Q:  How do I make a neutralizing rinse?

A: This is an interesting question – what do you want to rinse?  In general, the rinse cycle that follows the wash cycle, will effectively neutralize a laundry load with bleach.  However, there are times when people are working on fabric projects where they use bleach for decorative effects!  Under these circumstances, you want to quickly stop the bleaching action from sodium hypochlorite (the active in Clorox® Regular-Bleach).  In that case, a hydrogen peroxide solution that’s 1 part hydrogen peroxide + 10 parts water will work. 

Readers, do any of you use bleach for decorative fabric effects?

Q:  Can you use Clorox Regular-Bleach® on a newborn’s clothes?

A:  I have good news – you can definitely use Clorox® Regular-Bleach to launder newborn clothing, bedding, car seat liners…you name it!  However, the items do need to be made of fibers that can be safely bleached.  Start by checking the labels and don’t use bleach on any items containing wool, spandex, silk, mohair, and leather.  For any colored items, you need to check their colorfastness to bleach via a bleachability test:

• Dilute 2 teaspoons bleach in ¼ cup water.


• Apply a drop of this solution to a hidden part of the items.  Inside hems, cuffs, under collars, and seams work well.  For multicolored items be sure to check each color.


• Wait 1 minute then blot dry.  No color change means the item can be safely bleached.

I expect that you will have good luck with items made of polyester fleece and items where the color is printed onto the fabric, plus some denim clothing.  It comes down to what dye is used and how it is applied. 

Wash the items that pass the bleachability test in detergent + ¾ cup Clorox® Regular-Bleach.  Your clothes washer should adequately rinse the bleach from the clothes, but you can also select an extra rinse cycle if you prefer.  Hopefully this is helpful!

Are any other readers first time parents?

Q:  I workout often, and it seems some shirts have a permanent odor of sweat or mold. Will Clorox 2® help on my colored laundry?

A:  The bleach active in Clorox2®, hydrogen peroxide, is a gentle bleach, making it safe for almost all washable colored items.  However, it doesn’t meet EPA disinfecting requirements, and so it won’t kill the germs on your workout clothes like Clorox® Regular-Bleach.  You may actually be able to use Clorox® Regular-Bleach to safely wash some of your workout clothes provided they are colorfast to bleach and don’t contain any spandex.  You’ll need to check the items with a quick bleachability test as follows:

• Mix a test solution by diluting 2 tsp Clorox® Regular-Bleach in ¼ cup water


• Apply a drop to a hidden part of the item such as an inside hem, cuff, or seam.  Wait one minute and then blot dry


• No color change means the item can be safely bleached

For items that don’t pass the bleachability test, you can try the following techniques to at least reduce the germ count.

• Always wash in the hottest water recommended on the item’s care label.


• Pre-soak with Clorox2® before washing.  Dissolve 1 scoop of the powder in 2 gallons hot water; fully submerge the items for up to 8 hours or overnight.  Drain the soaking solution before washing.


• Wash any items of particular concern separately from other items to avoid germ transfer


• Use the hottest dryer setting recommended on the care label, and dry items separately - or at least with some white towels so the items tumble properly in the dryer.

Periodically run a washer clean-out cycle with an empty washer and ¾ cup Clorox® Regular-Bleach to be sure the clothes washer is disinfected and germs don’t transfer to other loads. 

Do any readers have suggestions on eliminating gym clothes odor?

Q:  Something in the wash load faded onto white clothes and partially white clothes.  How can I get rid of the unwanted color?  Do I need to do something different if the fabric says "use non chlorine bleach"?

A:  What you describe sounds like dye transfer and you should be able to restore any bleachable items with a bleach soaking solution.  Start by figuring out if any of the partially white items are safely bleachable (even if they are labeled "only non-chlorine bleach").  First, check the care label and eliminate any items that include wool, silk, mohair, spandex, and leather--these should never be bleached.  For the remaining items, check for colorfastness to bleach with this simple bleachability test: dilute 2 teaspoons Clorox® Regular-Bleach in ¼ cup water; apply a drop of this solution to a hidden part of the each item (like a hem, cuff, collar, or inside seam); wait 1 minute then blot dry. No color change means the item can be safely bleached.  For the white items, and any partially colored items that passed the bleachability test, try soaking them in a solution of ¼ cup Clorox® Regular-Bleach diluted in 1 gallon cool water for up to 5 minutes, then rinse thoroughly.  Air dry the items, and check for success (it’s important to keep the items out of the dryer so the heat doesn’t set any remaining dye).  Hopefully the fugitive color will be gone, but if it is lighter, then repeat the bleach soak again.  However, if the bleach soak leaves the dye transfer color unchanged, then you may need to try Rit® Color Remover, which can usually be found at drug and hardware stores. 

