Detergent Dye Stains?

Q: My daughter used a purple dye-based laundry detergent. I don't know the brand. She washed a red sweatshirt, which was 60% cotton, 40% polyester, and the purple dye from the detergent transferred to the sleeve of the sweatshirt. She dried it in the dryer. Is there any way to get this dye out?

A: Wow this is really unusual. Most manufacturers always test the dyes in there laundry products to make sure they will not create these type of problems. For that reason, all are very water soluble and should not stain.

Did your daughter pretreat and leave the detergent on long enough to dry out? That’s about the only explanation I can come up with. It also could create a brightener spot that would appear as a purplish tint on a red colored item.

Unfortunately, I’m not sure if the sweatshirt can tolerate a mild bleach contact. To check, use our modified Bleachability Test:

• Apply a drop of Clorox2® ColorSafe Bleach on a hidden color section area like inside seam, hemline or cuff;


• Wait 2-3 minutes, rinse and then blot with towel.


• If there is no color change, it means it is safe to use the product on the item.


• Then try a quick pretreatment on the area – apply; rub in gently; wait 5-10 minutes.


• Then wash in the warmest water recommended on the care label with detergent + Clorox2® ColorSafe Bleach.

Check for success as it may require another treatment.

Q: I made the mistake of washing a new red shirt with my other shirts with light colors. The red colored shirt bled and the light colored shirts have red stains all over. Could you help me get the stains off?

A: I probably don't have much good news for you. New dark colors are notorious for bleeding for a few washes and should always be washed with similar dark colors. That's why I always recommend sorting at least whites, lights and darks to avoid the problem in the future.

Depending on how extensive the red spots are and the type of fibers (cotton, poly/cotton, etc) of the remaining shirts, I would try the following:

To have a better chance at red dye removal you will need to kick it up a notch on the bleach scale hopefully to liquid bleach like Clorox® Regular-Bleach. So we need to know if the lighter colored items can stand to be bleached.

• Just do the simple Bleachability Test on any colored portion in a hidden part of the shirts (2 tsp liquid Clorox® Regular-Bleach in 1/4 cup water; apply a drop on a hidden color section 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).


• Then follow the recommended presoak procedure (1/4 cup Clorox® Regular-Bleach in gallon of warm water for 5-10 minutes before laundering). Wash in the hottest water recommended on the care label with detergent and 3/4 cup Clorox® Regular-Bleach


• If the colors are not bleachable, then I would presoaking/applying Liquid Clorox2® for Colors Color Safe Bleach (Apply; rub in; wait ~ 5 minutes; then wash immediately with detergent and recommended amount of Liquid Clorox2® for Colors Color Safe Bleach


• Check for success and retreat if needed BEFORE drying
  Also remember that washing in hotter water will SLOWLY remove additional dye over time; this will usually be barely perceptible wash-to-wash.

Q: I had a stain on a 100% cotton golf shirt. It had been washed a few times when I finally saw the stain. I took a Q-tip and dipped it into Clorox Bleach and rubbed it on the stain. I have done this before on white clothing and the stain came right out. This time, everywhere I used the bleach on the shirt, it turned yellow. Unless I can get these stains out, it's ruined. Please help!

A: First, I NEVER recommend using Clorox® Regular-Bleach full-strength on any item or surface. It should always be diluted because it is so strong and if unrinsed, can actually cause little holes in the garment. That's what happens when there is accidental liquid bleach spillage while pouring into the machine and someone brushes against the washer. Next time they pick up the garment it either has "bleached out" the colors and/or small holes are present.
I suspect that you have bleached some of the dye out of the shirt and the yellow spots are the result. Unfortunately, this is irreversible.

In the future, if you notice a stain after drying, I would first try pretreating it with liquid detergent (apply; rub in; let set 3-5 minutes before washing) and then immediately wash in the hottest water recommended on the care label using detergent and either 3/4 cup Clorox® Regular-Bleach, if white or Liquid Clorox2® for Colors Color Safe Bleach, if colored. Always check for success after washing and retreat the item if needed before drying.

Q: Help! I washed my son's clothes with a towel that bled red dye all through the load. My son is 20 and he had boxer shorts and t-shirts in the load. Some of the t-shirts have some designs on them. I have left the load in soak overnight and tried peroxide and club soda but the load is still very pink. Is there any way to remove this dye? It contained some of his favorite shirts.




A: I hate when this happens and pink underwear is the result. You did the right things after the "accident" by trying to soak out the color and using a mild bleach like peroxide.


To have a better chance at removal you will need to kick it up a notch on the bleach scale to liquid bleach like Clorox® Regular- Bleach. So we need to know if the boxers and T-shirts can stand to be bleached.

• Just do the simple Bleachability Test on any colored portion in a hidden part of the shorts/shirts (2 tsp liquid Clorox® Regular- Bleach in 1/4 cup water; apply a drop on a hidden color section 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).


