Bleach Your Clothing
White clothing tends to get dingy and lose its brightness after a while, even when regularly washed. Bleaching your whites can help maintain or bring back a brighter white. Here is a quick tutorial on how to use bleach in your wash.
Contents
Steps
In the Washing Machine
- Separate clothing. Bleach only all-white clothing and linens. Only include items that can be safely washed in the machine with hot water. If an item is delicate (like a lace dress) or might shrink (like an all-cotton dress shirt), see alternate methods below.
- Measure the bleach. Pour out 3/4 cup (175 ml) of bleach for a regular load of wash.
- Add bleach to washing machine. Bleach should be added to the hot wash water after adding detergent but before adding your clothes.
- For washing machines with a built-in bleach dispenser, add the 3/4 cup (175 ml) of bleach to the dispenser.
- For machines without a bleach dispenser, pour the bleach directly into the wash water after the wash cycle has begun but before adding your clothes. For best results, it is advised to let the wash cycle run for a few minutes before adding clothes. This will allow the bleach to become thoroughly dispersed in the water.
- Add clothes to wash. Chlorine bleach is most effective in hot water, so remember to set the temperature of the wash to its hottest setting for best results.
Washing by Hand
- Separate clothing. Pull out your delicate whites that cannot be washed in a machine or should not be washed with very hot water. Check your garment care label if you are unsure.
- Hand wash with basic detergent first if needed. This will remove any dirt or soiling from clothing before bleaching. Wash in a sink basin or washtub which can then be used for bleaching.
- Mix a bleach solution separate from clothing. The ratio should be 1 part bleach to 30 parts water. For ease of measuring, this equates to roughly 1/2 cup of bleach per gallon of water (125 ml bleach to 3.7 liters water). Use an appropriate water temperature for the item being washed, bearing in mind that bleach will be more effective in warmer water.
- Add bleach water mixture to clothes. Allow clothing to soak at least 15 minutes.
- Thoroughly rinse clothing and allow to dry.
Spot Treatment
- Identify type of stain. Bleach will not be effective on every stain type. For example, bleach will work well on stains like coffee, juice or grass but is not effective on oil-based stains like grease.
- Pad a work surface with a clean rag or paper towel. Place the stained area on top.
- Mix a bleach solution. The ratio will be 1 part bleach to 30 parts water. For a small amount of solution, this could be 1 tablespoon bleach to 30 tablespoons of water, or just under 2 cups (15 ml bleach to 236 ml water).
- Dampen a clean white cloth with the solution. Pat the back side of the stain with the cloth in light strokes toward the center to keep the stain from spreading. The stain should begin to transfer to the cloth below.
- Continue sponging area until stain is removed. Blot excess solution from the fabric using a dry area of the cloth.
- Wash item as per care instructions. Check to see if stain is fully removed before drying in a clothes dryer or adding heat, which could cause a stain to set.
Color-safe Bleaching
- Separate items to be cleaned with a color-safe bleach. This might include a white item with colored stripes or designs or full-color items. Do not include solid whites to avoid any color transfer.
- Choose a bleach alternative. Most color-safe bleaches are oxygen bleaches which function as a hydrogen peroxide solution. They are available in liquid or powdered form.
- Wash items according to care instructions. Add recommended amount of oxygen bleach to wash cycle. These bleaches do not need to be diluted with water first. But, like chlorine bleach, oxygen bleach is most effective in hot water.
Tips
- Chlorine bleach has a limited shelf life. Bleach that is more than 6 months old will begin to lose its efficiency.
- Regular bleaching of clothes weakens the fiber. Bleach only as needed.
- If you're unsure if an item can be safely bleached, do a spot test. Put a drop of your diluted bleach solution in a hidden area, such as the inside of a seam. Wait 5 minutes, then rinse and air dry. If there is no adverse color change, the item can be safely bleached.
- In place of oxygen bleach, 1/2 cup of baking soda can be added to your wash. However, efficiency will vary.
- For spot treatment, many types of "bleach pens" are available for easy application of a pre-made solution.
- If you spill any bleach, be sure to clean it up, you do not want those red boxers to be pink.
Warnings
- Do not mix bleach with ammonia. This creates corrosive fumes that can kill if inhaled.
- Always keep bleach out of reach of children. Follow all safety instructions on the bottle.
- Never pour bleach directly on clothing.
- Only use chlorine bleach in a well-ventillated areas.
- If washing by hand with chlorine bleach, gloves should be worn to protect skin.
- Do not use bleach on wool, silk, mohair, spandex or leather.
- Use care when pouring liquid bleach as it could splash and bleach unintended areas.
