vessel 30 is mixed with an aqueous reducing agent from vessel 32 in the conduit 34 and pump 40 at an elevated temperature of about 120 u00b0 c to 180 u00b0 c advantageously a dye complexing agent such as polyvinyl pyrrolidone may be added to prevent redeposit of the degraded dye suitable reducing agents which are useful for desizing starch type sizing and removing indigo and other vat dyes from denim scraps include alkali metal hydrosulfites for example sodium hydrosulfite alkali metal sulfoxylate formaldehyde such as the sodium salt thiourea dioxide and the like reducing agents which are primarily useful for removing the indigo and other vat dyes include alkali metal hydrogen sulfites sulfides thiosulfates oxalates hydrosulfites and hydrosulfides advantageously sodium or zinc sulfoxylate formaldehyde is applied under either acid or basic conditions and sodium hydrosulfite is used under basic conditions the amount of the reducing agent to be used is not critical but stronger solutions are more efficient a solution of from 1 to 50 grams per liter of sodium hydrosulfite or the equivalent is suitable the reducing agent converts the indigo and other vat dyes in the fabric to their water soluble leuco state and the dye is carried into solution removed from the fabric and passed to the drain from which it is captured for dye recovery after removal of the reducing solutions and rinsing with water a catalyzed hydrogen peroxide bleaching solution is passed through the distributor 10 and outward between the scrap surfaces according to the process of this invention the hydrogen peroxide bleaching solution should have a concentration of hydrogen peroxide of from 0 2 to 3 the preferred concentration range is preferably from 0 25 to.