Q: Help! I have tried, in vain, to remove sweat stains that have yellowed my beautiful white sheets. Do you have any recommendations or should I just buy yellow sheets?

A: The yellowing is most likely from body soil that has not been totally removed and is building up over time. Check out the posts I did earlier on body soil including some real close-ups of what the stuff looks like. The best solution is each time the sheets are washed:

• Wash in the hottest water


• Use a good detergent and ¾ cup of Clorox Regular-Bleach

On old, set-in stains, you might try a bleach soak (¼ cup per gallon of Clorox Regular-Bleach for 5-10 minutes) followed by a hot wash using detergent and Clorox Regular-Bleach. Not sure if this will remove it all, but repeating this process 2-3 times may get you back on track. If not, your yellow sheet idea is a good one if the rest of the family can be OK with the color. If you get new sheets, remember to follow the washing instructions above to avoid the stain problem in the future. Good luck and let me know if this works for you.

Q: I just built a mountain house which has a septic tank – my first – so I’m not knowledgeable about what to and not to use. I use Clorox Ultimate Care – about ¼ capful. Is this dangerous to break down otherwise needed septic bacteria?

A: Congrats on the mountain cabin; I'm jealous... We get a lot of questions regarding bleach and septic tank usage. Under normal usage, there should be no worry about using bleach in the washer and having it adversely affect the septic system. At the usage rate (¼ cap), and assuming you are using in washing machine, there will be such a small amount of bleach left at the end of your wash cycle. When it is discharged, it will encounter lots of other material to react with in the pipe and be completely gone long before it reaches your septic tank.

Q: I recently purchased some white towels from LL Bean, & on the washing label it states not to use any product that contains ... benzoyl peroxide. Does the Clorox 2 bleach for colors contain this ingredient? Do any of the Clorox products contain it? Thanks for any input you can give me, I just don't want to use the wrong product on my new towels, & I want to learn more as to what benzoyl peroxide is.

A: You are ok to use Clorox2. The liquid Clorox 2 contains hydrogen peroxide and the powder contains sodium perborate which forms hydrogen peroxide when dissolved in wash water. Hydrogen peroxide is a mild oxygen bleach that makes it safe for use on most washable colors. On the other hand, benzoyl peroxide is found in a number of acne medications and is a very aggressive bleaching agent. You could also use sodium hypochlorite on those whites. A milder form of Clorox Regular- Bleach is the new Clorox UltimateCare Bleach. It’s thicker, has a lower bleach level and has a terrific SoftCotton scent.

I received an interesting question about the shelf life of bleach. There is a rumor circulating out there that once a bottle is open, it loses its effectiveness after a month. Another bleach myth to debunk!

Let's start at the beginning.

Bleach stability is affected primarily by temperature: hotter temperatures accelerate the decomposition of sodium hypochlorite, Clorox’s active ingredient. An open or closed container, does not matter.

This is why we have a Clorox "bleach calendar" that we use to make bleach in our plants. In summer, we add extra hypochlorite to insure that our 6.0% active level is maintained for approximately 6 months at an ambient (70°F) temperature.

Product life cycle information would suggest that from manufacture to store shelf to home is usually around 4-8 weeks. Thus, there is typically 3-5 months for normal home usage still available where the label strength is available.

Let's examine the worst case conditions. Even in very hot conditions, let's say a constant 90°F; the label strength is still available for 3-4 months.

These types of conditions are not likely to occur in homes. While the outside temperature may spike during the day, there is a cycling that typically occurs in the home. This prevents the constant external temperature exposure and means the product temperature may be temporarily affected, but will rise and fall over time. Unless the product is sitting in direct sunlight for an extended period of time, I would speculate that the maximum temperature it will reach is 80°F.

Now let's address the loss of effectiveness. The maintaining 6% active hypochlorite level is a requirement for our disinfecting registration with the EPA. For effective cleaning in the laundry and around the house, we can reduce the active level well below 6% and still provide the standard of excellence consumers expect from Clorox Bleach.

So to recap:

• We add extra bleach during manufacturing to take into account expected temperature changes and to maintain our stated label 6% sodium hypochlorite level for Clorox Regular-Bleach.


• Under most typical home storage conditions this 6% active level will be maintained at least 6 months. Excellent performance should be expected for around a year under these conditions.


• Extreme exposure may reduce the active level below 6%, but excellent performance will be maintained for laundry and home cleaning for at least 9 months.


• Opening the bottle does NOT have an effect on hypochlorite stability nor make the product ineffective.

Here’s a question from a reader on the appropriate amount of bleach to use in a laundry load.

Q: What is the minimum amount of bleach I can use to disinfect laundry? I'm mostly interested in killing mildew on towels and generally find that a very small amount will do. What does science say? I have a septic system and so I don't want to use the 3/4 cup per load that is standard.

A: Simple answer to your question; the recommended amount of Clorox Regular-Bleach, 3/4 cup for regular loads or 1 1/4 cup for large/heavily soiled loads, should do the job. Clorox Regular-Bleach is the best solution as a registered EPA disinfectant.

As for the septic tank, you shouldn't worry about using the recommended amount of bleach. The active ingredient, sodium hypochlorite, is extremely reactive and nearly all is consumed in the wash and reverts to mostly salt and water. The small amount that may be un-reacted will encounter lots of organic soil in the drain pipes and be consumed long before it reaches the septic tank.

I received the following question from a reader—check it out if you’ve had a similar problem.

Q: I SAT ON A BENCH AT A FAVORITE RESTAURANT WEARING WHITE SLACKS. WHEN I GOT UP, I SORT OF STUCK TO THE BENCH. WHEN I WENT TO WASH THE SLACKS, THERE WAS WHAT APPARENTLY IS POLYURETHANE. I BELIEVE THEY WERE STAINING THE BENCH. I DID NOT SEE A SIGN NOR DID ANYONE TELL ME NOT TO SIT DOWN AND WAIT FOR MY FRIEND. ANY SUGGESTIONS? I' HAVE TRIED NUMEROUS THINGS AND IT IS FADING BUT IT IS STILL VISIBLE IF IT CANNOT BE REMOVED, CAN I DYE THE SLACKS?

A: Bad situation. If it was polyurethane on the white slacks and it has dried, you're probably out of luck. I might suggest trying a good solvent like Goo Gone to try and coax it off the fabric. Try a small out-of-the-way spot and follow label instructions. Good ventilation should be followed as you use any of these products. If it works then you can try on bigger area/all the remaining surface.

As for dying over the spot, my main concern would be the dye absorbing differently in the stained area. Most likely a splotchy appearance would occur.

Sorry I couldn't be more positive and sorry for the delay in responding. Way too many things going on in my lab these days keeping me from answering more quickly.

Let me know if this helps or if you have some follow-up questions.