We all love to see fresh, clean laundry airing in the breeze. The type of laundry that doesn’t just look clean, but really is clean. For many of us, learning new tips that will improve our laundry skills is one of life’s little pleasures.
You likely know that using bleach when doing laundry is a possibility, but you may be worried as to how to go about it. After all, this last thing you want to do is go and ruin all of those favourite, and at times expensive, clothes. So how can you master the art of using bleach when doing laundry? Actually it doesn’t need to be as hard as you think! Below you will find a a few suggestions you may find useful to cleaner and fresher laundry – enjoy!
Understand The Types Of Bleach Which Can Be Used For Laundry
First up, it’s time to learn about the different types of bleaches. For many of it may seem that bleach is simply bleach, end of story. Unfortunately, if we take this approach we may very well cause damage to our clothes. When it comes to home laundry, there are two types of bleach you need to know about – chlorine bleach and oxygen bleach. Sometimes these are referred to using different names and terms as outlined below:
Chlorine Bleach
Also known as sodium hypochlorite.
Oxygen Bleach
Also know as sodium percarbonate.
What Are The Benefits Of Using Bleach When Doing Laundry?
Bleach uses a process called oxidation to make the dirt and soil in garments become soluble. These dirt particles can then be easily washed away by the laundry detergent.
In addition bleach has the ability to whiten and brighten-up fabrics. Bacteria on clothes and fabric can also be killed with the use of certain types of bleach.
A Look At Using Chlorine Bleach In The Laundry
Understanding all of the ins and outs of using bleach when doing laundry can take some time, for now let’s look at just one of the bleach types mentioned above – chlorine bleach.
This type of bleach is available both in liquid and dry form. The liquid form is the most common for home laundry. Whether you plan to use the liquid form or the dry form, the important point to remember is that both have to be diluted in water before they come in contact with fabrics.
What Can You Expect To Achieve If You Use Chlorine Bleach During Your Laundry Process?
One property of this bleach is a disinfectant factor. You can expect it to kill bacteria and viruses found on the fabric due to this disinfectant property. In addition, chlorine bleach will normally whiten natural fabrics. So those white cotton garments can expect a good brightening-up.
What Is The Process For Using Chlorine Bleach In The Laundry?
There are two important things to remember here:
– Add the chlorine bleach at the correct time
– Add the chlorine bleach at the correct temperature.
When it comes to chlorine bleach it’s always good to test items before treating them with bleach. You could try mixing one part bleach to two parts water and test a hidden area of a garment. If the area changes colour you should choose a different cleaning method that does not involve bleach.
Once you know that the garments are safe for use with bleach it’s time to make up a larger mixture. You could mix one one cup of bleach with one quart of warm water as an example.
In general you need to wait before you add your bleach mixture. You need to allow the detergent to get to work first. Try waiting around five minutes into the cycle before you add your bleach mixture.
What If You Don’t See The Results You Had Hoped For?
If your bleach still has a good shelf life and you have followed reputable instructions, you may feel disappointed if your garments are not as bright and fresh looking as you had hoped they would be. At this point you may want to check the temperature that you are cleaning the garments at. When it comes to cleaning and brightening, bleach loves hot temperatures. So if your wash has been on cold or lukewarm, you may not have achieved very much.
It’s also worth noting that liquid bleach does not last forever. An opened bottle will lose much of its effectiveness after 6 months and will not disinfect of clean to its potential. In addition, when it comes to storing your chlorine bleach, keep in mind that it is light and temperature sensitive so try to keep it somewhere that has a temperature of around 70 degrees F.
Indeed we are all keen to find out tried and tested ways to improve our laundry skills. In fact, for some people, there are few things less satisfying than successfully hanging out a basket of bright, fresh and clean laundry. Of course all uses of bleach should be carried out with great care and attention.
The above ideas suggested above can be confirmed by checking reputable recommendations or contacting a laundry specialist. Doing a little research and understanding the many uses of bleach in our home laundry is well worth the effort, in fact it may result in you feeling like you have a whole new wardrobe!
