How do I wash out excess dye from denim so that it doesn't rub off on everything?

It’s always a good idea with new denim to wash the item separately for the first few washes since denim tends to bleed into wash water. Even after several washes, always be sure it is only washed along with other dark items in the future. You can get past the major bleeding stage faster by washing and drying the denim 3-4 times before wearing. The hotter the water, the more the dye will come off—using a little detergent will also help. I don’t know if you typically dry your denim in a hot dryer, but if you don’t have to worry about shrinkage, then the heat from the dryer can also help set the dye somewhat. This is all geared toward preventing dye transfer through the wash water—you mentioned that the color is rubbing off. That’s actually called “crocking.” If after washing the item several times your denim continues to be a problem then you would have a good argument for the manufacturer to refund what you paid given that the item probably doesn’t meet industry standards for resistance to crocking. Note that sometimes hang tags for garments include disclaimers that basically remove the manufacturer from any liability—something like “the beauty of this denim is enhanced by the richness of the dye, which may transfer to other items…” You can probably guess my opinion of such disclaimers!

What is the best was to restore a dingy, white bathing suit to its original pure white color?

It can be very difficult to keep an item white that picks up body soil and sunscreen that may also have a “hand wash in cold water” care label.  If the swimsuit contains any spandex, then using a sodium hypochlorite based bleach like Clorox^® Regular-Bleach is out of the question.

To improve the appearance of your swimsuit, you can try an overnight presoak using powdered Clorox2^® Stain Fighter and Color Booster.  Dissolve 1 scoop powder in 2 gallons of very hot water, fully submerge the suit in the soaking solution, and let it soak overnight.  Use a dishwasher safe dinner plate to weigh it down if necessary so the suit is all way into the soaking solution.  Let it soak for up to 8 hours or overnight, then pour off the soaking solution and wash the swimsuit in the hottest water recommended on the care label using detergent and more Clorox2^®.

Using Clorox 2® Stain Fighter & Color Booster in Japan

Q:  I just bought some Clorox2® at Costco in Japan.  As you probably know, our washers here are cold water and most Japanese don’t have dryers.  I didn't know you had a cold water formula. My kids' school uniform has a white shirt that they are always getting mud on.  The playground is, in fact, made of dirt.   Should I soak in plain hot water first then pre-treat with Clorox2®?  Should I just try and hunt down some regular Clorox®?  If I wash and then there are still mud stains, is my approach different?

A:  I’m curious as to how long you will be in Japan—what a great experience!  I have never been to Japan, which makes it more difficult to dispense laundry advice, but I will do my best.  I have some general suggestions that will hopefully help improve your results.  

Cold water washing is always a challenge, but probably more common in Japan given the national interest in conserving energy.  That said; pre-soaking with Clorox2® Stain Fighter & Color Booster in hot water will be very helpful.  You just need a plastic dishpan, and then you can proceed as follows with your child’s muddy white shirt:

1. Rinse garments in warm water to remove any loose soil.


2. Measure a scoop or capful and add it to 2 gallons of hot water—make sure the powder dissolves completely.


3. Fully submerge the shirt in the pre-soak solution for up to 8 hours or overnight.


4. Drain the pre-soak solution.


5. Apply Clorox2® (if it’s the liquid) directly to any remaining stain, and then wash in your clothes washer with detergent. 

For improved cleaning of your colored items, proceed as above, but limit the Clorox2® presoak time to 30 minutes.  Also, for your white items, I would definitely try to track down Clorox® Regular-Bleach, or if you can’t find that, the local brand of sodium hypochlorite bleach.  If language is an issue, you might want to try bringing a printout of the translation of what you want. 

If your clothes washer has a dispenser for Clorox® Regular-Bleach then I would use it.  You can also pre-soak white items with ¼ cup bleach diluted in 1 gallon of water for 5-10 minutes.

Readers – have you had trouble using Clorox2® while in Japan?  Any suggestions?

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. I have a black & white shirt, and when I washed it, the black bled into the white. So now instead of having a black & white shirt, I have a black and dingy white shirt. Is there anything I can do to return the white to its normal color without bleaching the black?

A. I have seen so many dark color/white stripe items that end up with this problem. Our Marketing folks like the "looks" of these for commercials and print ads, but there is such a range of quality in the dying that one really ends up rolling the dice when you buy one of these garments. When these dark colors are 100% cotton, they are notorious for bleeding for a few washes. When they are solid colors, they can always be washed/soaked with similar dark colors. Unfortunately, I probably don't have much good news for you. Your only hope is to try to bleach the affected area, but I doubt the item can handle that without bleaching out the black color.

I would try the following:

First, we need to know if the black colored stripes can stand to be bleached. Just do the simple Bleachability Test on any colored portion in a hidden part of the shirt.

