How to Whiten Laundry Without Chlorine Bleach

Some fabrics cannot be exposed to chlorine bleach, or the fibers will weaken and your garment will develop holes. Chlorine bleach can also cause blotches and spots on colored garments from splashes, brushing and spills. Hydrogen peroxide, lemon juice, saltwater, white vinegar, club soda and baking soda all have the ability to whiten garments, with less damage to the environment and less chance of blotching or spotting.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Hydrogen peroxide
• Lemon juice
• White vinegar
• Club soda
• Baking soda

1. Fill your washer with water, then add 4 to 8 oz. of hydrogen peroxide before adding your clothes. Wash as usual, using 1/3 to 1/2 cup of your favorite laundry soap. Hydrogen peroxide is not color-safe, but it does an excellent job on white or light-colored garments. Do not add hydrogen peroxide to the washer once your clothes are already washing, unless you are certain there are no colored garments in the load. Peroxide is particularly good for removing blood stains from garments.

2. Add 1/4 cup lemon juice to your wash water before adding clothes. Do not add lemon juice to water that contains chlorine bleach. Do not use lemon juice and peroxide together. Lemon juice can be used directly on colorfast clothing. Add it to the water before you add non-colorfast clothing, however.

3. Add 1/2 cup to 1 full cup club soda to your laundry to whiten it, or use it directly on the stains. Club soda can be used on almost all clothing. It is particularly good for getting wine and fruit-juice stains out of light colored garments.

4. Mix baking soda with water before adding it to the washer. Never add dry baking soda directly to laundry, as it can eat holes in your garments.

5. Be sure garments rinse well when using these products to whiten your clothes.

Resources

• Stain Removal Guide
• Effective Ways to Remove Laundry Stains
• Organic Stain Removal