Bleach Alternative

Whether you are trying to whiten your old gym socks or remove a stain from your favorite t-shirt, your go-to may be bleach.

However, bleach isn’t safe to use on all materials. It can permanently damage your laundry if it is not used properly, and it may even be less effective if you add it to the laundry at the wrong time.

More than that, bleach has inherent risks to your health, your home or the environment. Before reaching for a bottle of bleach, consider some of these safer bleach alternatives.

Why Are People Turning to Bleach Alternatives, and What Makes Them a Safer Choice?

Bleach is a harsh chemical that has significant health risks. The fumes are strong and unpleasant, and they are also corrosive to your lungs. Inhaling even a small amount of bleach fumes can result in an asthma attack.

In addition, these fumes do not dissipate quickly in homes with poor ventilation. Adding to the dangers, bleach releases toxic gas into the air when combined with other cleaning products, including vinegar, ammonia and rubbing alcohol. The risks of bleach exposure also extend to skin and eye irritation.

On top of the personal health concerns, bleach can ruin colored clothes, carpeting and other items. It causes serious damage to septic systems. In addition, it has a detrimental effect on the environment, including natural waterways and air quality.

Is Bleach Alternative the Same as Bleach?

A bleach alternative is not the same as bleach. Bleach alternatives use natural ingredients while bleach is a harsh chemical with significant downsides.

However, bleach alternatives have many of the same properties as bleach and are suitable for housecleaning and doing the laundry.

Benefits of Using Bleach Alternatives

Many people continue using bleach even after learning about its harmful effects. One reason for this is because they are not aware of safer alternatives that work just as well.

However, bleach alternatives are effective at whitening clothes as well as tackling tough stains. Plus, they use natural ingredients that are safe for humans and the environment.

Top Bleach Alternatives and Their Uses

There are several bleach alternatives that you can consider using, and at least some of these alternatives may already be in your cabinets.

Baking Soda

Baking soda can whiten and brighten your laundry without damaging it. To give your laundry detergent an extra boost of cleaning power, pour up to a cup of baking soda into your laundry at the start of the cycle.

If you’re dealing with tough stains on your clothes, add just enough water to a small amount of baking soda to make a paste. Apply the paste to the stain, and scrub it with a clean brush. If the stain is set-in or on a particularly large area, you can soak the item in a tub filled with hot water and a cup of baking soda. Let this sit overnight before washing the item as usual in the washing machine.

Vinegar

Vinegar is a natural substance that contains acetic acid. This component will not harm your clothing or yourself, and it will deliver the benefits of bleach. To whiten clothes, add a cup of vinegar to a full tub of hot water. Soak all of your whites in the solution overnight. You can then run them through the washing machine in the morning.

Vinegar is also useful at improving the dullness of colored clothing. Often, colored clothes get dull because they accumulate residue from detergents and fabric softeners. When you pour a half-cup of vinegar into your machine’s rinse cycle, the vinegar will safely strip away the residue.

Sunlight

There is no whitening and brightening agent more natural than the sun. The stains on your clothes will fade under the sun, and your discolored whites can get whiter. There’s no need to use water or soap. Simply lay your whites flat under direct sunlight.

For the best results, do this in the middle of the day when sunlight is strongest. Return a few hours later to bring your clothes inside. If you need to deal with stains on colored clothes, turn them inside out to minimize fading.

Hydrogen Peroxide

Hydrogen peroxide can be used to whiten and brighten your white clothes, but it is not safe to use on colored clothes. Simply add a cup of hydrogen peroxide to the washing machine’s bleach compartment. Run the washing machine as usual with your normal detergent.

Borax

Borax is a natural product that can turn water into hydrogen peroxide. It is safe for whites and colored items, and it can even eliminate odors in your stinkiest clothes.

To use it, add a half-cup of borax to your laundry machine along with your normal detergent. If any of your clothes have acidic stains, borax can tackle them in the laundry machine.

Lemon Juice or Citric Acid

Lemon juice or citric acid can whiten clothes, but they should not be used on colored clothes. To ensure that the lemon juice won’t damage an item, test a small area before using it on the entire item. Lemon juice can also remove stains, including stubborn grease and oil stains.

For stain removal, pour salt on the stain, then moisten the salt with lemon juice. Scrub the stain, and allow it to sit on the stain for up to 30 minutes before washing the item in the machine. If you’re dealing with an oil or grease stain, pour pure lemon juice on the stain. Allow the lemon juice to completely dry on the material. You can then launder the item.

Tips for Using Bleach Alternatives Safely and Effectively

Whether your goal is to whiten your whites, brighten your colored clothes or remove stains, you have a few effective, natural bleach alternatives. When using these alternatives, follow a few tips for the best results:

• Always follow the instructions on the clothing label.
• Test a small area of the fabric before using a bleach alternative on a larger and highly visible area.
• Understand how each of these alternatives works and how to use them effectively.
• Do not combine ingredients without first researching the safety of doing so.

While bleach is a powerful cleaning product, bleach alternatives can be just as effective. At Cleanzen, our cleaners always use safe and effective products in our customers’ homes, and we can help you get the level of clean you need. Learn more about Cleanzen’s professional cleaning services in Boston, MA today.