Q. We are having a problem with our dark to light green towels and bed sheets getting orange spots and blotches in the wash. Can you advise what may be causing this to happen to our towels and sheets? We use a whole house filter and do not have any problems with "rust" or other spotting on any other colors we wash. We use Tide and only on occasion will we use Clorox bleach, and then always on whites ONLY, diluted with the wash water before adding whites.

A. This a tough one without seeing the specific items. A couple of possibilities after you ruled out the mineral/rust possibility:

• Most likely it is something reacting with the dark green color which is being oxidized to orange. It’s possible the spots are the result of liquid bleach spotting--though your diluting approach would seem to make this a low probability. It is possible that some residual bleach from pouring has been left in the washer, and the items contacted it while being placed in the washer. Sometimes other materials like medicine or cosmetics can be acidic or have oxygen bleach, which could produce this affect. I have seen this especially with acne medicines, but there are a lot of other items which can produce the same reaction. Being on towels and bedding is a clue that this might be the case.



• Less likely would be some type of bacteria which should produce some odors. Using liquid bleach routinely should control bacteria in your washer.

Q. Is Clorox2® Stain Fighter and Color Booster safe to use on garments with washing instructions that read "use only non-chlorine bleach”?

A. The short answer to your question is YES!

Our Clorox2® Stain Fighter and Color Booster has hydrogen peroxide as it's active ingredient and is in the class of oxygen, color-safe (or non-chlorine) bleach. Compare this to our Clorox® Regular-Bleach, which uses sodium hypochlorite as it's active ingredient and is in the class of chlorine bleach.

Usually garment manufacturers place the "Use only non-chlorine bleach" washing instructions on their care labels for garments containing some or all color. Unfortunately, many clothing companies simply under-label all clothing to avoid any liabilities from laundry products and processes. You may be surprised to know that a large number of colored items can also be safely washed in Clorox® Regular-Bleach. I recommend consumers do the quick Bleachability Test (2 tspn Clorox® Regular-Bleach in 1/4 cup water; apply a drop on a hidden colored area like inside seam, hemline or cuff; wait 1 minute and then blot with towel). No color change means it is safe to use bleach on the item. Any color change could also show you the amount of change in color that likely will occur if you proceed with the liquid bleach usage. You can see a demo on my blog (http://www.drlaundryblog.com) in the video Laundry 101.

Q. I have several sets of old dresser scarves that are gray and dingy. I would like to whiten them but am not sure what mixture of Clorox and/or soap to use. A few of them were hand embroidered by my grandmother and I would hate to ruin that in some way. Is it safe to soak these in a solution of liquid Tide, water and Clorox? What proportions should I use?

A. I am always cautious attempting to restore family heirlooms. You didn't indicate if they are all white or if the embroidery has any light colored stitching.

First, I probably would try an extended presoak with Clorox2® Stain Fighter and Color Booster (follow label directions) with a small sample of the dresser scarves. The idea here is to use a weaker, all-fabric and color-safe bleach to remove the gray and dinginess. If unsuccessful, it may indicate that you need to move to a more aggressive approach with a stronger bleach. I even might consider using at least a warm water subsequent wash of detergent and Clorox 2. Always air dry after washing to help prevent shrinkage. Doing another similar presoak may need to be tried. If it fails to produce the desired results, you probably will need to kick your approach up a notch and consider using liquid bleach.

First, I want to be sure all parts of the scarves can be bleached. I find that a lot of colored items can be bleached. To find out if these items can safely be bleached, I recommend consumers do the quick Bleachability Test (2 tspn Clorox® Regular-Bleach in 1/4 cup water; apply a drop to the colored portion on a hidden area like inside seam, hemline or cuff; wait 1 minute and then blot with towel); no color change means it is safe to use bleach on the item. Check out the Laundry 101 video on my blog (http://www.drlaundryblog.com/) for a demonstration of the test.

Want to proceed? I would also consider doing a quick liquid bleach soak (1/4 cup Clorox® Regular-Bleach in gallon of cool water for 5 minutes), then wash immediately in warm water using detergent and 3/4 cup Clorox® Regular-Bleach. To complete the treatment, consider air drying.

When you have verified that you can get the desired result, repeat it with the remaining items.

