I'm trying to make my own paper... but it is a dirty color. how can I turn it white?

[phatj]

I want to make my own paper for a project I am doing for my mom. I have some large sheets, but they are brownish-blackish. How can I turn it white? I don't think soaking in bleach would work, would it?

 

[Nitemare]

a little cheap are we?


but the answer is yes

 

[phatj]

Do I just soak it in bleach? For how long would you estimate? Can i just throw it in a bucket with bleach? Not cheap - my mom is into organic crap and im trying to make her a gift.

 

[tweakmm]

Originally posted by: phatj
Do I just soak it in bleach? For how long would you estimate? Can i just throw it in a bucket with bleach? Not cheap - my mom is into organic crap and im trying to make her a gift.

She's into organic crap and you are going to soak her stuff in bleach?
Whatever you say boss.

 

[Nitemare]

Originally posted by: tweakmm

Originally posted by: phatj
Do I just soak it in bleach? For how long would you estimate? Can i just throw it in a bucket with bleach? Not cheap - my mom is into organic crap and im trying to make her a gift.

She's into organic crap and you are going to soak her stuff in bleach?
Whatever you say boss.

organic white paint?

 

[StageLeft]

He didn't say why he's doing it. I love assumptions, and wanted to make one, but so far we've had two that may not be accurate.

 

[Howard]

I did this once. I used toilet paper.

The resulting sheet is quite tearing-prone.

 

[notfred]

Where are you going to get organic bleach?

You could try hydrogen peroxide.

 

[ElFenix]

i don't think hydrogen peroxide has carbon in it either....

 

[dcdude]

how to make your own paper white

 

[myusername]

If it's a project for hippie mom, you really don't want bleach. I'd say just a splash - maybe 2 TBS worth to the batch would be sufficient, but I don't know anything about papermaking. You may want to google, as I do know they do some nifty things by mixing colors and materials.

 

[anno]

what are you starting with? easiest way to make white paper is to start with white stuff.
it's going to be hard to get it white if you're starting with something that has ink on it, like recycling copy paper or newsprint.. the most practical thing to do if you want to wind up with something that's a pretty color is to toss in something.. colorful.. like a colored napkin, or a colored flyer or a sheet (or part of a sheet) of colored tissue paper. try adding something colorful, a little at a time, until you get something that looks pleasing.

what are you making? sheets of paper (dipped, or poured?), or are you going to do a casting? what's the finished project going to be?

fun stuff, making paper.

 

[edro]

Bleach will work. It's not an exact science... just pour some in with the water/pulp mixture and give it a good stir. It will work.

 

[BillyBatson]

i do believe they use bleach

how are you making the cheets to begin with?