HOW TO USE BLEACH ON LAUNDRY DAY

Raise your hand if you’ve ever been personally victimized by bleach stains. Bleach is a strong chemical that has the potential to damage our favorite garments. However, despite it’s reputation, bleach is helpful when it comes to tough stains. You just have to know how to use bleach on laundry day. Not sure how to handle a stain? Stop by and ask us! At Hangers Cleaners we deal with tough stains and delicate fabrics every day. We have six convenient locations in Little Rock:

Here are a few things you need to know about using bleach on laundry day.

Use bleach on laundry day the right way.

There are many reasons to add bleach on laundry day. Bleach kills germs, gets rid of stubborn soil and even brightens colors. Make sure you add it to your load correctly, or you will damage your garments.

Most modern washing machines have a bleach dispenser that will add bleach safely to your load at the correct time. If you don’t have a bleach dispenser, don’t panic. You can still safely use bleach.

How to use bleach when your washing machine doesn’t have a bleach dispenser:

Chlorine bleach needs to be diluted before it comes in contact with your garments.

1. Fill the washing machine up with water and add your choice of laundry detergent.
2. Add half the amount of bleach on laundry day needed for your load and start the cycle.
3. Add the rest of the bleach after the cycle has had about 5 minutes to run.
4. Now add your load of laundry.

Use bleach to get rid of stains.

Using concentrated bleach on laundry to remove a tough stain from a garment? Here are a few tips.

• Check the care tag. It’s always best to double check. Even white garments might not be safe to bleach if the fabrics they are made of are too delicate.
• Dilute the bleach in a bucket of water and bleach the entire garment to prevent spotting.
• Bleach works best in hot water. If you aren’t getting the stain-removing results you want from your bleached load of laundry, consider turning up the heat.

Choose your weapons wisely.

It’s not a good idea to mix chemicals while you are doing laundry. You could risk damaging your garment or creating toxic fumes in the laundry room. If you have a stain, consider all your options. Use one stain-removal method at a time.

Use bleach on laundry for stubborn stains only. Bleach is a strong chemical, even when it’s properly diluted. Using bleach to treat a garment over and over again can cause damage. Consider alternative stain-removal methods.

Consider using oxygen bleach instead of chlorine bleach on laundry day.

Oxygen bleach is also known as color-safe bleach. The chemicals are more gentle and environmentally friendly. It is best to purchase oxygen bleach as a powder. Powdered oxygen bleach has a longer shelf life.

Here is how to use oxygen bleach to safely remove stains:

1. Dissolve the oxygen bleach powder in warm water.
2. After it has fully dissolved you can add cold water if needed.
3. Fully submerge the garment and let it sit overnight. Oxygen bleach takes longer to work but it is less damaging to the garment.