Jean Fading Lab

       In this lab, we asked what concentration of bleach would be best to fade the color out of new denim material; we found that about a 25% concentration was most effective, as the 25%-bleach-soaked-denim had less fabric damage but still yielded a reasonable amount of fading. We rated those jean samples an average of 2 out of 10 for fabric damage, and an average of 3 out of 10 for color removal. A Chlorox article claims about a 5.9% concentration of bleach being effective, but their more concentrated and potent bleach solution would mean this would be somewhat higher with generic bleach. This data supports our claim because the final concentrations are comparable to an extent. (especially taking into account some possible errors below)

The varied effects of different concentrations of bleach on denim

        The data partly supports the expected results, but yielded a higher successful percentage of bleach due to the partial submerging of the fabric. This incomplete submerging was a result of the small petri dishes and stacking of the fabric, and would have made a higher concentration of bleach necessary with the limited contact. The jeans stacking together covered some area that would ideally also be in contact with the bleach. Also, not all of the denim was submerged, because the petri dishes were insufficient in height; another centimeter of height would probably be more effective. For future executions of this lab, a larger container (with more solution) and a simple separation of the fabric samples would help the denim be more fully submerged and show a more accurate representation of the effects of the bleach concentration on the jean pieces.

Results show significant variation across different jean samples

        This lab was done to demonstrate the proper execution of the scientific method and the process that must be undergone in an experiment. We learned how a proper hypothesis is formed, and also how different variables and constants are utilized in an experiment. This helped me understand and experience firsthand the correct procedure of a scientific experiment. Furthermore, based on my experience from this lab, I now understand how 25% is an effective percentage of bleach to use with jean fading.

25% bleach, 75% water: the optimal concentration for jean fading