How much bleach should be used to whiten handkerchiefs and how long should I soak them?

A great bleach soaking solution for white bleachable laundry is ¼ cup Clorox^® Regular-Bleach per gallon of water (or if you are using new Concentrated Clorox^® Regular-Bleach, use 3 tablespoons bleach per gallon of water). Fully submerge the items (in your case, handkerchiefs) in the bleach solution for up to 5 minutes, and then rinse. You can then follow up with a hot water machine wash using detergent and Clorox Regular-Bleach. Also, you didn't specify the fiber content of your handkerchiefs--I'm assuming they are cotton or poly/cotton and that you can bleach them, but I also wanted to clarify that you should avoid bleaching wool, silk, mohair, leather, and spandex. I would hate to find out you were asking about silk handkerchiefs, which per the above list you can't bleach!

My son’s sheets were the unfortunate victim of the stomach flu. How can I remove the vomit?

Sorry to hear about your son! I hope he gets better quickly. As for the sheets, you will want to get vomit stains out as soon as possible! Immediately scrape off the excess, and thoroughly rinse the affected area with cold water

FROM HERE, IF YOUR STAINED ITEM IS WHITE:

1. Wash in the hottest water recommended on the care label using detergent and 3/4 cup Clorox^® Regular- Bleach.


2. Air dry the item and check to make sure the stain is completely removed. If stain remains, repeat steps above.

IF YOUR STAINED ITEM HAS COLOR

1. Wash immediately in the warmest water recommended on the care label using detergent and Clorox 2^® Stain Fighter & Color Booster.


2. Air dry the item and check to make sure the stain is completely removed. If stain remains, repeat steps above.

Can using Clorox^® Washing Machine Cleaner affect my septic system?

I have good news for you: Clorox^® Washing Machine Cleaner can be safely used to clean clothes washers that drain into septic systems--septic tank operation is not affected by regular home use of the product. Additionally, when used as directed, Clorox^® Regular-Bleach is safe for use in septic systems. The bleach breaks down rapidly to mostly salt and water.  Please let me know if you have any other questions, and thanks again for writing!

My white knit shirt had stains on it AFTER washing that were not there before going through my machine. What could cause this?

There are several possible causes of stains that appear after washing—I can’t say for sure without knowing more about your situation, but here are some things for you to consider as you try to pinpoint the problem.

1.  Dye Transfer. If you had a dark or colored item in the same load as your white shirt, some of the color could have transferred onto the shirt. This is more likely if the dark item is newer, or if the laundry stayed in the washer for an extended time following the spin cycle—a damp dark item squeezed against a damp white item can transfer its color more easily, especially if given enough time. White bleachable items can usually be restored with a bleach soak:  add ¼ cup Clorox^® Regular-Bleach to 1 gallon of water and fully submerge the item for up to 5 minutes, then rinse thoroughly and allow to air dry.

2.  Rust. This can happen in older washers when the enamel coating on metal machine parts has deteriorated. If rust spots develop on the machine in areas that collect moisture, then any water dripping onto the clothes can carry a little rust with it, and you’ll see brownish red stains after washing. These stains can often be removed with a little rust remover (usually available at the hardware store), just be sure to follow the package instructions, including wearing gloves. And it’s probably time to get a new washer!

3.  Undiluted bleach contact. You didn’t say if you used bleach or not, but applying bleach full strength to fabric (which we never recommend) can cause yellowing that is unfortunately irreversible.

4.  Worn out dryer seal. It sounded like you were asking about stains you found on an item before it had gone into the dryer, but if you noticed the stains on the shirt after being tumble dried (and they were fine coming out of the washer), it could be that the rubber seal inside the dryer is wearing out. As that happens, grayish brown stains get rubbed onto your laundry. The good news is that these stains usually come out by pretreating the stains with a little liquid laundry detergent and then rewashing. If this is the case, it’s likely time to replace the dryer.

Hopefully this information will help you figure out what’s causing the stains.

My son bought two new white shirts and assumed he could use bleach. They are now yellow. What can he do?

Let me guess--the shirts are cotton, but also contain a small amount of spandex. Or maybe they are polyester sport shirts that also include spandex. Unfortunately spandex will yellow when laundered with any product that includes sodium hypochlorite (the bleach active in Clorox^® Regular-Bleach), and now your son has first-hand experience with why spandex is on the "avoid bleaching" list, along with wool, silk, leather, and mohair.  I wish I had better news for you, but the color shift is permanent. I think it's terrific that your son is doing his own laundry, and that he uses bleach for his whites--now he has a very good reason to incorporate checking care labels to into his laundry routine. Thanks for writing, and I'm sorry I couldn't have been more helpful.

How can I remove brown pecan stains from clothing that resulted from a squirrel dropping shells on me from a tree?

What a fascinating question! Your pecan shell stains are probably a combination of oil from the nutmeat and colorant from the shell. Treat the oily portion of the stain first:  apply a little liquid dishwashing detergent (like Dawn) or liquid laundry detergent directly to the stain and let it soak in for 5 – 10 minutes—just don’t let it dry on the fabric. Rinse the stain with cool water to check your progress—what you do next depends on the color and fiber content of the item. If the item is white and bleachable (avoid bleaching wool, silk, mohair, leather, and spandex) then pre-treat any remaining stain with Clorox^® Bleach Pen Gel. Apply a little of the gel directly to the stain and gently rub it in with the soft scrubber tip on the pen, and then wash immediately in the hottest water recommended on the care label using detergent + ¾ cup Clorox^® Regular-Bleach. If the item is colored, then pre-treat with Clorox2^® Stain Fighter and Color Booster by applying a little directly to the stain and letting it sit for 3-5 minutes. Wash in the hottest water recommended on the care label using detergent and more Clorox2^®.  Air dry the item—you’ll want to keep it out of the dryer so the dryer heat doesn’t set the stain—if necessary you can repeat the treatment if the stain is stubborn and only partially removed.

