutralizing bath. Bleach neutralizers stop bleaching action on contact. A solution of 1 oz. of bleach neutralizer in 1 gallon of water is the standard. A convenient place to prepare the neutralizer is in the bathtub.

Slip on a pair of rubber gloves to protect your hands. Give the bleach pen a few shakes and remove the cap. Press the tip of the bleach pen against the denim fabric in the area of the fold. Apply a generous amount of bleach to the area where the dart once was. The bleach product that exudes from the pen is thick, giving you complete control over where the bleach goes.

Allow the bleach to remain on the denim jeans for 30 minutes. Wipe away some of the bleach with a paper towel to check the results. If the fading is to your liking, immediately place the denim jeans in the neutralizing bath and allow them to soak for approximately 15 minutes. If not, leave the bleach on a little longer, checking every 30 minutes until you achieve the desired result. Launder as usual afterward.