Q. I put bleach on a pair of shorts - now they are yellow. How can I get them back to white?

A. Afraid I may not have good news for you. I assume that you placed concentrated bleach directly on the shorts and after washing you have a yellow spot. First, I NEVER recommend using Clorox® Regular-Bleach full-strength on any item or surface. Soaking is OK, but normally I recommend 1/4 cup Clorox® Regular-Bleach/gallon of cool water and only 5-10 minutes of soaking. It should always be diluted because it is so strong and concentrated. Used like this, it can actually cause yellowing by either breaking down the fibers or destroying the florescent whitening agents on the fabric of the garment. Not much you can do for this problem, but repeated washing may lessen the yellow appearance. Try a couple of detergent-only washes as your initial approach.

Q. I would like to ask if you can use too much bleach in a wash load? Let me explain:

My husband is a chef. His chef coats are 100% cotton. He will soak them over night in up to 3 cups of bleach, hot water, dish detergent and laundry soap (liquid right now). His chef coats have been turning yellow. Admittedly,we have extremely hard water. Please let me know if there is a way to get the yellow out and what is the maximum amount of bleach he should be using.

A. A couple of concerns with your laundry approach. First, the amount of bleach and the second is the hard water. The yellowing may be from one or both.

Here's my reasons.

First, I NEVER recommend using Clorox® Regular-Bleach full-strength on any item or surface. You’re up to 3 cups of liquid bleach with hot water is very concentrated, even with the other products. Soaking is OK but normally, I recommend 1/4 cup Clorox® Regular-Bleach/per gallon of cool water and only 5-10 minutes of soaking. It should always be diluted because it is so strong and concentrated. Used like this, it can actually cause yellowing by either breaking down the fibers or destroying the florescent whitening agents on the fabric of the garment. Not much you can do for this problem, but repeated washing may lessen the yellow appearance.

The other likely culprit is poor water quality with high hardness and metals (iron or manganese) in the water or pipes. This is more pronounced in rural or well water areas. These react with the sodium hypochlorite active in Clorox® Regular-Bleach, forming colored materials that deposit on the clothes. After drying, the clothes are essentially dyed with the colored material. If all the items have a uniform discoloration, then this is the most likely cause. Our Clorox® Regular-Bleach has a special polymer, polyacrylate, to help complex the metals. You may need to start using separate products to treat the wash water supply like a water softener. For the clothes I have heard that products, (eg IronOut®, Rit® Rust Remover, Summit Brands White Brite®, etc.) can be used to strip it away before drying. I would avoid bleach until the problem is resolved, as sometimes the hot water heater can also have build-up.

So here's what I would consider. With the chef stains being so varied, I would pretreat the greasy/oily stains first, before any water is used, with the liquid dishwasher detergent (apply, rub in; wait 5-10 minutes). Then, I would use our Clorox® Bleach Pen Gel to treat the remaining bleachable stains (apply, scrub in; wait 3-5 minutes). Then, wash in hot water with detergent and 3/4 cup Clorox® Regular-Bleach. Check for success before drying. Retreat any remaining stains. To help with the high water hardness, I might consider using a good powdered detergent for washing as it contains builders to help complex the hardness.

Q. I use Clorox bleach for my whites. I recently moved and since then when I add bleach to the water in my washer, it turns brown and turns all of my white clothes brown. Is there anything I can do or add to stop this from happening?

A. Sounds like you have minerals in the water supply or pipes. This is prevalent with well water and the amount can vary in intensity during the year.

You can have the water tested to determine the overall quality, which will help guide your choice(s) of solutions. A water softening system will usually be very helpful.

The metals can react with bleach, actually oxidizing them, to form more colorful material like the brown you described that unfortunately deposits on the clothes. After drying the clothes are essentially dyed with the colored material. Thus, I suspect the brownish/yellowed laundry is caused from metal contamination.

Thus, you will probably need to start using separate products to treat the wash water supply. For the clothes I have heard that products, (eg IronOut®, Rit® Rust Remover, Summit Brands White Brite®, etc.) can be used to strip it away before drying. I would avoid bleach until the problem is resolved.

Q. My children are lacrosse players, and I have a few sports-related stain questions:

• 1. How can I deodorize sports equipment?


• 2. What is safe to use on helmets and pads to provide protection against MRSA?


• 3. How can I clean sports bags interiors?


• 4. How can I disinfect flip flops and slide in sandals used in the locker room?


• 5. Should I rinse out the washer and use bleach after these sport-related items are cleaned to prevent spreading germs to other items?