While using an at-home hair dye, I accidentally got some of the hair dye on my bathroom towels. What can I do to remove the stains?

I am really hoping the towels are white—for starters let’s just assume they are. For really concentrated stains like hair dye, you can try a bleach soaking solution of ¼ cup bleach per gallon of water. The towels should be fully submerged--weighting them down with a couple of dishwasher-safe dinner plates on top also helps. Allow the towels to soak for up to 5 minutes and then wash them in the hottest water recommended on the care label using detergent and ¾ cup Clorox^® Regular-Bleach. Air dry and check for success—hair dye is pretty concentrated so it’s actually pretty likely that you may need to repeat the treatment for complete removal, and keeping the towels out of a hot dryer will increase your chances of getting the stain all the way out. It’s also important to note that rather than go with a stronger bleach solution, it’s better to repeat the soak. There is also another approach you could try with white towels:  pre-treating the stain directly with Clorox^® Bleach Pen Gel—apply a little of the gel directly to the stain and rub it in with the soft scrubber tip, and then wash immediately with detergent and ¾ cup Clorox^® Regular-Bleach. Again, you want to air dry the towels and check your progress.

If your towels are colored, you may still be able to use the bleach soak if the dye used for the towels can be safely bleached. You can check first with a bleachability test: add 2 teaspoons Clorox^® Regular-Bleach to ¼ cup water and apply a drop of this solution to a discreet part of the item; wait 1 minute and then blot dry; no color change means you can safely bleach the item. If the towels don't pass, then you could try pre-treating with Clorox2^® Stain Fighter and Color Booster—apply a little of the liquid directly to the fabric and wait 5-10 minutes before washing with detergent and more Clorox2^®. Note that you don’t want the product to stay on the fabric too long or be allowed to dry on the fabric. It’s better to repeat the treatment when you are working on a super concentrated stain rather than cause damage from prolonged contact.  Finally, remember to keep them out of the dryer until the stain is all the way out!

What is the best way to remove coffee stains?

Hopefully your coffee-stained item is white and made of a fabric that you can safely bleach--you should always avoid bleaching fabrics that are made with wool, silk, mohair, leather, and spandex.  If your item is not on that list, then, proceed as follows.

1. For localized stains, rub stain gently with Clorox^® Bleach Pen^® Gel just before laundering.


2. Or, for large spills, pre-soak the entire item in a solution of ¼ cup Clorox^® Regular-Bleach per gallon of water. Submerge the garment and soak for 5 minutes.


3. Wash immediately in the hottest water recommended by the care label using detergent and ¾ cup Clorox^® Regular-Bleach


4. Air dry the item and check for success—larger stains may require an additional treatment for complete removal.

If your item includes any of the fibers on the “avoid bleaching” list, or is colored, then you should treat it as follows:

Apply Liquid Clorox^® 2 Stain Fighter & Color Booster and rub into stain.  Wait 3-5 minutes, then wash immediately in the hottest water recommended using detergent and Clorox^® 2 Stain Fighter & Color Booster.

1. Air dry the item and check to make sure the stain is completely removed. If stain remains, repeat steps above.

I was walking under a tree today and felt something hit my shoulder. A bird decided to leave me a little parting gift. I heard that is good luck, but my shirt would beg to differ. How can I remove the stain?

Oh my! That sure does not sound like the kind of luck I would like. Luckily, there are a few ways to treat this “stain” based on the color and material.

If your white shirt doesn't contain any spandex or silk (you should always avoid bleaching wool, mohair, or leather as well, but these are not as common), then you can bleach it, so I would proceed as follows:

Pretreat the stain with Clorox^® Bleach Pen^® Gel just before laundering--use the broad scrubber tip to gently rub a little of the gel into the stain.

1. Wash immediately in the hottest water recommended by the care label using detergent and ¾ cup Clorox^® Regular-Bleach.


2. Air dry the shirt and check for success—if any stain remains, you can repeat the treatment with a much better chance of success if any residual stain hasn't been heat set in a dryer.

If your shirt includes any of the fibers on the “avoid bleaching” list, then you should treat it as follows:

Apply Liquid Clorox^® 2 Stain Fighter & Color Booster and rub into stain.  Wait 3-5 minutes, then wash immediately in the hottest water recommended using detergent and Clorox^® 2 Stain Fighter & Color Booster.

1. Air dry the item and check to make sure the stain is completely removed. If stain remains, repeat the treatment.

This summer, mildew built up all over my sidewalk. How can I use Clorox to remove it?

What a great project to tackle at the end of summer mildew buildup! For mildew removal on concrete (such as a patio), use a dilution of 1 cup Clorox^® Regular-Bleach per gallon of water.  Here’s how to proceed:

1. 1. Protect nearby plants and grass by watering area thoroughly before and after product use.


2. 2. Hose patio to remove loose debris.


3. 3. Apply the solution as needed to keep the area wet for 5 minutes. Brush as needed to remove stains.


4. 4. Rinse thoroughly and avoid excessive runoff near plants.

Good luck with your clean up!