Laundry Service Guide to Bleach and Laundry Whitener

Laundry whiteners are a type of laundry solvent that helps to brighten and whiten clothes. Fabric whitener is optical brightening agent which is a chemical compound having the capability to absorb the U.V. light (which is an invisible light) and reflect the light in the visible spectrum. Meaning – the white color appears more white.

Laundry whitener is a non-chlorine bleach alternative made from hydrogen peroxide, which is a milder option for those with sensitive skin. It is commonly used to remove stains and discoloration from white clothes and fabrics – while being less harsh than a pure bleach. Laundry whitener comes in liquid and powder forms. 

Bleach is the generic name for any chemical product that is used to remove color from fabric. It often refers, specifically, to a dilute solution of sodium hypochlorite, also called “liquid bleach”.

There is a serious range of products under the “bleach” shorthand name – ranging from simple laundry solutions to highly concentrated pool cleaners or wood stainers. In short, bleach is very powerful and can be very harmful to your laundry. However, if used in moderation for a specific purpose, it can help. Just know that this is a much stronger solution than most over the counter laundry whiteners.

Bleach is a bulldozer and laundry whitener is a small gardening shovel.

‍If you’re clearing 10 acres of farmland, you use a bulldozer. If you’re picking one weed in the small garden, you use a small gardening shovel.

While the two terms are often misused, they are similar. In reality, bleach refers to one chemical solution – sodium hypochlorite. And Laundry Whiteners range with a larger variety of similar compounds that a less potent. 

Laundry whiteners come in gels, sprays, liquids, and powders. For each of them, manufacturers give their recommendations. But, is one better than the rest? It’s all about where you are using the laundry whitener!

‍A pocket spray or pen is convenient when you need to urgently remove the stain without a complete wash. This is ideal for travel or carrying in your purse. However, you might not have it on hand when you need it.

‍Gels, powders, and liquids require soaking or are usually added to the wash. If you always use the same washer, buying a liquid bottle might make more sense than using pods. However, pods make more sense to someone who is carrying their laundry and laundry detergents to and from a laundromat or a community washroom weekly.

If your white laundry has turned yellow due to an excessive use of bleach, there is no way to restore it to white. Chlorine bleach is great for cleaning and disinfecting, but it can cause yellowing if overused or if used on white synthetic fibers like nylon, microfibers, or polyester. The bleach weakens the fibers and returns the synthetic polymers to their original color, yellow. There is no fixing this.

‍If your clothes are dingy due to natural wear, laundry whitener will be a great solution and restore the color to white. 

Remember, the solvents need time to soak into the fabric. The more yellow your clothes are, the longer soak time you need. Do not expect one cycle to do the trick. We recommend setting your machine  to a soak cycle that is at least 45 minutes.

If your white laundry has turned yellow due to an excessive use of bleach, there is no way to restore it to white. Chlorine bleach is great for cleaning and disinfecting, but it can cause yellowing if overused or if used on white synthetic fibers like nylon, microfibers, or polyester. The bleach weakens the fibers and returns the synthetic polymers to their original color, yellow. There is no fixing this.

‍If your clothes are dingy due to natural wear, laundry whitener will be a great solution and restore the color to white. 

Remember, the solvents need time to soak into the fabric. The more yellow your clothes are, the longer soak time you need. Do not expect one cycle to do the trick. We recommend setting your machine  to a soak cycle that is at least 45 minutes.

OxiClean pods do not contain bleach. Like other laundry whiteners, they contain chlorine-free, non-bleach stain-removing agents. They do not contain bleach and they do not have the bleach smell.

OxicClean is essentially hydrogen peroxide. It bleaches stains in the same way that peroxide does – when you dissolve the OxiClean crystals (sodium percarbonate) in water you make a solution of sodium carbonate (washing soda) and hydrogen peroxide.

Simply put, it is not very effective because it is not a strong solvent. 

The available bleach types can be divided into two main groups: 1) Oxygen Bleach and 2) Chlorine Bleach.

‍Oxygen Bleach is the safest. It works best by mixing with hot water and pre-soaking your fabrics before washing them. Each manufacturer indicates the recommended time and amount on the package. If you soak things in oxygen bleach, it will not cause any harm to health and clothes. You can safely experiment with oxygen bleach at home since it does not have the same corrosive, toxic, and harmful properties that chlorine bleach does.

Chlorine Bleach works faster than oxygen bleach. Be careful though, it works fast! Do not soak in Chlorine Bleach for more than 30-60 minutes to prevent damage. These products are the most affordable and have excellent disinfectant properties for cleaning toilets and removing mold. However, it is typically too much for personal laundry. Chlorine Bleach is very aggressive. It can be harmful to your laundry, your health, and the environment. The most practical laundry use of Chlorine Bleach is for commercial towels or linens – not your favorite t-shirt.

What type of bleach is best for getting rid of stains?

Both remove stains.

But… we recommend that you stay away from Chlorine Bleach if possible. Start with Oxygen Bleach. After bleaching with Chlorine Bleach, your laundry and linens will wear out faster and gradually turn yellow. While Chlorine Bleach will likely get the stain out, you will decrease the lifespan of the fabric and you will risk an irreversible yellowing.

‍Oxygen Bleach makes things much easier! It is suitable for all types of fabrics, doesn’t destroy them, and it prevents the environmental impact of Chlorine Pollution.

‍On top of being better for your laundry and linens, Oxygen Bleach is much more environmentally friendly when compared to its Chlorine counterpart. Oxygen Bleaches do not require high temperatures when washing, they enhance the effect of detergent, and they thoroughly rinse out in a basic rinse cycle.

Bleach primarily comes in liquid form. However, it is available as tablets too. We recommend using liquid bleach products primarily. However, tablets are an option for those traveling or packing light.

‍Most bleach tablet providers direct you with the following user instructions.

‍Use one tablet for a single load (<20 pounds or one wash cycle) of white laundry. Like a detergent pod, you just toss it in the washer drum before starting the cycle. Drop a tablet in the washer before starting the cycle and wait for the tablet to dissolve first.

‍If mixing in the washer drum is not an option, you can always dilute the tablet in water and then add the diluter bleach mix to your wash cycle. Dissolve one tablet in 3/4th cup of water and put this solution in your washing machine dispenser, then start your laundry.

‍Our bleach tablet recommendation is GuardH Bleach Tablets.

The average residential washer requires at least 3/4 cup of bleach for best results. If your items are pure white, you can comfortably use one full cup of bleach.

It’s important to know that this measurement depends on the size of your load.

You will adjust the amount of bleach you add to your wash cycle based on the size of your load, the size of your machine, and the soil level.

Generally, you will add 3/4 cup for a residential washer. You will use 1 cup of bleach for washing machines that are over 30-pound capacity. These commercial washing machines are most frequently found at laundromats.

‍If your white laundry is heavily soiled, you will increase the amount of bleach used by adding an additional 1/2 cup. If you are increasing the bleach use, you will want to opt for the extra rinse on the washing machine. This extra rinse makes sure there is no bleach residue left on your clean laundry.

Bleach gets best results when mixed with your laundry once the laundry is already wet. Be sure to administer the bleach once your laundry is properly wet for best results.