• Add 2 tspns. liquid Clorox® Regular-Bleach to 1/4 cup water
• Apply a drop on a hidden color section like the inside seam, hemline or cuff. Wait 1 minute and then blot with a towel. No color change means it is safe to use bleach on the item.
• Next, wash in the hottest water recommended on the care label with detergent and 3/4 cup Clorox® Regular-Bleach
• If the black color is not bleachable, then I would try presoaking/applying Liquid Clorox2® for Colors Color Safe Bleach:
o Apply; rub in; wait approximately 5 minutes; then wash immediately with detergent and the recommended amount of Liquid Clorox2® for Colors Color Safe Bleach in the warmest wash water recommended on the care label.
• Check for success and retreat if needed BEFORE drying.

Also remember that washing in hotter water will SLOWLY remove additional dye over time. However, this will usually be barely perceptible wash-to-wash.

Q. I have four blouses with varying cotton to spandex combinations. They are in various "shades of white,” and I would like to rejuvenate them for additional wearing life. Instructions call for a cold water wash. Can you help?

A. I'm not quite sure from your description if the "various shades of white" were original color or something that has developed over time from your wearing and laundering. Spandex-containing items are known for holding odors and being hard to clean. Generally, the usual methods of cleaning normal blouses should work here with a couple of “watch outs.”
The key properties we are trying to preserve here are the stretch and appearance. To preserve stretch, you cannot be aggressive with laundering and drying. Thus, one avoids hot water washing and either air-dries the item on a flat surface or tumbles it on a low setting in the dryer. For best appearance, make sure you wash it in the warmest water recommended on the care labels. Also, use a good detergent at the recommended amount, and I also recommend adding Clorox2® Stain Fighter and Color Booster. Another option might be to add a presoak using the Clorox2® Stain Fighter and Color Booster before the wash to help get a cleaning boost.

Also, it is not recommended to use liquid bleach on Spandex items. The higher the Spandex content, the more likely some yellowing may occur with repeated washings.

Q: Can you tell me how to get the odor out of my business blouses, shirts, and jackets? Specifically, I have a new dark burgundy jacket that I've worn to work three times, and already I can smell it. It's made of polyester, nylon and spandex. The cleaning instructions say: hand wash in cold water, no bleach. I hope you can advise!

A: The issue here is the recommended hand wash in cold water is NOT sufficient to remove the perspiration odor. The products and cold water means you are using a delicate procedure on a heavy-duty problem. Once the residual odor casing bacteria penetrate the fibers they have the perfect growth environment with your warm body temperature. I might recommend you try dry cleaning and see if this does better for you. I know it's more expensive but the process has much better chance of removing more residual odor causing bacteria.

In my last three posts, I discussed the ins-and-outs of cold water laundry. Today, I’m excited to share our latest introduction as a part of new Clorox® Plus™ line: Clorox® Plus™ Coldwater Bleach which starts shipping this month.

This product is specially formulated to provide powerful whitening in energy saving cold water. We have maintained the same sodium hypochlorite active level of Clorox® Regular-Bleach. Since detergent performance drops off dramatically as wash temperatures plunge, the need for good bleaching power to help shore up the sagging detergent performance will be extra important to consumers. Since consumers also expect bleach to deliver great whitening on their white items, we added extra ingredients to slightly boost the wash pH and therefore provide better whitening than using Clorox® Regular-Bleach in cold water. As always Coldwater Bleach will provide whitening better than using detergent alone. So for consumers washing in cold water, there is NOW a bleach specifically formulated for them.

Buy some (I think it will be in Wal*Mart shortly), try it and let me know what you think.

In my last post, I discussed basics cold water laundry facts. Today, let’s talk about some performance and end-result differences you’re likely to encounter and some tips on how to deal with washing in cold water.

COLD WATER LAUNDRY RESULTS and TIPS


Things Dissolve SLOWER in Cold Water

The biggest dissolving issue is with powders, but liquids also are slower to disperse. It is very important that you insure products are dissolved/dispersed before adding clothes. Telltale signs that you were unsuccessful will include white specs/smears with powders and blue/gray spotting with liquids. If this happens, immediately rinse with warm water, wring out the excess, and then dry as usual. Neglect these signs and your clothes could appear duller.

• Tips:
  
  
  
  • As the washer fills always add laundry products and give them time to dissolve before adding clothes. You might try either swishing the agitator or start with hot water for the first 2-3 inches, then add the laundry products, swish the agitator before switching to the cold water setting.
  
  
  • Don’t over pack the washer and use at least the recommended amount of each product.
  
  
  • Look for cold water versions of your laundry products. They have been specially formulated to provide better cold water performance and may have special ingredients and/or be thinner for better dissolving/dispersing.
  
