How to Use Bleach in Laundry to Clean, Whiten, Remove Stains and Sanitize. You can add bleach to every load of bleach-safe laundry along with your regular detergent to clean, whiten, remove stains and sanitize your clothes. Detergent alone is not enough.
Clorox® Disinfecting Bleach keeps white clothes their whitest and kills 99.9% of germs in your laundry. It works better than detergent alone on hard-to-remove stains including berries, juice, mud/dirt, ketchup, grass, coffee, red wine and tea.
Bleach is environmentally friendly
While they are sometimes referred to as “chlorine bleach,” there is no elemental or free chlorine in our bleach products. The sodium hypochlorite bleach active in Clorox® Disinfecting Bleach oxidizes soils and stains, and in the process breaks down almost entirely into salt and water. This makes it quite environmentally friendly. Since it’s even effective in cold water, you can save energy and still get great laundry results compared to detergent alone.
Remember to always check care labels to confirm fiber content before washing; avoid bleaching wool, silk, mohair, leather, spandex and non-fast colors.
How much bleach to add to laundry
| Objective | Standard Washing Machine | High Efficiency Washing Machine |
|---|---|---|
| Sanitization | 1/2 cup | 1/4 cup |
| Whitening and Stain Removal (Normal Soil) | 1/3 cup | Max line in dispenser |
| Whitening and Stain Removal (Heavy Soil) | 2/3 cup | Max line in dispenser |
What you need
Before you begin, always check care labels to confirm fiber content before washing; avoid bleaching wool, silk, mohair, leather, spandex and non-fast colors. Also, test for colorfastness to ensure the fabric doesn’t become discolored.
Standard deep-fill clothes washer
- 1Sort LaundrySelect bleach-safe fabrics that are white or colorfast.
- 2Select cycleA heavy-duty cycle with hot water and an extra rinse will give you the best performance.
- 3Start washerThe empty washer will begin filling with water. When the washer is about half full with water, add detergent and bleach.
- 4Add laundryDon’t overload the washer; clothing should circulate easily through the water.
High efficiency clothes washer
- 1Sort laundrySelect bleach-safe fabrics that are white or colorfast.
- 2Select cycleA heavy-duty cycle with hot water and an extra rinse will give you the best performance.
- 3Add laundryAdd clothing loosely. Avoid packing laundry as this will overload the washer. Items should have room to tumble freely through the wash water.
- 4Fill dispensersAdd bleach and detergent to appropriate dispenser compartments. These are usually labeled on the dispensers, but you can also check the user’s guide for directions.
- 5Start washerOnce the cycle starts, the door is locked for your safety.
To hand wash, pretreat stains and clean visible soils, rinse to remove loose soil and fully soak each garment for 5 minutes in a solution of 1/4 cup bleach added to 1 gallon of cool water. Rinse and perform a regular wash following the laundry use directions.
For best results in a standard washer, dilute the measured amount of bleach in 1 quart of water. Add to wash 5 minutes after the wash cycle begins.
To sanitize, ensure that the laundry contacts the bleach solution for 10 minutes.
Mary Gagliardi, “How to Use Bleach in Laundry to Clean, Whiten, Remove Stains and Sanitize,” Clorox®, October 22, 2021, https://www.clorox.com/learn/how-to-use-bleach-in-laundry/.
