Q: What is the best way to remove blood from clothing?

A: I recommend presoaking blood stains in cool water using a good detergent that contains enzymes – check the list of ingredients to know for sure.  You need to soak items for at least 30 minutes and ideally as long as 60 minutes. This is because enzymes break down the protein in blood and they need enough time to do it—the “wash” portion of a wash-cycle is usually not long enough, especially for heavily stained items.  Following the presoak, drain the presoaking solution and rinse the items.  Then proceed as follows depending on whether your item is white or colored:

For stained items that are white:

1. Rub the stain gently with Clorox® Bleach Pen® Gel immediately before laundering.


2. Wash immediately in the hottest water recommended on the care label with detergent and ¾ cup    Clorox® Regular- Bleach. 


3. Air dry and check for success. If residual stain remains, repeat the treatment.


4. Remember to avoid bleaching wool, silk, mohair, leather, and spandex, even if they are white—treat these fabrics as if they were colored.

For stained items that are colored:

1. Apply Liquid Clorox® 2 Stain Fighter & Color Booster and rub into the stain.


2. Wait 3-5 minutes, and then wash immediately in hottest water recommended on the care label using detergent and Clorox® 2 Stain Fighter & Color Booster.


3. Air dry and check for success. If residual stain remains, repeat the treatment.

I hope this helps!

Readers – How do you remove blood stains?

Q: Bleach sometimes affects my asthma when I clean with it; how much liquid bleach do you recommend when mopping floors?

A: You probably know this, but it’s always good to clarify:  Clorox® Regular-Bleach should always be diluted when used—we never recommend using it full strength for cleaning any hard surface or fabric! 

For mopping floors (ceramic tile, vinyl, linoleum—not marble or other porous surfaces that aren’t safe for bleach), mix up a solution of ¾ cup bleach added to 1 gallon of water.  For disinfecting, wipe or wash the floor, then apply the bleach solution and let stand for 5 minutes.  Rinse well and air dry.  Also, be sure the area is well ventilated while you are working.

How many readers like using bleach when mopping floors?

Q: At what air temperature is the efficacy of Clorox® Regular-Bleach effected?  How low can the temperature be for proper storage?

A: Thanks for the great question.  Here’s a little background on the shelf life of Clorox® Regular-Bleach.  The active ingredient, sodium hypochlorite, naturally breaks down into salt and water, and the hotter the temperature the bottle is stored at, the faster the decomposition.  Generally, bleach stored at room temperature (~70°F) maintains its label strength active level (6% sodium hypochlorite) for approximately 6 months before starting to degrade into salt and water.  Note that for EPA registered disinfectant uses, you should always use bleach at label strength, which usually means no more than 5 months past the purchase date, with the bottle having been properly stored.  Regarding what the lowest temperature is for proper storage of Clorox, the product should not be allowed to freeze.

Readers, how do you store your Clorox® Regular-Bleach?

Q: How can I get yellow armpit stains out? I've tried everything, even using bleach pens! Any help would be greatly appreciated!

A:  Arm pit stains can be quite variable.  If your shirts have stain build-up that some people say feels almost “crunchy” you can try this method:

1. Working into a dishpan, pour boiling water slowly through each armpit stain.  This is to “melt” the build-up, which is a combination of deodorant, sweat, body soil, bacteria, etc.  It will help if you position the shirt in the dishpan before you start so that you can get to each stain without touching the shirt once you begin since it will be boiling hot!

2. Don’t rinse the shirt—just pour off as much of the hot water as you can.  This keeps the build-up in a more “melted” state.  If you do need to handle the shirt, either wear gloves or use kitchen tongs.

3. Apply a mixture of 1:1:1 parts baking soda, hydrogen peroxide, and water directly to the stain.  Sometimes you may see this referred to as a paste, but it is actually quite watery, so be sure to mix up enough so you can saturate the stains.

4. Rinse the shirt, and then follow up with a hot water wash with a good enzyme-containing detergent.  (For white t-shirts, be sure to add ¾ cup Clorox® Regular-Bleach!)

You may just have yellow staining, and in that case you could go straight to step 3, above.  You may also consider changing brands of deodorant to one that doesn’t contain any aluminum since that can contribute to the staining.  Good luck!

Is anyone else plagued by armpit stains?

Q: My wife put Clorox2® Stain Fighter & Color Booster in the bleach dispenser.  Will that hurt my washer?  If so, what can I do to fix the problem?

A: No, Clorox2® will not damage your washer if added in the bleach dispenser.  Your wife, however, should not do this on an ongoing basis, depending on the design of your dispenser.  The Clorox2® will not be adequately rinsed into the washer and could plug any tubing between the dispenser and washer drum.  Flushing the bleach dispenser line with very hot tap water several times should remove any residue.  Do this while your washer is empty so you can pour several quarts of hot water through the dispenser, then manually select a rinse/drain option and let the cycle finish. 

Readers – How do you use Clorox2®?

