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.

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.

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.

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.