Written by Cindy Bailen, veteran writer on major appliance and home design for 15+ years.
Updated October 16, 2018
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When the laundry looks dingy, we reach for the bleach. But did you know there's more to bleach than just Clorox?
Aside from liquid chlorine bleach in the familiar white jug, there’s the gentler oxygen bleach (OxiClean is the best known brand), usually in powder form. And there’s a newer bleach product on the market, Tide Brights + Whites Rescue, which comes in a pod, and claims to use a unique oxygen bleach technology to get clothes whiter. We tested the cleaning performance of all three bleaches to see which cleaned best, and the results were surprising.
Types of bleach
Chlorine bleachYou probably have a bottle of Clorox—or a store brand version of it—in your laundry room right now. Liquid chlorine bleach works by breaking dirt and stains into particles that detergent can wash away. You pour this bleach into the washer’s dispenser, it releases at the right time, and your laundry comes out whiter.
One big advantage of chlorine bleach is its powerful disinfectant action. The big disadvantage of chlorine bleach is that you can only use it on white cottons or colorfast fabrics without risking ruin. Chlorine bleach also causes fading and yellowing in the long run, and it ultimately weakens fabrics, leaving holes in your clothes.
Oxygen bleachOxygen bleach (like OxiClean) is an alternative to chlorine bleach, and it’s safe for many fabrics. You can use it to remove stains on colors, as well as whites. It doesn’t contain scary chemicals and it won’t ruin most fabrics—though you should avoid using it on silk or leather. The most effective version is powdered—you dissolve it in warm water and you can let the clothes soak in the solution to remove stains.
Tide Brights + Whites RescueThese laundry booster pods contain oxygen bleach and a small amount of "bleach activator" in liquid form. They break down dirt, whitening whites and brightening colors. They are pricier that other types of bleach, but they claim to get clothes up to three shades whiter.
Our tests
To see how well each bleach product cleaned, we used the stain strips we normally test with (to simulate sebum, carbon, cocoa, blood, and red wine) and followed the directions on the back of each package for bleaching a medium-sized load. This amounted to 1/2 cup of bleach, 25 grams (.88 ounces) of OxiClean, and one pod of Tide Rescue.
We washed loads of laundry detergent and each bleach separately in a top-load washing machine, the GE GTW685BSLWS. We also ran a test load with OxiClean and no detergent.
Conclusions
We compared the effectiveness of each bleach.
• Tide Brights + Whites Rescue did the best cleaning job overall, cleaning 73% of stains. However it costs 93 cents a load to use these pods, meaning you should probably save them for really dingy, soiled wash loads.
• OxiClean contains no chlorine and came in second, cleaning 72% of stains. And at 13 cents a load, it’s a bargain.
• Chlorine bleach came in last place, cleaning 63% of stains. It also left white spots! OxiClean beat its whitening power, even without adding detergent to the laundry, which is not recommended.
If you have bleach around the home, save it for disinfecting. You can get safer, better whitening results using bleach alternatives.
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FAQs
Try diluting the bleach with less water (but do not add straight bleach to your shirt). However, you may have a shirt made from a bleach-resistant or solution-dyed fabric that won't react with bleach.
Why are my clothes getting bleach spots when I don t use bleach? ›
Another source of those sneaky bleaching chemicals can be found in personal care products! Benzoyl peroxide-containing acne medications, peroxide teeth whitening gels, and whitening toothpastes can all have a bleaching effect on clothing and towels.
What clothes should you not bleach? ›
Check the fiber content
You can safely bleach cotton, polyester, nylon, acrylic and rayon. Always avoid bleaching wool, silk, mohair, leather or spandex, even a small percentage. Once you confirm that the clothes you want to wash are made of a bleach-safe fiber, then you check if the color is colorfast to bleach.