Q:   How should one use Clorox ® Washing Machine Cleaner in a washing machine without a bleach dispenser?

A: I am assuming you have a standard deep-fill washer since you don’t have a bleach dispenser.  Begin by selecting a hot water cycle, and start the washer (be sure it is empty).  Once you have a little water in the bottom of the tub, you can add Clorox® Washing Machine Cleaner directly to the washer tub—the correct amount to use is 1 cup.  Also, be sure to select an extra rinse cycle. If this is not an option on your washer, then, after the cycle you selected runs to completion, manually select a rinse cycle and start the washer again.  This helps ensure that no bleach is left in the washer. 

How many readers have a washing machine without a bleach dispenser?

Q: We have well water that has high amounts of silica.  This can etch most surfaces.  Is there any special care I should use when using Clorox® Regular-Bleach in my HE machine?

A: Regarding the silica in your well water, I think you mean silicate that is dissolved – silica is basically insoluble, so although it may be analyzed as silica, it is actually silicate.  Silica/silicate should not harm your clothes while cleaning, and in fact, may help--that’s why sodium silicate is a common detergent ingredient.  It binds to many other elements like – calcium, magnesium, iron, etc.  However, silicate is insoluble in the presence of calcium, becoming a precipitating builder, which can be problematic if the precipitate attaches itself to fabric, causing encrustation (most obvious on towels).  Silica/silicate really shouldn’t etch stainless steel or enamel, with or without bleach added to the wash load so I do wonder about the etching you are seeing—is it mainly noticed on glassware?  This would likely be caused by poorly tempered glass having its cations leached out non-uniformly.  It sounds like you may have had your water tested but didn’t mention having high iron or manganese. These metals are problematic for bleach because they can cause white fabrics to yellow over time.  In that case, it’s a good idea to install a filtration system.

Have any readers experienced similar issues with different water properties?

Q: Can Clorox2® remove stains from colored clothes without leaving a bleach stain? I've always been too afraid to try.

A: Clorox2® Stain Fighter & Color Booster is a great product to add along with your favorite detergent to boost cleaning, stain removal, brightening, and whitening of virtually all washable garments. That’s because the formula includes hydrogen peroxide, a much gentler color-safe bleach.  It can be added to the wash load along with your detergent, and the liquid formula can be used to pre-treat stains directly.  Be careful to not let the product dry on the fabric – 3-5 minutes of contact time is usually sufficient to remove stains.  You can also test garments or items you are unsure about by applying a drop to a hidden area (like the inside hem).  Wait 3-5 minutes then rinse and blot dry.  No color change?  Then you can safely use Clorox2®!  There is a lot of great information on Clorox2® on the products tab, so be sure to check it out.  I hope you will give it a try!

Readers – I’d love to hear about any stains you’ve treated with Clorox2®.

Q: What type of chemical reaction does the bleach perform in tandem with the detergent?

A:  There are many different reactions that happen during a wash cycle.  Detergents at a minimum provide:

• Builders that tie up water hardness ions (calcium, magnesium, etc) so they can be rinsed away without inhibiting detergency or depositing onto the clothes.


• Surfactants that remove soils/fats and disperse them into the wash water so they can be easily rinsed away.

Better detergents also include enzymes and FWA’s, mentioned above.  The active ingredient in Clorox® Regular-Bleach, sodium hypochlorite, is a strong oxidant that breaks double bonds in body soil, dirt, and various color compounds (think red wine).  This makes it easier for the surfactants and builders to do their jobs over the course of the whole wash cycle, and why we say detergent alone is not enough.

I’m wondering, are there any fun success stories out there after using bleach?

Q: Is it better to put the bleach in the water with the detergent prior to loading the clothes, or is it better to put the bleach in the designated dispenser? 

A:  Generally, if your machine has a bleach dispenser, it is a good idea to use it.  On some models, the dispenser automatically delays the addition of bleach, which is our “for best results” addition method.  Dispensers that do not delay addition, conveniently add the bleach in a method that avoids direct contact with the laundry load before water is added.  If your dispenser delays addition, I would recommend using it, and the user’s guide for your washer should indicate how the dispenser works.  The delay is beneficial at helping a good detergent work better for two main reasons:

1. It allows time for enzymes in the detergent to get to work breaking up enzyme-sensitive stains.


2. It allows time for fluorescent whitening agents (FWA’s) in the detergent to deposit onto the fabric.  These are colorless dyes that absorb non-visible light and reflect it in the visible (usually blue) spectrum.

 That said, there is a potential problem with bleach dispensers:  some designs limit the amount of bleach that can be added.  This prevents consumers from adjusting the amount of bleach they use to accommodate an extra large or heavily soiled load.  In that case, it is better to skip the dispenser and add the appropriate amount of bleach directly with the detergent as the washer is filling, before the laundry load is added.   You can also wash two smaller loads if you have an HE washer that “locks” during the cycle, making it difficult to safely add bleach without using the dispenser.

Readers:  how do you add your bleach?