  

Stains and Soils are MUCH Harder to Remove in Cold Water

The key component to getting clean clothes is your choice of detergent. They contain ingredients such as surfactants, enzymes and builders to attack, dissolve and suspend the stains and soils on your clothes. Laboratory cleaning studies show that better cleaning happens in hotter water. Cleaning decreases from hot to warm to cool to cold. Since cold water can be 70ºF down to 35ºF in winter, this will have a dramatic impact on your stain and soil removal. Technical wisdom says that stain removal will drop an order of magnitude for each 10ºF so expected winter performance can vary widely. If the detergent performance is going to drop, how can you make up for it?

• Tips:
  
  
  
  • Actively look for stains and soils on clothes before they go in the washer.
  
  
  • Since greasy/oily stains are best removed in hot water, you will need to pretreat these with liquid detergent or stain and soil remover BEFORE washing. Follow directions on the back label for best results.
  
  
  • Really muddy items will also need extra help. Consider doing a warm water presoaking for 30 minutes or longer BEFORE washing. Always discard the presoak solution before starting to wash.
  
  
  • ALWAYS check for success at the end of the wash cycle. Retreat the item if needed. Drying some greasy/oily stains will set the stain making subsequent removal more difficult/impossible to remove.
  
  

Colder water may lead to more residual germs on your clothes

I have written on this subject several times in the past. Clothes can carry germs into the washer and these can survive in less stressful conditions like warm/cool water. If they are not controlled, they will transfer to other clothes in the same wash and you can “help” spread them when you transfer clothes from washer to dryer. Remember the dryer heat is also not enough to eliminate these problems.

• Tips:
  
  
  
  • A good way to deal with this problem is the use of a disinfecting liquid bleach. Consider doing your white load first using liquid bleach to remove any left-over germs from prior washings; kind of like mouthwash for your washer.
  
  
  • Consider washing heavily soiled items, diapers or bedding in hot water with liquid bleach to help keep germs in check.
  
  
  
  

Choices, choices, choices

So now you have the facts and some tips to help you decide when/if cold water washing is appropriate for you. I certainly think it has a place and should be a part of your laundry regime. However, given some of the potential pitfalls, you might want to pick and choose when to use it. It is true that most of adult garments don’t get as dirty as they did for our parents or grandparents and a lot of these may be colored so that cool/cold water washing is ok. During the winter, I would be more cautious with heavily soiled kids clothes, baby clothes and bedding and do these in warmer water. In late spring or summer it may be ok to switch to cool water since the incoming cold water has warmed up.

Next time I will talk about some new additions to our Clorox line for cold water.

Last time I talked about some of the basics behind cold water usage. Today, I want to focus on the challenges that washing in cold water presents to the consumer. With a little better understanding, you should be better prepared to make the plunge into cold water laundering.

Many people are looking for ways to cut energy costs, save dollars and help the environment. Also, many companies have their eye on these trends and are developing products that can help consumers meet these needs. So I thought I would do a series of blogs on the Cold Water phenomena starting with a little background.

BASIC COLD WATER LAUNDRY FACTS

To get good laundry results in cold water, you might want to spend more time in the preparing and planning phase. Remember with decreasing wash temperature, your detergent’s cleaning and stain removal performance will drop off rather quickly. So here are some of my recommendations:

• Sort as usual – whites, lights and dark colors at a minimum.


• Use a good quality detergent and at least the recommended amounts on the label. Consider one specially formulated for cold water. They have made some formula adjustments that are geared to giving you better performance in cold water. Use a little extra detergent to help start overcoming the performance drop in water temperature. Also, use a liquid since they will dissolve and disperse better/easier than powders. Undissolved powder can leave streaks on darker colors.


• Start using other high quality additives to help boost the detergent’s performance. Consider liquid bleach, color safe bleach, pre-treat or stain and soil removers.


• Do NOT overload the washer. Letting the clothes move freely will allow the maximum mechanical energy from the agitator.


• Search for stained and extra dirty items before you wash. Pretreating (apply product/rub into stain/let set 5+ minutes before washing) these problems is a jumpstart on improving removal. It is also extremely important for greasy/oily stains which are much harder to solubilize/dissolve in cold water.


• Extra muddy/dirty items? Try presoaking these before washing using a good powdered detergent or color safe bleach which has extra builders to help lift off the mud and dirt. I like to do this in a separate bucket or sink. If that doesn’t work, then start the washer, fill to maybe ¼ level and then turn off the water. Now, add the powdered product and swish it around to be sure it’s fully dissolved. Finally add the soiled clothes and make sure they are submerged in the presoak liquid. Let them stand 30 min to 1 hour for dark colors and longer for light colors and whites. Drain the presoak water and then launder as usual.


• Always check items for success in stain and soil removal at the end of the wash BEFORE they are dried. The heat of the dryer can set some stains making them much more difficult or impossible to remove next time.

Next time I will talk about some expected performance changes from washing in cool and cold water.