Abstract: Improved techniques are provided for giving new garments, such as jeans, a worn appearance by tumbling the garments with potassium permanganate impregnated pumice rock. Pumice rock is thoroughly and quickly impregnated with potassium permanganate solution by placing the rock in a sealed chamber, drawing a vacuum in the chamber, spraying a potassium permanganate solution into the chamber while allowing the vacuum to drop to a preselected level, then retrieving the impregnated rock from the chamber. The garments and impregnated rock are then tumbled in a perforated container. New garments are added with additional rock to replenish the reduced the reduced volume of the used rock, which need not be reimpregnated. A preferred stone-washed appearance may be obtained by the combined bleaching effect of the potassium permanganate and the abrasive action of the rock.