• Then follow the recommended presoak procedure (1/4 cup Clorox® Regular- Bleach in gallon of warm water for 5-10 minutes before laundering). Wash in the hottest water recommended on the care label with detergent and 3/4 cup Clorox® Regular- Bleach.


• If the colors are not bleachable, I would presoaking/applying Liquid Clorox2® for Colors Color Safe Bleach (Apply; rub in; wait ~ 5 minutes; then wash immediately with detergent and recommended amount of Liquid Clorox2® for Colors Color Safe Bleach.


• Check for success and retreat if needed BEFORE drying
  Also remember that washing in hotter water will SLOWLY remove additional dye over time; this will usually be barely perceptible wash-to-wash.
  

Q: I am in collage to become a Massage Therapist. One of my instructors said that we could not use colored sheets and towels because color safe bleach did not disinfect them. Please let me no if this is true or not. I will pass this info on to my school so they can pass it on to future students.




A: Congrats on your career choice as anything that reduces tension in the world is a step in the right direction.


Great question, and one I hear a lot. Your instructor is correct regarding the colored sheets/towels. Unfortunately, there currently is NOT a product for disinfecting colored clothes. Our Clorox2® for Colors contains hydrogen peroxide as its active ingredient. It is a much weaker bleach than the sodium hypochlorite found in Clorox® Regular- Bleach and is not capable of meeting EPA disinfecting requirements.



As I have written previously, the best way to reduce germ counts in (colored) laundry are:

• Use the hottest wash water recommended on the care label; Might also do more than one wash on these items to further reduce the bacteria count


• Consider washing the items of concern separately so that the germs are NOT spread to more items; transfer can occur in the washer and when transferring /handling from the washer to dryer.


• Use the hottest dryer setting recommended on the care label and dry the items separately to maximize germ reduction. While the dryer isn't capable of completely killing, it will help lower the germ count.


• Check the items for Bleachability. It's surprising how many things labeled as Do Not Bleach are actually OK to use liquid bleach. Do the quick Bleachability/colorfast test on a hidden part of the colored item ( 2 tsp liquid Clorox® Regular- Bleach in 1/4 cup water; apply a drop on a hidden color section 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. If bleachfast, consider a quick bleach soak (1/4 cup Clorox® Regular- Bleach in gallon of warm water for 5-10 minutes) before washing in the hottest water recommended on the care label.


• Finally, to prevent further germ spread, I would do a white load using detergent and 3/4 cup Clorox® Regular- Bleach after these items had been washed. Kind of like a mouthwash for your washer.

Q: I get tan stains on my pillowcases, whether from hair or skin oils. The pillowcases are 100% cotton and colored. These stains do not come out in my laundering them in frontloading machines, and an oily residue seems to remain. (I live in a high-rise apartment building where a basement laundry room is used by all.) Although I use Clorox liquid bleach in my white laundry, I am reluctant to use it where it may alter the colors. Any advice, please?

A: I believe the tan stains are probably residual body soil/oils. Check the blog for a couple of earlier posts on this subject.

Some good news and some bad news:

Bad news: If you have seen this for a while, then the oils are probably pretty well set in the sheets from incomplete removal and drying (driving the oils into the fibers) and aren't to likely to come out completely. You may try pretreating with liquid detergent (apply; run; wait 3-5 minutes) and washing in hottest water recommended on the care label.

Good news: Even though the sheets are colored, they may be bleachable. To be sure, you can do the simple Bleachability Test on the colored sheets in a hidden part of the seem (2 tspn liquid Clorox® Regular- Bleach in 1/4 cup water; apply a drop on a hidden section area like inside seam/hemline; wait 1 minute and then blot with towel;; no color change means it is safe to use bleach on the item). Try this and if they are bleachable, then wash in the hottest water recommended on the care label with detergent and 3/4 cup Clorox® Regular- Bleach. This may slowly remove some oils over time and /or give you a headstart with the new pillowcases you buy in the future.

Another tip, always wash all the bedding (sheets and pillowcases) together each time to minimize any chance of slight color fading/bleeding.

Q: Recently my husband and I were on our trip-of-a-lifetime to Alaska. While on the bus to the McKinley Express Station the gentleman behind me spilled the dregs of his coffee on my brand new sweatsuit purchased specifically for the 8 hour train ride to Denali National Park. The material is 94% cotton, 6% spandex and the stain has been on the suit for over a week. My husband thinks Oxyclean is the way to go. What do you think?

A: If I had thought ahead, I would have had you wear it on our river rafting trip; that would have washed it away.

If not, here's how I would proceed:

• If there are colored stripes on the sweatsuit, you’ll want to be sure you can do the simple Bleachability Test on the colored stripes in a hidden part of the pants (2 tspn liquid Clorox® Regular- Bleach in 1/4 cup water; apply a drop on a hidden color section 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)
  
• Dampen the stained area with cool water.


