How would you handle a major home remodel that not only demolishes the kitchen, but the laundry room as well?  Staring at the open wall studs that revealed the disconnected pipes that a few weeks ago were attached to my neighbor’s clothes washer I couldn’t help but ask that question.  Turns out their contractor will bring in a clothes washer once every two weeks to help them get caught up on their laundry—a great idea, except how many families can go two weeks without doing at least one load of laundry?  So last weekend I extended my neighbor Julie an offer:  if you can’t make it that long, just bring your laundry over to my house and use my washer.  I was thrilled when she accepted—after all these are the wonderful neighbors who let me use their oven to bake my kids’ birthday cakes during our kitchen remodel!

An hour later Julie came by with two loads, and one mystery stain challenge.  If you’ve read the list of 30 things about me you may remember that I like experimenting on my friends’ laundry, and the mystery stain was just too good to pass up.  Here are the details—a light blue polyester/nylon blend overshirt with small splotches of stain on the front.  Could be from food, but it also had a mildewed look, and Julie also remembered wearing the shirt while she worked outside so it could also be rust. Hmmmmmm...

Starting with a simple pre-treat, the shirt was washed with Julie’s favorite detergent but the stain did not change in appearance at all (so not a food stain), and of course the shirt did not go into the dryer.  Next, since Julie was pretty sure it may have been rust, I first tested a little rust remover on a hidden part of the shirt to be sure it wouldn’t damage the shirt, and then gave it a try—but it also had no effect on the stain.  Which brought me back to the possibility of mold; depending on how long the shirt had been sitting to be washed, that could be it—and would come out if I could only bleach the shirt!  Since the shirt was a polyester/nylon blend, there was actually a very good chance it would be colorfast to bleach, and the bleachability test confirmed this very quickly!  Sure enough, soaking the shirt for 5 minutes in a solution of ¼ cup Clorox Regular-Bleach per gallon of water did lighten the stain.  Repeating the treatment another 4 times was necessary before the stain (yes, it was mold/mildew) was all the way gone.  It’s hard not to give in to the temptation to use a super strong bleach solution and see if that will speed things up, but that can damage fabric, and it was good I followed my own advice:

• Always let an item air dry while you are trying to get a stain out.


• Use the bleachability test to determine if a colored item can be safely bleached.


• Repeating a treatment several times may be necessary to get a stain that’s been sitting awhile all the way out.


• Never apply full strength bleach to any fabric, ever.

And the happy ending?  Julie’s thrilled her new shirt will be worn more than once, and I think it might be time to remodel my laundry room!

Q: How do I remove a stain caused by Clorox 2® Stain Fighter and Color Booster?  It's a ring around what used to be a coffee stain.

A:  What you describe sounds like liquid Clorox 2® was applied directly to the coffee stain (which is good for improved stain removal), but stayed on the fabric too long before being washed.  We typically recommend allowing 5-10 minutes (depending on the type of stain and its severity) for pre-treating before washing an item.  This allows enough time for the surfactants and hydrogen peroxide to work in concentrated form, but not so much time that the colorant and brighteners permanently dye the area. The product should never be allowed to dry on the fabric since the stain left behind (a combination of blue colorant and brighteners) is nearly impossible to remove.  There’s a chance you might be able to remove the blue colorant by soaking the item (if it’s safely bleachable—avoid bleaching wool, silk, mohair, leather, and spandex) in a solution of ¼ cup Clorox® Regular-Bleach per gallon of water for up to 5 minutes before thoroughly rinsing.  Any residual blue color left after this is actually concentrated brightener that reflects light off the fabric in the blue spectrum.  Success will be depends on how long the liquid Clorox 2® was on the fabric in the first place.

If the item is colored, you still might be able to safely bleach it.  To check, add 2 teaspoons Clorox® Regular-Bleach to ¼ cup water and apply a drop of this solution to a hidden part of the item; wait 1 minute then blot dry; no color change means the item can be safely bleached.  If it passes, then you can try soaking it as described above.  I really hope you are able to use the bleach soak and that it works, but unfortunately it may be too late. 

Has anyone else had this happen?

Q: A few white items were washed in a color load and turned blue. Some of the items were all white and others had colored patterns. I did not put them in the dryer.  Currently, I’m soaking them in 1 cup white distilled vinegar and detergent.  If this doesn't work, what else can I do?

A:  That's too bad about the blue dye transfer.  The good news is that you should be able to restore any bleachable items with a bleach soaking solution!

Start by figuring out if any of the white or colored items can be safely bleached (even if they are labeled "only non-chlorine bleach").  First, check the care label and eliminate any items that include wool, silk, mohair, spandex, and leather – these fabrics should never be bleached.  For the colored part of the remaining partially colored items, check for colorfastness to bleach with this simple bleachability test:

• Dilute 2 teaspoons Clorox® Regular-Bleach in ¼ cup water


• Apply a drop of this solution to a hidden part of the each item (like a hem, cuff, collar, or inside seam)


• Wait 1 minute then blot dry


• No color change means the item can be safely bleached. 

For the white items, and any partially colored items that passed the bleachability test, try soaking them in a solution of ¼ cup Clorox® Regular-Bleach diluted in 1 gallon cool water for up to 5 minutes, then rinse them thoroughly.  Air dry the items, and check for success (it’s important to keep the items out of the dryer so the heat doesn’t set any remaining dye). 

Hopefully the fugitive blue color will be gone, but if it is lighter, then repeat the bleach soak again.  However, if the bleach soak leaves the dye transfer color unchanged then you may need to try RIT® Color Remover, which can usually be found at drug and hardware stores.

Q:  I've seen on a few posts that mention bleach can crystallize if proper conditions are met. I work at a company that uses Clorox to sanitize the floor and some of the equipment. I find that after cleaning, when the equipment is moved or the floor remains wet, a layer of “crystals” is found. Trying to clean it using a mop and room temp water causes the crystals to spread into a thin layer, which is eventually removed.  However, if I add more Clorox, it crystallizes further. I read in some of the other blogs that hard scrubbing and warm water is the best removal process, but I'm more interested in prevention. What are the causes of crystallized bleach? Could a constant source of airflow (air filter system for example) cause the liquid in Clorox to evaporate quicker than expected forming the crystals?

A:  The crystals you are observing are salt crystals.  That’s because the sodium hypochlorite active in Clorox® Regular-Bleach breaks down into salt and water (a big part of what makes it so environmentally friendly).  Also, note that undiluted bleach is mostly water – as the water evaporates, eventually salt crystals will remain. 

There are several possibilities as to why you are seeing salt crystals on the floor.  The most likely reason is that the floor is not being rinsed thoroughly following cleaning or the bleach solution being used is too concentrated, making complete rinsing difficult.  The correct protocol for disinfecting floors, walls, vinyl and tiles is:

• Pre-wash surface, then mop or wipe with a solution of 3/4 cup of bleach per 1 gallon of water. Allow solution to contact surface for at least 5 minutes. Rinse well and air dry.

If your job involves sanitizing food contact surfaces in a restaurant, you would use a different bleach solution and method than what we recommend for floors.  For all you “foodies”, here’s the protocol:

• To sanitize food contact surfaces: wash, rinse and wipe surface area with a solution of 1 tablespoon of bleach per 1 gallon of water for at least 2 minutes. Let air dry.

Has anyone else had problems with bleach crystalizing?

With all the looks coming down the runway during Fashion Week, my inner designer is itching to share some creations! Tomorrow, Fashion Week will come to a close, but not before a very important show that Clorox is helping to sponsor. On February 16^th at 3pm ET you can tune in to Strut: The Fashionable Mom Show. There will be some great DIY looks heading down the runway from Clorox, and for those of you who want to stay on trend this season we pulled together a few tips to help create a look of your own.

Vintage Flashback:  DIY Reverse Tie-Dye

• Using thick thread or a rubber band, start to bind areas of a 100% cotton t-shirt into knots. You have to bind the shirt very tightly; otherwise the bleach solution will get under the bound parts and won't provide the desired effect.


• To diversify the look, take bigger pieces and bind it in two or even three places; and then in other places just bind a tiny area. In other words, mix it up!


• Next, dip the shirt into a bleach soaking solution of: ¼ cup bleach per gallon of water.  If a smaller amount of bleach solution is needed, then you can use 1 tablespoon of bleach per quart of water.


• You may need to use something to fully submerge the shirt such as a spoon, plate, etc. Let it sit 5-15 minutes. If discoloration is slow, be prepared to repeat the treatment, but don’t use a stronger bleach solution.


• Once you achieve the desired effect, take the item out of the bleach solution and rinse thoroughly. Remove the threads and/or rubber bands and rinse thoroughly once more.


• Tumble or air dry the item.  To completely stop the bleach reaction wash the item one additional time using Clorox 2® Stain Fighter & Color Booster

Remember to always work in a well ventilated area and wear gloves if you are going to expose your skin to the bleach solution for a prolonged period.  Below are some additional best practices tips for successful DIY projects:

• Check care labels to confirm textiles/garments are 100% cotton.


• Before any DIY project, wash items by hand with a very small amount of laundry detergent in luke warm water and then rinse and air dry.


• Always use a bleach-and-water solution; never apply undiluted bleach to any textile since yellowing or holes might develop over time.


• Use the bleachability test to determine the item’s colorfastness to bleach before starting.  This way you’ll have an idea of how much work it will take to get the color change you desire – or if it will change at all!  To test for colorfastness
  
  
  
  • Add 2 teaspoons bleach to ¼ cup water
  
  
  • Apply a drop of this solution to a hidden part of the item
  
  
  • Wait 1 minute, blot dry and observe any color change
  
  
  • A large difference means the item will respond quickly to bleach, while a small difference may indicate several treatments may be necessary before getting a more dramatic color change
  
  
  
  

Don’t forget to follow the show on Twitter with the hashtag #strutmoms. I’ll be live-tweeting as the show goes on! For more information on Strut, check out the moms behind the show here: http://www.thefashionablemomshow.com/

Q:  My white t-shirt tag recommends the use of non-chlorine bleach only. I have Clorox® Regular-Bleach, do I need Clorox2® instead?

A:  That's good you are looking at the care label in your shirt! It should also contain information on what the shirt is made of, but sometimes that information is split onto two tags. One can be attached to a side seam and the other at the back of the neck, so you may need to look thoroughly.  I say this because you will want to check the fiber content to see if the shirt contains a small amount of spandex.  If it does, then you should not use Clorox® Regular-Bleach and should instead use Clorox2®.  That's because spandex (along with wool, silk, mohair, and leather) should not be washed with Clorox® Regular-Bleach; its bleach active is sodium hypochlorite, and will break down the fiber/fabric.  Cotton, polyester, and cotton/poly blends, on the other hand, can be safely washed with Clorox® Regular-Bleach.  Often a garment or textile manufacturer produces a single style in a variety of colors and puts the same tag on all of them regardless of their wash-ability.  The most amusing example to me is a white towel!

Q:  Does disinfecting with Clorox® Regular-Bleach “kill” scabies?

A:  Clorox® Regular-Bleach is an EPA registered disinfectant, and any bacteria, fungus, or virus that we can state efficacy for (aka the ability to kill it when the product is used as directed) must be listed as part of the EPA registration.  Unfortunately I could not find scabies on the EPA master label, and so I cannot tell you that using bleach will kill it!  I wish I could have been more helpful.

Valentine’s Day is one of my favorite holidays, and when I looked at the calendar this morning I realized it really is right around the corner! However you spend it, your Valentine’s Day is bound to be full of love, smooches and boxes of chocolate. But we all know that smooches from your red lipstick and ooey gooey chocolate squares can leave a little more mess than you bargained for. Check out our infographics below for some fun facts about your smooches and chocolate treats to get you in the loved-up spirit.

And most importantly, don’t forget to visit us if you find yourself with some lover’s day stains to clean up on the 15^th! 

[caption id="attachment_1450" align="alignleft" width="576" caption="I love a box of chocolates from my hubby on Valentine’s Day, and just like most North Americans milk chocolate is my favorite! How much chocolate do you think you’ll eat this year?"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1466" align="alignleft" width="576" caption="Some women can pull of red lips, but I’m more of a rose girl. Either way, I think the stat above is a good reminder for all the husbands across America! How many of you will be getting a goodbye kiss every morning?"][/caption]

Q:  I just washed a new red and white striped coverlet I had custom made. I tried to prevent the red from bleeding on the white by putting two Shout® Color Catchers® in the cold wash. Well, I still had some bleeding on the white stripes! How can I get this off? And in the future, how should I wash this product? The coverlet is made out of 300ct cotton sheets that have been sewn together and I did not dry it once I saw what happened.

A:  What an unfortunate situation, but good for you for not tumble drying the coverlet.  You have a much better chance of restoring it since you didn’t heat-set the dye transfer.  

Start by figuring out if the red portion of the coverlet is safely bleachable (even if the original sheet was labeled "only non-chlorine bleach").  You can check for colorfastness to bleach with this simple bleachability test: dilute 2 teaspoons Clorox® Regular-Bleach in ¼ cup water; apply a drop of this solution to a hidden or less visible part of the coverlet (or maybe you have fabric scraps to test); wait 1 minute then blot dry; no color change means the item can be safely bleached.  It’s hard to know if the red will pass—many colored bedding items do, but red is notorious for being a problem, and you won’t know until you try. 

Let’s say it passes—in that case, soak the coverlet in a solution of ¼ cup Clorox® Regular-Bleach diluted in 1 gallon cool water for up to 5 minutes, then rinse thoroughly.  Air dry, and check for success.  Hopefully the fugitive color will be gone, but if the bleach soak leaves the dye transfer color unchanged, (or if you determined that the red fabric could not be bleached) then you may need to try RITÒ Color Remover, which can usually be found at drug and hardware stores.  Since you don’t want to strip the red color, you may want to try a weak dilution first to see if that does the trick.

You were also wondering about future care of the coverlet.  If you have any fabric left over from the construction of the coverlet you can determine the extent of the bleeding problem by soaking fabric scraps in a warm water + detergent solution.  If the fabric only bleeds one time when you do this, then it could be that excess dye is now off the fabric and you won’t see bleeding in the future. But if it’s not, and the red fabric takes a few more washes to get the excess dye off, you could do a series of warm water washes with detergent to try to get all the dye off the fabric, and then do one final restoration step.  You could also see if bleeding is minimized in cold water, and then only wash in cold water in the future.  If the nightmare persists, and you decide to make another one, try some of the bleach friendly sheets that are now available.

Has anyone else had this frustrating problem happen to them?

Q:  Are there any health/fire/safety risks associated with adding bleach to the rinse cycle (when already used in the wash cycle) to whiten dingy cleaning rags?

A:  Thanks for sending in your question — it’s a very interesting one!  There’s no fire risk with Clorox® Regular-Bleach.  From the product’s Material Safety Data Sheet, Fire and Explosion Data is as follows:

• Flash Point: None


• Special Firefighting Procedures: None


• Unusual Fire/Explosion Hazards: None. Not flammable or explosive. Product does not ignite when exposed to open flame.

Health risks associated with adding bleach to the final rinse cycle would be limited to potential skin sensitivity of people who use the rags in the future, and that would vary between individuals.  The biggest issue (and the best reason to not add bleach to the final rinse cycle) is residual bleach left behind in the washer that could carry over to the next wash load, meaning you could get bleach spots on items not safe for bleach! 

Adding an extra rinse cycle would eliminate the “bleach residue” problem, but I would recommend using a combined bleach pre-soak and bleach + detergent wash instead.  Start by rinsing the rags, and then soaking them for 5 minutes in a bleach solution of ¼ cup Clorox® Regular-Bleach per gallon of warm water.  Drain the soaking solution and then wash the rags in hot water using a good powdered detergent + ¾ cup Clorox® Regular-Bleach.