I seem to have such a problem with bleach, too. I hardly ever use it, and if I do, I usually wear an large apron, and even still, I end up with bleach spots. I've used this technique on a few skirts as well as a sweater I just wasn't ready to toss yet. :)

I love this tip...we also keep a black Sharpie marker
just for scuffs on black shoes! Works everytime!
Blessings!
Tracy
http://www.LinesFromTheVine.com

I have ruined so many shirts with bleach. For some reason bleach never seems to hit my jeans which are easy to fix, as you say with a marker, its the shirts I can't always figure out a way to fix! I have bleached entire shirts to try to remedy the situation which has helped sometimes. I made a couple fun t-shirts for summer. Still not shirts I would probably wear out in public though, but fun to wear around the house in the summer doing housework.

Jean

You can buy inexpensive iron-on patches such as "happy smiles" or "hearts". This may not look right for premium denim jeans but will work with most everday casual jeans.

My mom (who doesn't really use bleach) continued to have "bleach" spots on her shirts. We **think** we have finally figured out that it is automatic dishwasher detergent doing the deed. I, like some of you have said, am SUPER careful when I use bleach, but hadn't thought to be overly careful with other things. (I am now!)

Thank-you for that tip! I was wondering if you have ever dealt with faded blue jean skirts. I heard that you can dye them blue again. Have you ever heard of/tried this?
Just wondering!
God Bless.
Kelsey

I've definitely used markers (or even crayon before) to cover a bleach spot on clothes. Black permanant markers are a must if you have a spot on a black clothing item, and I've been successful with jeans too, matching the color is the only tricky part. You can use a regular marker and just retouch each time you wash it. It makes use of something you well may have thrown away, so it's at least worth a try!

I find that if I'm looking for something, I can just about find anything I need if I look at enough of the local thrift shops. It's fun to have a list of what you want and then have the quest of finding it. I agree that garage sales are a bit more time consuming when looking for a specific item but I also enjoy them as you can often find bigger bargains since people are trying to get rid of it now. I also like to figure out what my children currently need or will need in a few months (off season items are usually less expensive or even tagged 1/2 off) and try to find them things a few items at a time to stay within a budget range I try to set before going out. I found a brand new (tags still on it) old fashioned style red and black "Red Riding Hood" style wool coat for my 4 year old daughter that people comment on all of the time for only $3.98 this year. You can also find a lot of really neat kitchen items, such as a Pampered Chef apple peeler/corer for $2!