Bleach might save your clothes by removing hard stains, but it’s not always helpful. It might be safe and dangerous at the same time and damage the clothes if not used properly.
So, can you put bleach in washing machine with white clothes? Since this was also a concern to me, I researched and tested some options.
It might be possible if you know when is the right time to use it. Bleach comes in multiple varieties, so you have to choose which one to use in a specific situation.
In continuation, I will share what helped me the most and taught me how and when to use bleach in the washing machine.
Can You Put Bleach in Washing Machine With White Clothes?
You have a green light to put bleach in the washing machine with white clothes and a big red light to use for colored clothes. Even if you can bleach your white clothes, you must read their label. Not all white fabrics are suitable for bleaching, especially if you opt for chlorine-based bleach.
If the clothes are suitable for bleaching, you should continue with the second step. The second step is regarding the right way of using the bleach.
Never pour bleach directly on the clothes. Instead, make a solution by mixing a small amount of bleach and a lot of water. To determine how much bleach you may need, you should consider the stain and its cause.
When washing white clothes with bleach, consider using a high-temperature cycle and an extra rinse option. You must be 100% sure that the clothes are washed and rinsed well.
Tips for Using Bleach in Washing Machine
Sort the laundry
To prevent messing up the clothes, it is best to separate and sort them out first. This tip is mainly related to the clothes labels. You must check them when sorting the laundry.
We know that white clothes can be washed at high temperatures and bleached. However, we often don’t check the labels, and we damage garments.
Sorting the laundry will also prevent accidentally loading colored clothes that somehow get stuck between the white clothes, like a sock or underwear.
Read more: Will Bleach Damage My Washing Machine?
Determine the stain difficulty and load size
Once you have sorted the laundry, you should determine how much bleach you will need for the stain to get off the garment during the cycle.
If the stain is light and caused by coffee, wine, or food, you can go with ¼ or ½ cup of bleach. Adjust the bleach amount to the clothes amount. Fewer garments – less bleach; more garments – more bleach.
Pour the bleach into the bleach dispenser and add some water (optional). If the stain is greasy and stubborn, you should add ⅓ or ⅔ cup of bleach into the dispenser.
The amount of bleach will depend on the number of clothes you will wash with bleach.
Choose the right bleach type
As you might already know, there are two types of bleach available on the market. The one we often use is chlorine bleach. This type of bleach is powerful and should be used only on white clothes, suitable for bleaching.
The other type of bleach is oxygen bleach. This type is safe even for dark and colored clothes. The lack of chlorine makes this bleach safe for colors and sensitive clothes.
Extra rinse cycle
Once you get through all previous steps, you should run another short rinse cycle to ensure there are no traces of the bleach or detergent on the clothes.
Also, the extra rinse cycle will eliminate the bleach odor, especially if you use chlorine bleach.
Materials You Should Never Add Bleach On
The clothes that are made of the following materials should never be bleached:
- Wool
- Leather
- Spandex
- Silk
Check the label on the garment before deciding to bleach it. If the label says the garment has even a small percentage of these four materials, do not use bleach.
Also read: What To Wash Washing Machine With?
Conclusion
Can you put bleach in washing machine with white clothes? I hope this article has helped you learn in which situations you can do that.
While bleach can be a useful tool for removing tough stains from white clothes, it is important to use it properly and with caution.
Before using bleach in the washing machine, it is essential to check the clothing labels to ensure they are suitable for bleaching.
If you still feel insecure washing clothes with bleach, purchase oxygen-based bleach and safely remove lighter stains, even from black and colored clothes!
