Chlorine bleach

What It Means

Chlorine bleach is household bleach whose active ingredient is sodium hypochlorite. In the laundry it whitens, lifts stains and disinfects, and Clorox notes it can also fade colors and weaken delicate fibers. The American Cleaning Institute (ACI) says it suits whites and colorfast washables, while wool and silk should stay out of it.

How It Sounds at Home

• "Just a splash of bleach with the white towels."
• "Crack a window before you open the bleach."
• "Don't ever mix that with the other cleaners."

The Breakdown

How to use it in the laundry

1. Check every care label in the load. "No bleach", "Do not bleach" and "Only non-chlorine bleachOxygen bleachLaundry bleach that uses hydrogen peroxide or a similar oxygen-releasing ingredient instead of chlorine, sold as color-safe or non-chlorine bleach. See more, when needed" all rule it out, per the FTC's guidance.
2. Check fibers and colors. Clorox lists wool, silk, mohair, leather, spandex and colors that aren't colorfast as things to keep it away from.
3. Measure the amount the bottle's label gives for your washer and load size.
4. Add it where and when the label directs.
5. Keep ammonia and acids, vinegar included, out of the load and away from where you're pouring.
6. Work with fresh air moving and gloves on, as CDC advises for hypochlorite products.

Try it today. Read the back of your bleach bottle and write down the laundry amount it gives for your washer, so nobody has to guess.

What mixing does (Poison Control)

Good to Know

CDC's advice for products containing hypochlorite is to read the label and follow its directions, work somewhere well ventilated, and protect your skin with gloves. If fumes from a mix do get into the air, CDC and Poison Control both say to leave the area and breathe fresh air, then contact Poison Control for what to do next. Keep bleach in its own bottle and store it where it can't be confused with another cleaner.

Related Terms and Categories

• Oxygen bleach

  Laundry bleach that uses hydrogen peroxide or a similar oxygen-releasing ingredient instead of chlorine, sold as color-safe or non-chlorine bleach.

• Mixing cleaning products

  Combining two or more cleaners in one bottle, bucket or bowl. Some pairs, such as bleach with ammonia or with an acid, give off toxic gas.

• Laundry sorting

  Dividing dirty laundry into loads that can be washed together safely, by color, how dirty it is, lint and the care each fabric needs.

• Vinegar cleaning

  Using white vinegar, a mild acetic acid, to dissolve mineral buildup and lift grime. It doesn't replace a registered disinfectant.

• Enzyme cleaner

  A cleaner or detergent that uses enzymes to break down stains: protease for protein, amylase for starch and lipase for fats and oils.

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