Do you avoid using bleach out of fear of dreaded bleach stains on your clothes? You are not alone. Many avoid using bleach because they’re scared of ruining their favorite fabrics. When used correctly, there is no need to be afraid!
When used in laundry, bleach works to whiten and brighten fabrics, making laundry a breeze. Bleach is also a helpful house cleaning tool thanks to its disinfectant properties.
Keep reading to learn how you can end the fear and put bleach to work for you!
How to Use Bleach in Laundry
We’ve all been there. Your favorite shirt ruined by those colorless splotches that are only caused by one thing: bleach. Turn bleach from foe to friend by following these quick and easy steps to safely use bleach in your next load of laundry:
- Choose the Proper Type of Bleach. Chlorine bleach is designed to be used with all-white fabrics. Non-chlorinated oxygen bleach, on the other hand, can be used to keep your colored fabrics bright and beautiful.
- Check Labels. Always start by checking the label of your garment to make sure it’s made with bleach-safe fabric. Not every piece of clothing is safe to wash with non-chlorinated oxygen bleach. Do not use non-chlorinated bleach for garments made from silk, acetate, wool, spandex, polypropylene or leather. For chlorine bleach, you can test the garment by mixing one teaspoon of bleach with two teaspoons of warm water and applying the solution to an innocuous location on the garment. If the fabric does not change color after the solution has completely dried, it’s safe to use bleach on it.
- Add Bleach to the Wash. Adding bleach to your load of laundry correctly is key, so always follow the instructions on the product label. Bleach should never be poured directly onto your clothes. Add chlorine bleach to the automatic dispenser in your washer or directly into the washer water before the clothes are added. Liquid oxygen bleach can be added in the same manner as the chlorine bleach, but the powdered version should be poured into an empty washer before the clothes are added.
How Much Bleach to Use
Another question that people often ask when it comes to bleach is how much should be used? Depending on the size of the load you can use up to 1¼ cups of bleach. For a normal load, the recommended amount is ½ to ¾ cups.
Most importantly, make sure that you dilute the bleach in water before it comes into direct contact with your clothes. If you’re adding the bleach to an automatic washer dispenser, you do not need to worry about this. But if your washer does not have an automatic dispenser, make sure that you add the bleach to the washer water before loading the clothes.
How to Use Bleach to Clean
Bleach is also great for general cleaning tasks around the house. Regular 5% to 6% household bleach can be used to disinfect your counters, tables and other surfaces.
Remember to wear rubber gloves to protect your skin from irritation and follow these steps:
- Wipe down the surface with warm water and soap to remove dirt and debris and rinse with fresh water.
- Use a mixture of 1 tablespoon bleach for each gallon of water to sanitize the desired surface and let it sit for at least five minutes.
- Rinse with clean water and let air-dry.
Now that you understand how to properly use bleach to do laundry and clean household surfaces, harness the cleaning power of bleach with confidence!
Get More Help
Need help cleaning the rest of your house? Check out the home cleaning services offered by the trusted professionals at Molly Maid.
Ready to learn more or schedule a service? Call us or request a free estimate online today!