A. Thanks for your wide-ranging questions. The answers have a broader application than just for lacrosse. Let's take them one-at-a-time:

• Deodorizing sports equipment - Just like your house, dealing with odors can be done by either covering/masking or chemically-reacting them. The best result is to wash equipment whenever possible to remove as much deposited sweat, dirt and bacteria as possible. These can be machine or even hand-washed using detergent, then make sure it's rinsed well before air drying. The alternative(s) are to leave the equipment out in the sun to air dry after use or apply a spray-on product. Often equipment is just removed and stuffed in a bag until the next use. I remember the kids’ soccer shin guards would get real ripe after 2-3 weeks. Air drying will reduce the damp, warm, growth environment for odor-causing bacteria. Spraying can be useful in reducing the odors. Whether you use a deodorizing spray like Febreze, or a hard surface sanitizer like our Clorox® Anywhere® Hard Surface Daily Sanitizing Spray, this should help reduce the odors and should be done frequently for best results.




• MRSA - Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) has become much more prominent around the locker room in local high schools. Good disinfecting programs in common locker equipment areas and showers are a must. Sharing any equipment should be avoided. Abrasions like turf toe and scraped knees and elbows should be covered/protected and not introduced into potentially infected areas. Some common sense procedures should be encouraged to reduce the risk of contact, including frequent hand washing using hand sanitizers and allowing wet equipment to dry out between uses. Where possible, use of sodium hypochlorite, the active in Clorox® Regular-Bleach, should be applied to items/surfaces per label disinfecting instruction (3/4 cup Clorox® Regular-Bleach/ gallon water applied to cleaned surface for 5 minutes before rinsing and drying). Unfortunately, I don't have a good colored item product to recommend.




• Sandals/flip-flops - After being in cleats for an extended time, those slip-ons are a welcome, anticipated treat for athlete's feet. I never let my kids walk around a locker room or shower without them to avoid the risk of athlete's foot. So two different concerns here: the shower and the sandals need to be dealt with. For both situations, I would use either Clorox® Regular-Bleach applied to dirty items/surfaces or a good soap scum remover for the shower, and a brush and sudsy water for the sandals, per label disinfecting instruction (3/4 cup Clorox® Regular-Bleach/ gallon water applied to cleaned surface for 5 minutes before rinsing and drying). Clorox® Clean-Up® Cleaner with Bleach Spray applied to items/surfaces per label instruction (Spray product 4-6 inches from surface until thoroughly wet; wait 30 seconds; before rinsing and drying) will also work well.




• Sports Bag Cleaning - Usually these are a mess a couple of weeks after they're new. They are carried, dropped and stored EVERYWHERE. So the exteriors and handles are probably loaded with who knows what germs, etc. At a minimum, they should be wiped down periodically with Disinfectant Wipes and not be deposited on bathroom floors, etc. The interiors usually get the muddy shoes, wet uniforms and equipment along with whatever "snack" was taken along to deal with hunger pains. Again, encourage that these be cleaned out after every practice and game and don't forget to remove the support in the bottom for more hidden surprises. Wiping out the interior at least weekly with a sudsy rag and Disinfecting Wipes would be a good idea. An occasional wash in at least warm water with a detergent and the appropriate bleach (see Bleachability Test above) followed by air drying will also be beneficial. The key here is to keep it clean AND dry to prevent mildew, mold and/or odor-causing bacteria from taking root.




• Washing Procedure - Great question. If you're concerned about having residual germs being transferred from the washing of the sports items, I would either do them last or on a separate day. I would always follow the sports items with a white load that was going to include Clorox® Regular-Bleach. We call it “Mouth wash for Your Washer.” The liquid bleach will eliminate any left-over "critters" on your clothes or in any remaining water in the bottom of your washer.

Q. My children are lacrosse players, and I have a few sports-related stain questions:

What’s the best way to clean white socks to get out dirt stains? How can I clean colored sports jerseys? And, how can I clean UnderArmour® brand name sports shirts?

A. Thanks for your wide-ranging questions. The answers have a broader application than just for lacrosse. Let's take them one-at-a-time:

• The key to cleaning white socks with dirt stains is to get started quickly, especially if they are muddy, and use the right product/process. It's the very fine dirt/clay particles that get ground into the sock fibers that are the problem. Cotton socks are harder to clean than those using synthetic fibers, since the cotton has a porous structure. Brush/shake/scrape away as much as possible before starting the process: the more removed here means less to be removed in the subsequent laundering. I recommend a good presoak in powdered detergent (1 use in a gallon of warm water) for at least 30 minutes up to overnight. Make sure the detergent is fully dissolved before soaking. After soaking, wash in hot water using the recommended amount of detergent and 3/4 cup Clorox® Regular- Bleach. Check for success before drying as you may need to perform more than one treatment. If you have red clay, the stains may never fully come out since it's iron content makes cleaning and bleaching them nearly impossible.


