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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.

What It Means

Oxygen bleachChlorine bleachHousehold bleach made with sodium hypochlorite that whitens, removes stains and disinfects, but can fade colors and damage some fibers. See more is laundry bleach that relies on an oxygen-releasing ingredient in place of chlorine. The American Cleaning Institute (ACI) names hydrogen peroxide, sodium percarbonate and sodium perborate among those ingredients, and stores sell the products as color-safe or non-chlorine bleach. ACI says oxygen bleach is safe on washable fabrics and works best at keeping whites bright, with less power to restore whites that have already dulled.

Try It: Compare Oxygen Bleach With Chlorine Bleach

Switch between the two kinds of laundry bleach and read down the rows.

Active ingredientHydrogen peroxide, sodium percarbonate or sodium perborate
On colorsMade to lift stains without fading colors
FabricsWashable fabrics, per ACI; nearly all machine washable ones, per Clorox
Strongest atKeeping whites white
Label words that rule it out"No bleach" or "Do not bleach"

Sources: ACI, Clorox, OxiClean, FTC.

How It Sounds at Home

  • "Toss a scoop of the oxygen stuff in with the whites."
  • "The tag says only non-chlorine bleach."
  • "Is that the color-safe one?"

The Breakdown

How to use it

  1. Find the bleach instruction on the care label, written out or shown as the triangle symbol.
  2. Match it to the table below. When the label rules out every bleach, leave oxygen bleach out too.
  3. Measure the amount the package gives for your load size and your washer.
  4. Add it at the point in the wash the package tells you to.
  5. Use it on whites you want to keep bright, since ACI says oxygen bleach maintains whiteness better than it restores it.

Try it today. Check the labels on three colored items you wash often and note which bleach wording each one carries.

Which label words allow which bleach (FTC)

The label saysOxygen bleachChlorine bleach
Nothing about bleachYesYes
"Only non-chlorine bleach, when needed"Yes, when neededNo
"No bleach" or "Do not bleach"NoNo

Good to Know

The FTC's Care Labeling Rule guidance rejects a label reading just "Do not use chlorine bleach." For a garment that can take non-chlorine bleach regularly but not chlorine bleach, the required wording is "Only non-chlorine bleach, when needed." Clorox describes its color-safe bleach as right for nearly all machine washable fabrics, which leaves the care label as the final word on any single item. Stick to one bleach product per load unless both packages say they can be used together.

FAQ

Is oxygen bleach the same as color-safe bleach?

Yes, color-safe and non-chlorine bleach are both names for it. Clorox's color-safe bleach, for example, contains no chlorine, and OxiClean describes oxygen bleach as using hydrogen peroxide or similar ingredients.

Can you use oxygen bleach on colored clothes?

Usually. OxiClean says oxygen bleach lifts stains without fading colors. Check the care label first, because "No bleach" or "Do not bleach" rules out oxygen bleach as well.

Will oxygen bleach whiten yellowed whites?

It may help, but ACI says oxygen bleach works best at keeping whites white, with less effect on whites that have already dulled. Chlorine bleach is the stronger whitener for items whose labels allow it.

Do It in Buhata

Shopping

Put oxygen bleach on the Shopping list in your Household Space when the tub runs low, so whoever shops next picks it up.

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Related Terms and Categories

  • Chlorine bleach

    Household bleach made with sodium hypochlorite that whitens, removes stains and disinfects, but can fade colors and damage some fibers.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • High-efficiency detergent

    Laundry detergent made to clean with low suds in the small amount of water a high-efficiency (HE) washer uses, marked "HE" on the package.

Chores, cleaning and home care

Sources

American Cleaning Institute, "Using Bleach in Laundry" and "Glossary of Cleaning Product Terminology"; Clorox, "What Is Color Safe Bleach and How To Use It"; OxiClean, "Oxygen Bleach vs Chlorine Bleach"; Federal Trade Commission, "Clothes Captioning: Complying with the Care Labeling Rule"

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