What bleach is best for clothes? ›
Oxygen bleach is gentler, less toxic, and more environmentally friendly than chlorine bleach. It can be used on almost all washable garments, though it's best for colors. Also, if you don't want your colorful kitchen towels to fade, this is a safer choice.
How can I make bleach more effective on my clothes? ›
For best results in a standard washer, dilute the measured amount of bleach in 1 quart of water. Add to wash 5 minutes after the wash cycle begins. To sanitize, ensure that the laundry contacts the bleach solution for 10 minutes.
Does hot water ruin bleach? ›
How you use bleach is the key to either making or breaking its cleaning power. By using hot water instead of cold/tepid water to create a solution, you can render the active ingredients in bleach ineffective. So for bleach that works, always make sure you dilute it in cold/tepid water.
Does vinegar remove bleach stains from clothes? ›
Apply vinegar or lemon juice: Mix equal parts white vinegar or lemon juice with water and apply the solution to the bleach stain. Let it sit for a few minutes, then rinse thoroughly with cold water.
Will OxiClean bleach clothes? ›
OxiClean™ Versatile Stain Remover Free. It's the go-to product for tough stains on laundry and almost any other surface in your home. OxiClean™ Versatile Stain Remover Free is chlorine bleach-free and color safe.
Can OxiClean cause bleach spots? ›
If there is "Oxy" in the name, it is a mild bleach. The longer it stays on the carpet, the more dye it pulls. This will look okay until the cleaner removes the dye that has been damaged by the spotting product. Some varieties of Resolve and Woolite have also caused bleached-out spots.
Are some clothes bleach resistant? ›
Remember to check the fiber content on the care label and only test garments made from fibers you know are bleach-safe, such as cotton, polyester, acrylic, nylon, and rayon.
Gagliardi says to never use bleach when washing spandex, wool, silk, mohair or leather; regardless of their color, bleach will ruin them. Always check clothing labels. As for colored fabrics, some are colorfast to bleach; it depends on what dye was used to color the fabric and how it was applied.
Is OxiClean better than bleach? ›
Clorox is a chlorine-based bleach and can remove the color from many fabrics, while OxyClean is an oxygen-based bleach and is safe for all fabrics. But Clorox actually does remove stains easier than OxyClean, so you have to consider what you are washing to determine which to use.
What whitens clothes better than bleach? ›
There are several effective alternatives to bleach for whitening clothes. Baking soda, hydrogen peroxide, lemon juice, white vinegar, and borax are all natural and effective solutions that can help keep your clothes looking bright and clean.
Is there a difference between cleaning bleach and laundry bleach? ›
Comparing Laundry Bleach and Regular Bleach
Laundry bleach has a lower concentration of sodium hypochlorite, making it gentler and suitable for fabrics. Regular bleach, on the other hand, has a higher concentration, which makes it more potent and suitable for disinfecting and cleaning hard, non-porous surfaces.
How long does it take for bleach to lighten clothes? ›
Submerge the clothes in the bleach bin for 1 to 15 minutes.
If you only want a light change in the fabric, leave the garment in for a minute or two. To dramatically lighten the clothes, soak the clothes for up to 15 minutes.
How long does bleach take to show up on clothes? ›
You should be able to see the bleach changing the color of the garment within about 2 minutes, but it will take 8-10 minutes for the bleach to really seep into the fabric. If you leave it on much longer the bleach could damage your garment. Wash the garment in mild detergent when the time is up.
How do you bleach stubborn clothes? ›
It's best if you choose the highest possible temperature because the bleach will be more effective. Pour the appropriate amount of bleach (check the information on the package) into the designated space in your washing machine. Also add some washing powder and fabric softener (optional). And that's it!
How do you know if bleach is working on clothes? ›
Find an inconspicuous spot on the garment, such as an inside seam. Dip a cotton swab in the bleach and water solution and dot the fabric. Allow the spot to dry completely. If you see any change in color on the fabric or a transfer of color to the swab, don't use chlorine bleach on this fabric.
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