• Colored Sports Jersey - This one really depends on the fiber composition. Dyed cottons are much more prone to bleeding/dye transfer and should always be washed separately according to the garment’s care label (usually in cool water). This makes it much more difficult to get really clean, however. So, scanning items for stains/spots and pretreating before washing is a must for any colored item. For colored synthetics (polyester/nylon), you usually have more flexibility as the dyes are more "permanent" and can take more aggressive treatment and washing. Use the warmest wash recommended on the care label (the hotter the water the better the cleaning/stain removal), the recommended amount of detergent and consider adding the appropriate bleach. A lot of these items can be bleached. To find out which items can safely be bleached, I recommend consumers do the quick Bleachability Test (2 tspn Clorox® Regular-Bleach in 1/4 cup water; apply a drop on a hidden colored area like inside seam, hemline or cuff; wait 1 minute and then blot with towel). No color change means it is safe to use bleach on the item. Any color change could also show you the amount of change in color that likely will occur if you proceed with the liquid bleach usage. You can see a demo on my blog (http://www.drlaundryblog.com) in the video Laundry 101. If you can't bleach the items, wash in the hottest water recommended on the care labels using detergent and an oxygen bleach like our Clorox2® Stain Fighter and Color Booster, or even a short 1/2 hour presoak in the oxygen bleach before the wash. Check for success before drying. It might require multiple treatments to get the desired result.


• Cleaning UnderArmour® clothing - The new microfiber materials are great for look and comfort. The problem, however, is usually that all your sweat, etc is pulled away from your body and onto the shirts/shorts. As the items dry during and after use, you're left with the salt, odor-causing bacteria, etc. To remove the odors and help restore the wicking properties, I recommend washing in the warmest water recommended on the care label using a good detergent and some type of bleach. Again use the Bleachability Test (above) for guidance. You can also consider a presoak before washing: (1/4 cup Clorox® Regular-Bleach in gallon of cool water for 5 minutes), then wash immediately in the hottest water recommended on the care label, if appropriate, using detergent and 3/4 cup Clorox® Regular-Bleach – or at least a 1/2 hour presoak in the oxygen bleach like Clorox2® Stain Fighter and Color Booster before the wash. Check for success before air drying. It might require multiple treatments to get the desired result.

Q. I have a new front load washer – I have been following all instructions but have noticed some of my whites and some lightly colored items coming out with a green hue. Can you help me?

A. Your green hue description is really unusual. If there was a potential problem, it would be most visible on the whites and light colors. The color may be the result of a water quality issue: copper or other dissolved metals can create this color if you have well water. If you have a water softener system, check if it needs to be recharged. It’s also possible that these metals could be reacting with liquid bleach.

Your best chance for removal of the green spots is probably using a rust remover product. Summit Instant Rust Out™ and Whink Rust Remover™ are two such products. These can usually be found in Home Depot/Lowes or hardware stores. A word of caution: ALWAYS read the label directions and pretest the products as they should only be used on whites/colorfast colors (check on hidden color area before using).

As mentioned, you might consider a good water softening/treatment system since this problem could also manifest itself in other cleaning areas. Until this is corrected, I would consider refraining from liquid bleach usage to see if the problem is not seen again. This would tend to confirm the best guess regarding the bleach. If the problem continues, then we need to do some more detective work.

Q. I am having trouble removing blood stains from white cotton sheets (400thread count). I have used Clorox® Regular-Bleach and dust mite solution, and stains remain. I have been reading lately in home and style magazines, as well as newpaper articles, that you should add bleach to the final rinse, not with the detergent. Will this help?

A. My best guess is that your use of liquid bleach has "set" the blood, and/or if you combined the Clorox® Regular-Bleach and the dust mite product, they reacted and reduced the efficacy of both products resulting in your current incomplete stain removal.

Whenever blood stains are involved, one needs to treat them first, and this done by presoaking in cool water for 30 minutes to 1 hour with a good liquid detergent containing enzymes prior to washing. If they are washed in hot water or liquid bleach or dryer dried, usually incomplete removal results and the resulting chemical/thermal reaction products are now difficult/impossible to remove.

As for adding the bleach later in the cycle: adding the Clorox® Regular-Bleach to the rinse is the way that several of the new HE washers are programmed. If you want to do this in a regular toploader, then reduce the amount of Clorox® Regular-Bleach from 3/4 cup to 1/2 cup, dilute it in a quart of water, and then pour into the filled rinse cycle as the agitation starts. Remember that the rinse cycle is much shorter than a normal wash cycle, so the bleach will have less time to work.