Q:  Can I put Clorox2® in my LG washing machine bleach dispenser?

A:  The bleach dispenser on your clothes washer should only be used for regular household bleach (i.e. Clorox® Regular-Bleach).  That's because the clothes washer will delay flushing the compartment into the washer until later in the cycle.  For best results, Clorox2® should be added along with the detergent, and the dispenser compartment should be large enough to hold both products.  Also, you should use the same form of detergent as you do Clorox2®, powder + powder or liquid + liquid.  For example, you don't want to add a powdered additive with a liquid detergent in the same compartment.

Q: Why I smell aluminum when I clean my heaters with Clorox® Regular-Bleach?

A:  I'm actually not sure!  Are these radiant heaters in an older home, or the registers on the floor or wall of a forced air heating system, or a portable electrical heater?  I suspect that there is some component of the heater you are trying to clean that is made from aluminum (like ductwork, for example), which is one of the materials that Clorox Regular-Bleach should NOT be used to clean because the bleach reacts with the metal and can cause discoloration.  I also wonder what concentration of bleach solution you are using for cleaning.  Just to clarify, full-strength Clorox® Regular-Bleach should never be used to clean anything--it should always be diluted.  If you have aluminum surfaces to clean, you may want to try Clorox® Outdoor Bleach Cleaner, which has some additional ingredients for cleaning outdoor surfaces. Ingredients include corrosion inhibitors and cleaning agents that make it suitable for cleaning aluminum.  Be sure to follow the label instructions and use the proper dilution for what you want to clean, including testing a small area to ensure the dilution is compatible. 

Does anyone use Clorox® Outdoor Bleach Cleaner?

Q:  My son's white 100 percent polyester soccer uniform is dirt-stained.  How can I safely bleach it?

A:  I have good news for you: polyester fibers can be safely bleached with Clorox® Regular-Bleach.  Chances are the shirt also has a player number and maybe even a name.  If those components are screen prints, then they should also be bleachable.  If they are sewn on, then as long as the shirt’s care label says “100 % polyester” and not “100% polyester exclusive of trim” then the shirt should still be bleachable and you can proceed as follows:

• Start by rinsing away loose soil and ground-in dirt. 


• If the shirt is really dirty, then you could use a bleach soaking solution to really jump start cleaning.  For this, use ¼ cup bleach per gallon of water and fully submerge the shirt for 5 minutes. 


• Drain the soaking solution and then wash the shirt in the hottest water recommended on the care label using detergent + ¾ cup Clorox® Regular-Bleach. 


• If you have localized dirt stains, you could skip the bleach soak and instead pretreat the stains directly using Clorox® Bleach Pen Gel—rub a little of the gel into the stains and then immediately wash the shirt using detergent + ¾ bleach. 

Whatever you do, though, never apply bleach full strength to the shirt or any fabric!

Q:  Can I do laundry after using Clorox® Washing Machine Cleaner?

A:  When using Clorox® Washing Machine Cleaner, be sure to always select an extra rinse when you are setting up the cycle.  If your washing machine doesn't have an optional extra rinse cycle, then you can do this manually by  turning the dial to "rinse" and restarting the washer so you get that extra rinse (after the initial clean out cycle is complete).  Then your washer is ready for the next laundry load! 

Has anyone used Clorox® Washing Machine Cleaner?

Q:  How do I bleach out all the color from a blue jumpsuit?  I need a white costume?

A:  This sounds like a great project--I would love to know what the final costume will be.  You might be able to use Clorox® Regular Bleach to strip the blue color from your jumpsuit if the dye is not color fast.  You can test first by applying a drop of a solution of 2 teaspoons bleach added to 1/4 cup water.  Wait 1 minute and then blot dry.  Normally at this point I advise that "no color change means the item can be safely bleached" but in your case, a loss of color indicates that a bleach soak should remove the color.  In this case, you would proceed by soaking the jumpsuit, fully submerged, in a solution of 1/4 cup bleach per gallon of water.  Rinse thoroughly, and let the jumpsuit air dry.  At this point, you can assess your progress, and if necessary, repeat the treatment.  You could also try RIT Color Remover, and may be effective if the blue dye cannot be extracted with Clorox® Regular-Bleach.

Here are some additional tips:

• If the jumpsuit is made of polyester or a poly/cotton blend, you probably cannot strip the color since polyester is most commonly colored before it is made into fibers.


• If the jumpsuit is constructed with polyester thread, you may get the fabric white but any thread that shows will remain blue.


• If the jumpsuit contains any spandex (Lycra) the bleach soak will damage it, so if this is the case a bleach soak is not an option.


• The jumpsuit may change color instead of losing color with the bleach treatment.  For example, blue can shift to yellow or even pink after bleaching.


• Repeating bleach treatments to achieve a desired result is more effective than working with a stronger-than-recommended concentration that is not safe for fabric in the long run.


• If you end up with a "cream" colored jumpsuit you might be able to get it to white with an overnight pre-soak in Clorox2® Stain Fighter and Color Booster.

Does anyone else have a fun project using bleach?

Q: I have a knitted shirt that has some stains, how long should I let it soak with out damage?

A:  Here’s a quick guide to help:

A pre-soak with Clorox® Regular Bleach:  Use 1/4 cup bleach per gallon of water; fully submerge for 5 minutes, then rinse thoroughly.  (Note: never use Clorox Regular-Bleach full strength—it should always be diluted first).

Pre-Treat with Clorox® Bleach Pen® Gel: apply the gel directly to stains on white bleachable items, and then wash immediately with detergent + ¾ cup bleach.

Pre-Treat with Clorox2® Stain Fighter and Color Booster (for non-bleachable items): apply a little of the liquid directly to the stain and wait 3-5 minutes before washing.

Pre-Soak with Clorox2®: use either 1 scoop or 1 cap added per 2 gallons of warm water.  Submerge colored items for up to 1 hour, and white items for up to 8 hours.

As a general rule, the sooner you wash something, the easier it will be to get the stain out!

Q: is it ok to use the high efficiency bleach for H.E. machines in a standard washing machine? I purchased the wrong bleach and want to know if I can use it in my regular machine?

A: Good news, you can definitely use HE bleach in a standard washer!  There are also other ways to use the bleach that you may want to consider, such as cleaning a toilet.  For that, pour 1 cup of the HE bleach into the bowl of the toilet.  Scrub with toilet brush and let stand 10 minutes before flushing.