• If you have our Clorox® BleachPen™Gel, apply the product, use the scrubber end to rub the product into the stain; wait 3-5 minutes then wash in the hottest water recommended on the care label with detergent and 3/4 cup Clorox® Regular- Bleach.


• If the colors are not bleachable, then I would pretreat the dampened spots with Liquid Clorox2® for Colors Color Safe Bleach (Apply; rub in; wait ~ 5 minutes; then wash immediately with detergent and recommended amount of Liquid Clorox2® for Colors Color Safe Bleach.


• Check for success and retreat if needed BEFORE drying.

  Again, sorry for the "spots" and hope the rest of your trip didn't include many other spills.

Q: My toddler has an off-white stuffed lambie that she loves to suck on the ears and legs. It begins to stink very bad with her saliva germs from her mouth so I have washed it and disinfected it with Clorox Bleach. After 3 days or so, I have to bleach it again. She also has a colored bunny. My question is: Does Clorox2 for Colors have the same disinfecting ingredient as the Clorox Bleach for whites? I would like to disinfect this bunny too. Thanks for you help.

A: Kids always seem to have those favorite toys/blankets that have to go everywhere with them. The white one might benefit from a short bleach presoak (1/4 cup Clorox® Regular-Bleach in gallon of warm water for 5-10 minutes) before laundering. Then, launder in hot water using detergent and 3/4 cup Clorox® Regular-Bleach. This might extend the "life cycle."

On the colored one, this is a question that I get a lot. Unfortunately, there currently is NOT a product for disinfecting colored clothes/items. Our Clorox2® for Colors contains hydrogen peroxide as its active ingredient. It is a much weaker bleach than the sodium hypochlorite found in Clorox® Regular- Bleach and is not capable of meeting EPA disinfecting requirements.

As I have written previously, the best way to reduce germ counts in (colored) laundry are:

• Use the hottest wash water recommended on the care label; you might also do more than one wash on these items to further reduce the bacteria count.


• Use the hottest dryer setting recommended on the care label. While the dryer isn't capable of completely killing, it will help lower the germ count.


• Check the items for Bleachability. It's surprising how many things labeled as "Do Not Bleach" are actually OK to use liquid bleach. Do the quick Bleachability/colorfast test on a hidden part of the colored item (2 tspn liquid Clorox® Regular-Bleach in 1/4 cup water; apply a drop on a hidden color section 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. If bleach-fast, consider a quick bleach soak (1/4 cup Clorox® Regular-Bleach in gallon of warm water for 5-10 minutes) before washing in the hottest water recommended on the care label.

Q: Is there any way I can turn my curtains from a light blue color to pure white by using bleach? They do not match my new bedroom color scheme. If not, I'll try a pink Rit dye, to come to a purple color, but I'd rather have white because I may not get the shade of purple that I want.

A: I'm not quite sure of the fiber composition of the blue curtains. Cotton ones will be easier to change than poly/cotton since the dyes are not as good and can be easier to remove. You might try a bleach soak (1/4 cup Clorox® Regular-Bleach in gallon of warm water for 5-10 minutes) before laundering. Then, launder in hot water using detergent and 3/4 cup Clorox® Regular-Bleach. If the curtains are old and soiled, extending the soak time and/or washing in bleach may not be good for them, but this should lessen/remove the color. If they are poly/cotton, your second plan of Rit dye probably is best.

Q: My daughter has a white sweatshirt with red sewn-on embroidered letters. She wore her sweatshirt while working at a car wash fundraiser and now the sweatshirt is pretty dirty. Any suggestions on the best way to wash the sweatshirt?

A: It is not clear from your description what the composition of the sweatshirt or red letters is. This has a big impact on how I would proceed. Also it would be helpful to know what the soil(s) on the sweatshirt are likely composed of.

So here are some general approaches you might try:

• Are the red letters bleach-safe? If they are bleach-safe, you have a lot more options and probably have a much better chance of getting the item "clean". If possible, do the quick Bleachability/colorfast test on a hidden part of the red letters (2 tspn liquid Clorox® Regular - Bleach in 1/4 cup water; apply a drop on a hidden color section 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. If they are bleach fast, I would recommend using the Clorox® Bleach Pen Gel on the significant dirt spots (apply and use the scrubber tip to penetrate/loosen the soil; wait 1-2 minutes) before washing in the hottest water recommended on the care label.


• If the letters are not bleach safe, then hopefully it is color safe and is not going to "bleed" during laundering. You may need to consider a pre-treat or presoak to improve your removal. If pre-treating, using a good liquid detergent or Stain & Soil Remover (Liquid Tide, Shout, Zout, Spray'nWash) or for presoaking I would do this with a good powdered detergent or color safe bleach (Tide or Clorox2 for Colors) following label directions and soaking for at least 1 hour.

I am assuming the dirt is mostly road dirt/grime and not greasy dirt. These dirts are mostly fine particulate which is why the soaking and hot water washing is recommended. If there is grease involved, then you will benefit from the pre-treating before the hot water wash.