Has anyone had success removing dye transfer?

Q:  How to get a thin layer of gum out of a shirt collar?

A:  I have good news for you!  Gum is surprisingly easy to remove by freezing.  Just apply an ice cube directly to the gum, and as it hardens, it will crack and you can scrape it away.  For a thin layer of gum, one or two ice cubes should do it—let me know how it goes!

Readers – have you experienced problems with gum on your clothing?

Q:  I spilt coffee on my white clothes.  How can I remove these stains?

A: Hopefully your white item is bleachable.  You should avoid bleaching fabrics that are made with wool, silk, mohair, leather, and spandex.  If bleachable, proceed as follows:

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


2. 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 white item includes any of the fibers on the “avoid bleaching” list, above, then you should treat it as follows:

1. Apply Liquid Clorox2® Stain Fighter & Color Booster and rub into stain.  Wait 3-5 minutes, then wash immediately in the hottest water recommended using detergent and Clorox2® 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.

Readers – have you ever spilt coffee on your white clothes?

Q:  How much Clorox® Regular-Bleach should I use when it comes to colored clothes? And should I add my dark clothes before or after adding Clorox® Regular-Bleach to the water?

A:  To bleach colored items, it’s important to check their colorfastness to bleach first, and you can do this easily with this simple bleachability test: dilute 1 teaspoon Clorox® Regular-Bleach in 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.  The correct amount to use for an average load is ¾ cup.

As far as when to add bleach, the main thing you want to avoid is having undiluted bleach accidentally contact your clothes.  This is important for white or bleach fast colored items.  So yes, adding bleach to the washer while it is filling, and before any of the load is added, is a great way to easily and safely add bleach.  It’s also good to swirl the agitator to mix the bleach in a little first before the load is added, and adding the load when the washer is about half-filled.  Also, using a measuring cup not only ensures that you are using the correct amount, but also helps prevent any spillage.

Do any readers use Clorox® Regular-Bleach on their colored clothing?

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.  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.

How many readers like using bleach when mopping floors?

Q: At what air temperature is the efficacy of Clorox® Regular-Bleach effected?  How low can the temperature be for proper storage?

A: Thanks for the great question.  Here’s a little background on the shelf life of Clorox® Regular-Bleach.  The active ingredient, sodium hypochlorite, naturally breaks down into salt and water, and the hotter the temperature the bottle is stored at, the faster the decomposition.  Generally, bleach stored at room temperature (~70°F) maintains its label strength active level (6% sodium hypochlorite) for approximately 6 months before starting to degrade into salt and water.  Note that for EPA registered disinfectant uses, you should always use bleach at label strength, which usually means no more than 5 months past the purchase date, with the bottle having been properly stored.  Regarding what the lowest temperature is for proper storage of Clorox, the product should not be allowed to freeze.

Readers, how do you store your Clorox® Regular-Bleach?

Q: How can I get yellow armpit stains out? I've tried everything, even using bleach pens! Any help would be greatly appreciated!

A:  Arm pit stains can be quite variable.  If your shirts have stain build-up that some people say feels almost “crunchy” you can try this method:

1. Working into a dishpan, pour boiling water slowly through each armpit stain.  This is to “melt” the build-up, which is a combination of deodorant, sweat, body soil, bacteria, etc.  It will help if you position the shirt in the dishpan before you start so that you can get to each stain without touching the shirt once you begin since it will be boiling hot!

2. Don’t rinse the shirt—just pour off as much of the hot water as you can.  This keeps the build-up in a more “melted” state.  If you do need to handle the shirt, either wear gloves or use kitchen tongs.

3. Apply a mixture of 1:1:1 parts baking soda, hydrogen peroxide, and water directly to the stain.  Sometimes you may see this referred to as a paste, but it is actually quite watery, so be sure to mix up enough so you can saturate the stains.

4. Rinse the shirt, and then follow up with a hot water wash with a good enzyme-containing detergent.  (For white t-shirts, be sure to add ¾ cup Clorox® Regular-Bleach!)

You may just have yellow staining, and in that case you could go straight to step 3, above.  You may also consider changing brands of deodorant to one that doesn’t contain any aluminum since that can contribute to the staining.  Good luck!

Is anyone else plagued by armpit stains?