Homemade Color Safe Bleach

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Things You'll Need

  • 2 cups hydrogen peroxide

  • Plastic gallon container

Color-safe bleach removes stains while keeping colors bright.

There are two types of bleach, chlorine bleach and color-safe bleach. Chlorine bleach is not safe for colored fabrics because the chlorine can cause the colors to run or fade. Color-safe bleach's active ingredient is hydrogen peroxide, which lifts stains but does not cause changes to the fabric's color. It actually enhances colors because it contains optical brighteners to make clothes look brighter.

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Step 1

Pour 2 cups hydrogen peroxide into a plastic gallon container.

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Step 2

Add lukewarm water to the hydrogen peroxide in the container; use enough water to fill the container.

Step 3

Put the cap on the container and gently shake to mix the hydrogen peroxide and water.

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Step 4

Store mixture in the container, covered.

Step 5

Use homemade color-safe bleach to pretreat stains or add it to the wash.

Tip

Test color-safe bleach on fabrics by putting a drop on the fabric in an inconspicuous spot for five minutes and then rinse. Check to make sure the colors do not run or fade. If there is fading or bleeding, do not use color-safe bleach on the item.

Warning

Color-safe bleach is not safe for all fabrics, such as silk or wool. Check the garment label for “non-chlorine bleach only” before using.

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