Disinfectants and disinfectant cleaners are the only products that kill germs-but they only work if the label directions are followed.
Consult your washing machine use manual to see if you should add the bleach to the drum or to a special dispenser drawer or section.Ĭhlorine bleach can be used to disinfect and sanitize laundry and well as kitchen, bathroom and other surfaces around the home.
Bleaching the whole load: Read the label on the bleach product to determine the amount to use when adding bleach to an entire load of laundry. Work from the outer edge of the stain in, rinse with fresh water when the stain is gone.Ĥ. Start small: Lay the stained section of the garment flat and be sure there not layers of fabric or anything underneath that can be affected. If the fabric color remains, then you should be safe.ģ. Test: Dip a cotton swab in the bleach/water solution and dab on an inside seam. However, remember that these products do not disinfect.Ģ. Some detergents have color-safe bleach or bleach alternative built into the product. If liquid household bleach is not recommended, you can use a color-safe (oxygen) bleach to help remove stains and odors. Read the Label: Check the garment label before laundering some fabrics cannot be washed using liquid household bleach (sodium hypochlorite). If bleach is safe for the fabric, follow the tips below. Minimum soaking time is 30 minutes longer, as much as overnight, may be necessary. Mix the soaking agent with water, and then add the item. If bleach is a no-no and there are stains, pre-treat them with a pre-wash stain remover, check the cleaning product label first to make sure it is safe for the fabric, or presoak the item, using detergent or a presoak laundry product that’s safe for the fabric. Factors such as the fabric’s fiber content (including silk, wool, mohair and spandex), finishes (such as the flame-retardant finish on children’s nightclothes) and certain trims will affect the item’s suitability for bleach. IMPORTANT: Read the fabric care label first! The fact that the item is white doesn’t necessarily guarantee that it’s safe to use bleach, especially chlorine bleach. Using Bleach to Remove Stains on White Clothes Oxygen bleaches are most effective in warm-to-hot water. Do not pour powdered bleach directly on wet clothes. For best results, add 5 minutes after the wash cycle has begun to agitate in order to avoid destroying enzymes and fluorescent whiteners in the detergent.įor Oxygen Bleach, add directly to the wash water before the clothes are added. They work best in maintaining whiteness, not in restoring it.įor Sodium Hypochlorite Bleach, read the label and dilute as directed. Oxygen (color-safe) bleaches are gentler, working safely on all washable fabrics. They work on many whites and colorfast washables - but not on wools or silks. Sodium hypochlorite bleaches (also called chlorine or liquid household bleach) are the more powerful laundry bleaches they disinfect, as well as clean and whiten. Bleach can also brighten and whiten fabrics and help remove stubborn stains.
Here's how to use bleach on clothes:īleach converts soils into colorless, soluble particles which are easily removed by detergents, then carried away in the wash water. Bleaches help whiten, brighten and remove stains.