Bleach is a fairly common household product and ingredient, and unfortunately so are the accidents that can happen whenever bleach is involved. One tiny drop can quickly leave a visible stain, and then you’re left with a tough decision to make about whether to save bleach-stained items. Before you throw out your bleach-stained clothes, though, here are some tips and tricks on how to get rid of those pesky bleach stains.
Bleach stains on clothes
Bleach stains are not like any other stains. To be precise, it’s not even bleach itself that stains—what you see on your clothes after they’ve been in contact with bleach is an absence of dye, as bleach removes its colour completely. But there’s no need to worry, because there are ways to save your garment.
Step-by-step guide on how to clean bleach stains on clothes
1
Neutralise.
First, you’ll need to remove the excess bleach that got on your garment. