Dr Laundry

Concentrated Clorox® Regular-Bleach

Thu, 21 Mar 2013 12:00:13 -0700

As you may have noticed on your store shelves, Clorox^® recently introduced Concentrated Clorox^® Regular-Bleach, a more concentrated version of its namesake liquid bleach.

You may ask what is different about this product. Concentrated Clorox^® Regular Bleach is the same Clorox bleach product that you have come to know through generations of use, just with less water! There are multiple benefits and improvements to this new concentration of our classic formula, as well:

Concentrated Clorox^® Regular Bleach is in a smaller bottle that is easier to handle and easier to use in high-efficiency (HE) washing machines.It improves whitening of clothes. It still has the same number of uses per bottle as the product you’re used to, but its smaller size significantly reduces the amount of water and packaging used in each bottle. This change will help reduce the product and The Clorox Company’s environmental footprint.

You can find it on store shelves nationwide with “Now Concentrated” on the label.

Because Concentrated Clorox^® Regular Bleach is more concentrated, the instructions for use are slightly different than you’re accustomed to. Below is an easy reference for common measurements, but as always, please be sure to refer to the label for instructions.

To use Concentrated Clorox^® Regular-Bleach to whiten and sanitize laundry:

Add ½ cup of Concentrated Clorox^® Regular-Bleach to a standard or HE washer following the laundry use directions.
As with any cleaning or laundry product, it is important to read the product label before use.

To use Concentrated Clorox^® Regular-Bleach to disinfect hard, nonporous surfaces:

Wash, wipe of rinse surface with water.
Add ½ cup of Concentrated Clorox^® Regular Bleach to one gallon of water.
Apply solution to the surface and let stand 5 minutes before rinsing.
Rinse thoroughly and air dry.

Click here for more information about Concentrated Clorox^® Regular-Bleach.

Removing rust stains

Mon, 25 Feb 2013 14:59:27 -0800

How can I remove rust in fabrics?

Unfortunately rust stains can NOT be removed with Clorox^® Regular-Bleach (or any chlorine bleach for that matter). You need to use a rust remover product instead, and these can be found at hardware stores—just be sure to read and follow the package directions, including wearing gloves. The biggest issue with treating washable fabrics with a rust remover is whether or not they are colorfast. You can always test a spot on a hidden part of the stained items if you want to be sure the rust remover is safe to use. After you have treated the items, be sure to rinse them thoroughly and let them air dry.

Odor Removal from a Dishrag

Fri, 22 Feb 2013 08:00:31 -0800

What can I use to remove the awful smell out of dishrag?

If the dishrag is damp/wet on and off over a couple of days before you wash it, then odor causing bacteria is building up on the rag. If you only wash it with detergent, that's not enough to sanitize the rags and the smell (a mildewy, foul smell) will linger or reappear as soon as the "clean" rag gets wet. Washing in hot water using detergent and 3/4 cup Clorox^® Regular-Bleach (or 1/2 cup New Concentrated Clorox^® Regular-Bleach), will sanitize the rag and eliminate the odor. Be sure to wash with bleach every time you wash the rag!

Detergent/Bleach Reaction

Thu, 21 Feb 2013 08:00:26 -0800

I noticed when I mix Clorox^® Regular-Bleach with my detergent, the water becomes orange. Why is this? Will Clorox^® Regular-Bleach still sanitize my laundry when this happens?

It depends on whether you see the orange color for just a few seconds, or if it remains for the remainder of the wash cycle. If it’s an orange flash that lasts for a few seconds, then what you are observing is a reaction between the fluorescent whitening agents (also called brighteners) in the detergent with the sodium hypochlorite active in Clorox^® Regular-Bleach. This happens to brighteners suspended in wash water, but it doesn’t happen with brighteners that have already deposited onto the fabric, by the way. Delaying the addition of bleach until 5 minutes after the wash cycle has begun is a great way to allow bleach adequate time to improve cleaning and whitening, as well as time for the brighteners to deposit onto the fabric. That’s why our “for best results” usage instructions recommend delaying the addition of bleach by either using a bleach dispenser with timed addition if your washer has one, or waiting and adding bleach that has been diluted in a quart of water manually.

Another possibility for the color change you observe is the presence of large amounts of metals (like iron and manganese) in your incoming water supply. These can react with the sodium hypochlorite active in bleach to form colored materials, so this could be what’s turning the water orange following the addition of bleach. When there’s a lot of metals present, over time clothing can actually become yellow or dingy from the build-up of the colored complexes on the fabric. If this is an issue for you, you might want to consider installing a water treatment/filtration system to remove impurities.

Regardless of the cause of the orange color, as long as you are using the recommended amount of bleach, you will be sanitizing your laundry. For regular size loads with an average soil level, add ½ cup New Concentrated Clorox^® Regular-Bleach. For extra-large or heavily soiled loads, add up to 1 cup. And if you live in the western U.S. and (like me) can’t purchase the new concentrated product yet, then use ¾ cup to 1 ¼ cup of Clorox^® Regular-Bleach depending on the size and soil level of your load.

Color Bleeding in Spandex

Wed, 20 Feb 2013 12:41:17 -0800

I washed a new white top with spandex in it with light colors and now it is grey. How do I get it back to white?

Your issue is dye transfer after just one cycle. Unfortunately, the fact that your top contains spandex means you won't be able to use a bleach and water soaking solution to remove the dye transfer since spandex (along with wool, silk, mohair, and leather) should never be bleached. However, you can give RIT Color Remover a try. You can usually find this product at drug and even hardware stores – it's a reducing bleach that is safe for spandex and often is very helpful at removing dye transfer. Follow the manufacturer's instructions, and it should work.

For ongoing good cleaning so the shirt doesn't get dingy, try soaking your white items with spandex for 8 hours or overnight with Clorox2^® Stain Fighter and Color Booster added to 2 gallons hot water. Following the soak time, drain the soaking solution and then wash the items in the hottest water recommended on the care label. If you can, wash them separately or in a load with just white cotton/spandex items. I get lots of questions about these items after people have had them for a while – they get pretty dingy over time, especially if they are washed in cold water with a low quality detergent. Using Clorox2^® on a regular basis (and the presoak whenever possible) will really help keep these items white, especially if you can wash the items in hot water.

Treating color bleeding in the wash

Wed, 13 Feb 2013 10:48:56 -0800

My husband washed my white skirt with some red sheets and my skirt is now pink. Is there any way that I can get it white again?

You should be able to restore the skirt that picked up the pink color with a bleach soaking solution as long as the skirt is safely bleachable. Even though it is white, you still need to check the care label--don’t use the bleach soaking solution if the skirt contains even a small amount of spandex (which may also be listed as Lycra or Elastane on the care label). There are a few other fiber types that should never be bleached--always avoid bleaching wool, silk, mohair, and leather. Since I don't know the fiber content of your skirt, it's important to clarify this!

If the skirt is bleachable, then you can proceed with a bleach soak. Fully submerge the skirt in a solution of ¼ cup Clorox^® Regular-Bleach added to 1 gallon cool water (or if you are using New Concentrated Clorox Regular-Bleach, add 3 tablespoons bleach to 1 gallon of water). Allow the skirt to soak for up to 5 minutes, then rinse thoroughly. Air dry and check for success (it’s important to keep the skirt out of the dryer so the heat doesn’t set any remaining dye if it wasn’t removed). Hopefully the fugitive pink color will be gone, but if it is lighter, then repeat the bleach soak again. However, if the bleach soak leaves the pink color unchanged, then you may need to try RIT Color Remover, which can usually be found at drug and hardware stores.

Instructions for making Polka Dot Canvas shoes

Mon, 11 Feb 2013 09:08:29 -0800

This is such a fun project! In addition to being an easy last minute Valentine’s Day gift, it’s also a great way to perk up an older pair of shoes. To do it yourself, here’s how!

Materials

Clorox® Bleach Pen® Gel
Cotton canvas shoes*
Hydrogen Peroxide
Cotton Swabs
Dropper or syringe
Dishwasher safe bowl
Dishwasher safe plate
Paper towels

Directions

Get ready: open the hydrogen peroxide and pour a little into the bowl. Set a few cotton swabs in the bowl so they are damp and ready when you need them. Fill the dropper or syringe with hydrogen peroxide and leave it in the bowl so it is ready to go.
Practice! With the cap on, shake the bleach pen. Remove the cap on the fine tip end, and gently squeeze out a few small circles of bleach onto the plate. Begin working with the shoes when your practice dots are uniform.
Work in sections. You can’t put all the dots on at once without the gel sliding down vertical surfaces, so be patient!
Apply the gel dots to the top of the shoes first. Allow the bleach gel dots to dry before continuing.
While you are waiting for the gel dots to dry, use the paper towel to clean off any gel from the tip of the pen, and put the cap back on.
Turn the shoes on their sides, shake the bleach pen, and apply more dots, continuing the pattern from the top of the shoes. Allow the dots to dry before continuing.
Turn the shoes over and apply gel dots to the other side of the shoes. Allow the dots to dry before continuing.
Holding the shoes so the heel is facing up, and apply any needed gel dots to complete the pattern around the back of the shoes. Allow the dots to dry.
Using the dropper or syringe, apply hydrogen peroxide directly to each dot, refilling the dropper or syringe as necessary. This prevents any untreated areas of the shoes from being lightened by residual bleach gel when the shoes are rinsed.
Thoroughly rinse the shoes (you can do this in the clothes washer if you like) and let them air dry in a warm room.

Remember that you do need to be careful with the bleach pen. Always make sure the cap is on before you shake the pen. If you ever get even a tiny amount of gel where you don’t want it, dab it quickly with the hydrogen peroxide soaked cotton swab. Want different colored polka dots? Try using a permanent marker to change their color! With so many creative possibilities, it’s easy to create a one-of-a-kind pair of shoes that will have everyone asking, “Where did you find those shoes? I want a pair!”

*Do not use the gel pen on leather, wool, silk, mohair and spandex.

Removing melted crayon

Fri, 08 Feb 2013 08:00:07 -0800

I ran my child’s clothes through the dryer without realizing there was a crayon in there too. How can I remove the stain?

It doesn’t matter whether the crayon melted in the pocket of a sweatshirt left in the hot car or accidentally went through a hot dryer—you have quite a problem to deal with! Crayons have a waxy component that doesn't break up in a detergent and water solution--that's why these stains are such a pain. Below are some tips for getting out wax stains which should hopefully help you:

Scrape away as much of the wax as possible with a dull knife.

Cut open a brown paper grocery (light weight) or lunch bag. Be sure the bag does NOT have any wax coating on it!

Place the bag over the wax spot, and then gently press with a dry iron on its lowest heat setting. You should see dark brown splotches appear on the bag as the wax transfers from the clothing to the bag and is absorbed.

Reposition a fresh part of the bag over the wax spot and gently press again with the iron. Repeat until no more wax absorbs onto the bag.

Finally, pretreat any remaining stain before washing. For white items, apply Clorox^® Bleach Pen Gel directly to the stain and rub in, and then wash immediately in the hottest water recommended on the care label with detergent + ½ cup Concentrated Clorox^® Regular-Bleach. For colored items (or white items that contain spandex) apply Clorox2^® Stain Fighter and Color Booster directly to the stain. Wait 5 minutes, and then wash in the hottest water recommended on the care label with detergent and more Clorox2^®. Air dry and check for success—repeat if necessary.

A few more thoughts on wax removal: brown paper bags are nice to work with here because it is very easy to see the wax absorb onto the bag. It’s also important to work with the iron on its lowest heat setting so you don’t melt the wax too quickly and cause it to absorb into the fabric, or melt the fabric if it is synthetic. You can check your progress and possibly increase the temperature depending on how hot your iron is--they do vary.

Treating a salsa stain

Wed, 06 Feb 2013 08:00:52 -0800

I spilled some salsa in some khaki shorts. I tried Oil Soap and that helped a bit, but did not completely treat the stain. How do I get the rest out?

I’m guessing you have a salsa stain on khaki shorts, which are either tan or olive green in color. I don’t think using Oil Soap to pretreat the stain will have made the residual stain permanent. The bigger issue is whether or not the shorts were tumble dried in a hot dryer following your first attempt to pretreat the stain. If the shorts air dried after you washed them, then you have a pretty good chance you will be able to get the stain all the way out. If, however, the shorts did go through a hot dryer, then the stain is probably heat-set and likely permanent. If the shorts haven’t been tumble dried, you can try the following:

For salsa stains on most colored fabrics, first rinse the stained area with a little cool water. Next, pretreat the stain—which product you use depends on the color and fabric content of the item. Your shorts sound like they have color, so you would want to pretreat with a little liquid Clorox2^® Stain Fighter and Color Booster. Apply a little directly to the stain, gently rub it in, and wait 3-5 minutes before washing in the hottest water recommended on the garment care label using detergent and more Clorox2^®. Air dry the shorts and then check for success—if any stain remains, repeat the treatment.

For salsa stains on bleachable white items (always avoid bleaching wool, silk, mohair, leather, and spandex), after rinsing the stain with cool water, you can pretreat with Clorox^® Bleach Pen Gel. Apply a little of the gel directly to the stain and gently rub it in using the soft scrubber tip. Immediately wash the item in the hottest water recommended on the care label using detergent and Clorox^® Regular-Bleach. Let the item air dry and then check to see if the stain is all the way out—repeat if necessary.

Using high efficiency bleach

Mon, 04 Feb 2013 11:29:08 -0800

Do I have to use Clorox^® High Efficiency Bleach in my HE washer or can I also use Clorox^® Regular-Bleach?

This is a great question! How long have you had your HE washer? It’s great that you are making sure whatever laundry products you use in it are appropriate. You can use both Clorox^® Regular-Bleach and Clorox^® High Efficiency Bleach in your HE washer—which one you choose is really up to you. Many consumers prefer the thicker formula of the HE product because it makes it easier to safely pour directly into the bleach dispenser. Laundry “minimalists” on the other hand just want to use Clorox^® Regular-Bleach because they limit themselves to only a handful of cleaning products on hand and they like the versatility of the regular product and its many other uses around the home. Regardless of which product you choose, always be sure to fill the bleach dispenser to the “max-fill” line to be sure you get the maximum amount of bleach active the dispenser allows you to add, especially important for machines with smaller capacity bleach dispensers. It’s definitely a personal choice—fortunately it’s not as important as making sure you only use a detergent specially formulated for your HE washer. That’s critical to prevent oversudsing, which can happen when traditional detergents originally formulated for deep-fill washers are used in a HE washer.

The Big Game

Fri, 01 Feb 2013 10:38:16 -0800

You don’t have to live in the San Francisco Bay Area or Baltimore to be excited about the big game this Sunday—you don’t even have to like football! The back story of the two coaches—brothers!!—is enough to draw even the most disinterested fan into the hype. Everyone wants to know what it was like to grow up in this famous football family, and if somehow, one brother has an advantage over the other. One thing’s clear—this pigskin-loving family sounds a lot like the Clorox family—encouraging each member to do their best and meet life’s challenges head on. What—yes, Clorox has siblings, too: the powder and liquid formulations for Clorox2® Stain Fighter and Color Booster! Dry Clorox2® is the older brother because it was developed first. Liquid Clorox2® is younger, and is actually the middle child now that Clorox2® also comes in a Pack (sort of like having a kid sister).

So which one’s the best? Baltimore or San Francisco? Liquid or powder Clorox2®? Take a page out of the coaches’ family playbook, and don’t pick a favorite! Recognize that each son (and younger sister!) is talented and has a unique set of skills to produce winning results. Liquid Clorox2® can be easily used as a pretreater to target tough stains directly. The powder formulation includes enzymes, and is great for presoaking away ground-in dirt. The pack can be easily added to the basket of your clothes washer, improving the performance of a liquid detergent without mixing forms in the detergent dispenser. Regardless of which product you stand behind and cheer for, each of them will give you better cleaning, whitening, and stain removal than washing with detergent alone. Depending on how much bbq sauce is left on your tablecloth after the big party, that’s something to cheer for!

And of course if you must pick a favorite, it’s San Francisco all the way! Who are you rooting for on Sunday?

Using bleach to sanitize sippy cups

Fri, 18 Jan 2013 08:00:09 -0800

Is it safe to use bleach to sanitize sippy cups and straws?

You CAN safely use a bleach solution to sanitize sippy cups! To make the bleach solution, add 1 Tablespoon Clorox^® Regular-Bleach to 1 gallon of water. To sanitize the sippy cups, disassemble all the different parts (mouthpiece, lid,straws, etc) and wash them with detergent and water first, and then let them soak in the bleach solution for two minutes. You may need to spin them around to make sure all surfaces contact the bleach solution for the full two minutes. When finished, you don’t need to rinse them, but they do need to air dry completely. This may be a little tricky for the straws, but if you prop them upright to make draining easier, that should help them drain and air dry.

I also want to clarify that we are in the process of concentrating our sodium hypochlorite based bleach products, so if you live in a part of the U.S. that has already converted over to the new Concentrated Clorox^® Regular-Bleach product, use 2 teaspoons bleach per gallon of water. The procedure and contact time are otherwise the same. Also, I am not sure if you are aware of this, but I wanted to note that you should only use the regular version of our bleach; the fragranced versions are not registered with the EPA and are not appropriate for sanitizing uses.

Treating a sweatshirt with an emblem

Wed, 16 Jan 2013 08:46:57 -0800

I have a white hoodie with a school emblem on the front. The top of the front has yellowed and has some blue faded on it. How do I get it out without messing up the emblem? I'm afraid if I bleach that I will not be able to contain the area!

The Clorox^® Bleach Pen^® Gel could be just the thing you need to remove a stain from one part of a white sweatshirt without negatively impacting a colored portion of the sweatshirt since it allows you to carefully control the application of the gel. Here are some important tips for working with the bleach pen specific to your situation to help you increase your chances of success:

1. After applying the gel, the treated area should be rinsed and the garment washed immediately. DON’T let the gel sit on the fabric for a few minutes (like you might if you were pretreating with detergent) and definitely don't let it dry out on the fabric--this will leave behind a yellow spot that is irreversible.

2. Normally items treated with the bleach pen are washed immediately after treating with detergent and Clorox^® Regular-Bleach--you don't have to rinse them first. This helps unify the overall appearance of the item (otherwise you can end up with a very clean section where you used the gel compared to the rest of the item--this is especially common on older white items that have never been bleached). Since you are trying to preserve the school logo, you may want to rinse the treated area and then wash the sweatshirt with detergent and Clorox2^® Stain Fighter and Color Booster instead.

Something else I wanted to point out is that if the logo is printed on the sweatshirt, there is a very good chance you actually can wash it with Clorox^® Regular-Bleach after treating the stained area with the bleach pen. Normally I recommend a bleachability test before washing a colored item with bleach or the gel pen, but this would be difficult to test on your sweatshirt since a "fail" (color change due to bleach contact) would be permanent on the sweatshirt. Given that, you could try this if you are desperate or willing to live with the color change that could result. If the logo is embroidered on, the same thing applies--if the embroidery thread is polyester then it is very likely safe for bleach, but if it is cotton then it's harder to predict. I have a twenty-five year old sorority sweatshirt with an embroidered logo that I have been bleaching forever--I took the chance on bleaching it when nothing else was going to work to get a stain out. Hopefully in your case the bleach pen on its own will be sufficient to remove the stain--if it's not, only you can decide if following up using the bleach pen with a detergent and bleach wash is worth it.

Removing mildew from textiles

Mon, 14 Jan 2013 08:00:45 -0800

How do I remove mildew from clothes?

Mildewed textiles need to be treated right away to help keep the problem from getting worse. You didn't say what color your clothing is or if any of the items are bleachable. If you are not sure, you can do a quick bleachability test to check: add 1+1/2 teaspoons new Concentrated Clorox^® Regular-Bleach to ¼ cup water; apply a drop to a hidden part of the garment like a hem or inside seam; wait 1 minute then blot with a towel; no color change means it is safe to bleach the item. For these items, the following approaches should work:

At a minimum I would wash clothes immediately in hot water (or the hottest water recommended on the care label) using detergent and 1/2 cup Concentrated Clorox^® Regular-Bleach.

If the problem is really bad, consider doing a bleach soak (use 3 tablespoons bleach per gallon of cool water; soak 5-10 minutes), then wash in hot water with detergent and 1/2 cup Concentrated Clorox^® Regular-Bleach.

If the mildew is heavy, you may need to repeat the treatment for complete success.

For non-bleachable colors (or non-bleachable fabrics like wool, silk, mohair, leather, and spandex that should not be washed with bleach) it may be difficult to remove mildew completely since the best mold and mildew removers are products with sodium hypochlorite. Even so, you can try the following:

Carefully brush off any obvious spores and then wash in the warmest water recommended on the care label with detergent and an oxygen bleach like our Clorox2^® Stain Fighter & Color Booster.

Try a 1 hour presoak with Clorox2^® Stain Fighter& Color Booster following label instructions.

Air dry items in the sun.

Bleach and Granite Countertops

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 08:30:47 -0800

Is Clorox^® Regular-Bleach safe to use on my granite countertops?

Yes, Clorox^® Regular-Bleach is safe for sealed granite countertops. Remember, bleach should never be used full strength for cleaning any surface--it should always be diluted with water first. For disinfecting countertops, use a solution of 3/4 cup Clorox^® Regular-Bleach per gallon of water (or ½ cup Concentrated Clorox^® Regular Bleach). Apply the bleach solution and let stand for 5 minutes, rinse thoroughly, and allow to air dry.

Clorox2® in Bleach Dispenser

Wed, 09 Jan 2013 08:59:57 -0800

Can I put Clorox2^® in my LG washing machine bleach dispenser?

The bleach dispenser on your clothes washer should only be used for regular household bleach (i.e. Clorox^® Regular-Bleach). That's because the clothes washer will delay flushing the compartment into the washer until later in the cycle. For best results, Clorox2^® should be added along with the detergent, and the dispenser compartment should be large enough to hold both products. Also, you should use the same form of detergent as you do Clorox2^®, powder + powder or liquid + liquid. For example, you don't want to add a powdered additive with a liquid detergent in the same compartment.

Stained Bath Towels

Mon, 07 Jan 2013 08:56:42 -0800

When I wash my bath cloths the dark stains don’t come out, what is the problem?

I wish I had a little more information—do you mean wash cloths and/or towels? I realize you may not know what the stain is—this happens when you don’t notice a stain until later! But for a bath towel, here are a few possibilities: blood from shaving accidents, mildew from towels sitting damp in the laundry hamper, and oil from lotions or creams are all possibilities. It would be great if your towels are white, and the stains haven’t been “set” in a hot dryer—once stains are exposed to dryer heat they become extremely difficult to remove. Even so, for white towels you could try a pre-soak with ¼ cup Clorox^®Regular-Bleach per gallon of water. Let the towels soak for 5 minutes, then drain the soaking solution and run the towels through a hot wash cycle with detergent plus ¾ cup Clorox^® Regular-Bleach (or ½ cup Concentrated Clorox^® Regular Bleach. It may be necessary to repeat the treatment if the stains are set in.

If you think the stains are oily, then you will need to pre-treat the dark area with a little liquid dishwasher detergent first—rub it in and wait 5 minutes. Then, if the towels are white, wash in hot water with detergent plus ¾ cup Clorox^® Regular-Bleach (or ½ cup Concentrated Clorox^® Regular Bleach).

If your towels are colored, you can do a quick bleachability test: add 2 teaspoons Clorox^® Regular-Bleach to ¼ cup water. Apply a drop of this solution to a hidden part of the colored item (hems, cuffs, and inside seams work well). Wait 1 minute, then blot dry. No color change means the item can be safely bleached. If they don’t, and the stains are mildew, it will be difficult to remove them without bleach. Repeated washing in hot water with detergent and Clorox2^® Stain Fighter & Color Booster may help you make some progress.

Mopping Floors with Bleach

Fri, 04 Jan 2013 08:00:10 -0800

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 (or ½ cup if you are using New Concentrated Clorox^® Regular-Bleach). 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.

Removing pine sap

Thu, 03 Jan 2013 08:00:03 -0800

After taking down our Christmas tree, our clothes have little drops of pine sap in multiple places. Is this considered a stain, or can I simply wash them with detergent?

Christmas trees are a wonderful Christmas tradition, but unfortunately pine sap is a very difficult stain to remove with typical laundry treatments. I would recommend trying to treat the stains directly with De-Solv-it® or Goo Gone®, which you can find at hardware stores. I would not expect a problem with using these products on the items, but I would first check for colorfastness by applying a drop of the products to a hidden part of the garments, rinse, and blot dry. If there is no color change, spray or rub a little into the sap and then wash with detergent in the hottest water temperature allowed on the care label. Allow to air dry and check for success. Air drying is very important since the heat from the dryer can permanently set sap stains. In order to do everything you can to increase your chances of success, you may need to repeat the treatment to fully remove the stains. This may include increasing the length of time you pretreat the stains.

Treating a “ring around the collar”

Wed, 02 Jan 2013 13:51:24 -0800

The collar of my shirts get very dirty, how can I treat this?

I’m guessing you have a shirt with “ring around the collar”, a combination of sweat and body soil that rubs off the neck and onto the inside collar of a shirt, leaving a dark stain that can be difficult to remove when it has been allowed to build up over time. On a white dress shirt, pre-treating is key, and we have a great product that makes this easy and convenient—Clorox^®Bleach Pen Gel. It’s got the same active as Clorox^® Regular-Bleach but at a much lower level so it’s safe to apply directly to bleachable white fabrics, providing concentrated cleaning power for tough stains. Just apply a little gel directly to the stain, gently rub it in with the soft scrubber tip, and then wash the shirt immediately in hot water using detergent + ¾ cup Clorox^® Regular-Bleach (or ½ cup if you are using New Concentrated Clorox^® Regular-Bleach). You didn’t mention the color of the shirt with a dirty collar—if it has color, then you’ll want to use liquid Clorox2^® Stain Fighter and Color Booster to pretreat the stain before washing. Just pour a little Clorox2^® directly on the collar and gently rub it in. Wait 3-5 minutes, then wash the shirt in the hottest water recommended on the garment care label using detergent and more Clorox2^®. You can prevent collar stains from building up by doing this each time you wash the shirt, and it’s also good to only wear a shirt once before washing it. Please let me know if you have any other questions, and thanks again for writing.