\u00a9 2023 wikiHow, Inc. All rights reserved. She has published 4 books. When she isnt writing, you can find Hannah working on hand embroidery projects and listening to music. The most common non-chlorine version in liquid form is hydrogen peroxide. 4. Step 1: Mix 2 tablespoons of bleach product with 1/4 cup of water. wikiHow, Inc. is the copyright holder of this image under U.S. and international copyright laws. You may want to wash your item on its own the first few times it gets dirty so that the bleach doesnt transfer to any of your other clothes. Delicate garments are best hand-washed first and then soaked for 15 minutes in a very weak bleach solution and then rinsed. There is no way to reverse the bleaching. Tested. Step 3: Perform an extra rinse cycle to rid the clothes of the lingering bleach odor. 9. As a rule, it is recommended not to bleach garments made of wool, silk, mohair, spandex, and any flame-retardant clothes, especially with chlorine bleach. A change in matter that creates a new substance by rearranging atoms. And its not just because I work for Clorox. There are 19 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. Make sure you hit all sides of your clothing item with bleach so that it looks even. wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. Luckily for you, there are simple ways to prevent your clothes, sheets, and towels from coming out of the washer and dryer smelling funky. Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. Bleach should not be used on wool, spandex or silk, either. Follow these steps to spot test the fabric. There are 10 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. All of these may have been combined with sun exposure. Make sure youre loading your washing machine lightly so the bleach can do its job perfectly. It's a myth that bleaching clothes is harmful and will eventually damage clothes. Liquid chlorine bleach has a limited shelf life. 8. Stores are flooded with a variety of bleaches, so read all ingredients carefully and then make a decision on what type of bleach you want to buy. (And adding more detergent is not one of them in fact, you may need to use less!). Here are the three symbols associated with bleach care and what they mean: However, according to Clorox laundry scientist Mary Gagliardi, aka Dr. TRUTH: Fabrics will naturally deteriorate from wearing, washing and drying. Reflective/scattering properties are distinct from absorption. The bleach reacts in hair, removing the color in an irreversible chemical reaction. Change is happening all around us all of the time. physical science. It has a variety of uses. If you don't see the words "bleach-safe" on the tag, look for a triangle symbol, which indicates the item is safe to bleach. 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