We use bleach for a number of household chores, from cleaning toilets to removing mold and mildew. But did you know that bleach can be used in your laundry cycle as well?
Bleach is a powerful cleaning tool that helps to deal with stubborn stains, while making your whites shine. It disinfects dirty laundry more effectively than by using detergent alone, and helps restore whiteness to faded linen.
But, cleaning with bleach should be undertaken with care. Bleach can be a dangerous chemical and should be handled carefully, as it can damage your clothes if misused. Read on to find out everything you need to know about how to use bleach while doing laundry.
How Often to Wash with Bleach
Washing with bleach, when done properly, shouldn’t damage your clothes. As a result, you don’t necessarily have to limit how often you clean with bleach and can use it as often as you need to. It is, of course, important to use the most suitable bleach on the right fabrics, however. Bear in mind that chlorine bleach will strip away synthetic fibers over time, so use it sparingly!
How to Use Bleach in Laundry
Using bleach in laundry essentially gives a helping hand to your detergent. Bleach breaks down stains, soil, and grease into soluble particles, making it easier for the detergent to do its work. It works as a disinfectant, killing bacteria, while whitening and brightening fabric.
Three standard types of bleach are used for washing clothes:
Chlorine-based bleaches like Clorox;
Oxygen-based bleach like OxiClean, and;
Bleach with a 3 percent solution of hydrogen peroxide.
Best Practices for Using Bleach
Dilution
Chlorine bleach and hydrogen peroxide are potent chemicals, and you should always dilute them with water before using them in your wash. Never pour full-strength chlorine or hydrogen peroxide bleach into your load, even if it is all whites.
Oxygen bleach is less harsh and often comes in powder form that can be added straight to your machine’s drum before the load. If you are using a machine with an automatic dispenser, just add the powder to some warm water and pour it into the dispenser along with the detergent.
Colorfastness
Contrary to popular opinion, you can use bleach on colors, not just on whites. However, you must check each item of clothes for colorfastness before putting it into a bleach wash.
Dilute one teaspoon of bleach with two teaspoons of water. Take a small cotton swab and gently dab a spot of the solution onto your garment, somewhere where it won’t show. Let the solution dry thoroughly, then take a look. If the color has faded or the cotton swab has taken on any of the color, then the item isn’t totally colorfast and shouldn’t be washed with bleach.
You should never use bleach on delicate clothes like silk, acetate, and wool, or on synthetics like spandex, rubber, or polypropylene.
When to Add Bleach to Your Wash
Bleach should never be added straight onto clothes. The best time to add bleach is as a solution with water into the automatic dispenser before the wash cycle begins. If you don’t have a machine with an automatic dispenser, add your solution to the wash water or to the empty drum before adding clothes. If you are interested in a less-potent alternative, there are also benefits to washing your clothes with distilled white vinegar.
Bleach can be a powerful cleaning aid and works wonders with stubborn stains. However, if you are in any doubt about how to use bleach safely, then we strongly recommend using a professional laundry service like WaveMAX.
