Domestic Arts Question: Bleach - Democratic Underground

yvr girl

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Mon Mar-21-05 10:44 AM
Original message

Domestic Arts Question: Bleach

I've never used the stuff. I want to bleach a few things, but I don't want to dissolve them.

I know I mix it with water. How much? Hot or cold?

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Freebird12004

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Mon Mar-21-05 10:45 AM
Response to Original message

1. whites or colors

machine or hand wash?

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yvr girl

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Mon Mar-21-05 10:47 AM
Response to Reply #1

4. Whites

I was just going to soak them for a bit. Rinse really well and throw them in with some other laundry. (Will I regret this move?)

I don't have very many whites. Certainly not enough to ever have a load of them.

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Freebird12004

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Mon Mar-21-05 10:58 AM
Response to Reply #4

6. most washing machines have adjustable settings

I've thrown a few pieces of white clothing in with things that I thought were safe and then found out that I was mistaken.

I wouldn't wash the clothing that you had soaked in bleach with other things. You'd be upset if there was any bleach still left to cause damage.

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librechik

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Mon Mar-21-05 10:46 AM
Response to Original message

2. The directions right on the bottle should tell you

everything you need to know

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Left Is Write

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Mon Mar-21-05 10:46 AM
Response to Original message

3. What are you bleaching?

If it's just white clothes in the washing machine, add a cup of bleach to the wash water. If you have a dispenser for that in your washing machine, add it about five minutes into the wash cycle. If you have no dispenser, let the washer fill with water, add the bleach, and then add the clothes. Don't get the bleach directly onto the clothes.

(I assume you are talking about liquid chlorine bleach.)

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yvr girl

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Mon Mar-21-05 10:49 AM
Response to Reply #3

5. Is there another type?

I have to buy it first.

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Left Is Write

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Mon Mar-21-05 10:59 AM
Response to Reply #5

7. Sure. There's non-chlorine bleach, usually in a powdered

form. (Clorox 2, for example.)

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yvr girl

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Mon Mar-21-05 11:00 AM
Response to Reply #7

9. Does it work as well?

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Left Is Write

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Mon Mar-21-05 11:20 AM
Response to Reply #9

11. It depends on what you're looking for.

Non-chlorine bleach is usually used on colors, to protect them from fading.

I use regular chlorine bleach in occasional loads of white items (often bathroom rugs and towels) that need tough stain removal or whitening and brightening. For everything else, I use Oxyclean.

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pansypoo53219

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Mon Mar-21-05 11:00 AM
Response to Original message

8. i only use that stuff for grout

i don't care how mild you make it, i think it kills fabric.

i embrace the un-whiteness of life.

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Lex

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Mon Mar-21-05 11:06 AM
Response to Original message

10. Consider this too---

if your whites are turning yellowish or dingy, you may have "hard water" (full of minerals) and you can buy some Calgon (found on the same aisle as laundry detergent) and add it into the white batch to soften the water and your whites will be white again.

Also, I've seen on the 'net that you can add a mixture of regular table salt and lemon juice to whiten clothes. Salt is what will soften the water.

The water here in my city is hard water and I have used Calgon to keep my white clothes white and it works great.

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progressoid

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Mon Mar-21-05 11:23 AM
Response to Original message

12. We use it sparingly

helps to brighten up the whites (nothing else however).

I have a sister-in-law that is obsessed with everything being ultra white. She over does it. Her whites are white, but it does eat away at the fabric.

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politicat

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Mon Mar-21-05 11:36 AM
Response to Original message

13. bleach can yellow whites, especially if you already have hard water.

Oxyclean is my first choice, with a rinse with laundry bluing to restore optical whiteness.

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yvr girl

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Mon Mar-21-05 11:45 AM
Response to Reply #13

14. Laundry bluing?

This is a new product to me.

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mcscajun

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Mon Mar-21-05 01:06 PM
Response to Reply #14

18. It's a very, very old product. It still works, too.

To brighten whites and light-colored clothing.

More info here:

http://www.walco-linck.com/bluette.html

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politicat

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Mon Mar-21-05 11:13 PM
Response to Reply #14

19. kind of an obscure, old fashioned product.

http://www.kilianhardware.com/mrsstewlaunb.html

Originally (and still) used to make laundry look whiter. Requires only a few drops for a load of laundry. Dilute it by adding 5-10 drops to a quart of water and pouring the water in; else you risk staining.

http://store1.yimg.com/I/kilian_1810_26714749

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The empressof all

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Mon Mar-21-05 12:06 PM
Response to Original message

15. Bleach is great for certain things only

The trick with Bleach is that you need to use the proper amount. Don't think half the recommended amount will work as well. You need to use a cup of bleach with hot water in a large washer load. When I use bleach it is for heavy cotton items only like white socks and underwear. I soak with bleach and detergent for a while and then run the load.

Oxy-clean is a great product and a good substitute for bleach. I use it more frequently as I think it is more environmentaly friendly. I save the bleach for sanitizing the counters.

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yvr girl

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Mon Mar-21-05 12:11 PM
Response to Reply #15

16. Thanks

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Terran

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Mon Mar-21-05 12:11 PM
Response to Original message

17. Don't use hot, use warm

Edited on Mon Mar-21-05 12:12 PM by Terran

Hot water tends to make the bleach just evaporate before it can do anything--it's very volatile.

For whitening, I agree, OxyClean works better. I only use bleach for the purpose of sanitizing, not whitening. Oxy's expensive, though.

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BiggJawn

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Mon Mar-21-05 11:19 PM
Response to Original message

20. RTFD

Read The Friendly Directions.

Printed right on the back of the bottle!

Add bleach to water, then immerse stuff to bleach. If you do like I do, and pour the bleach in while the machine is filling, then you wind up with tighty whiteys that look like Ann Coulter's been chewing on them...

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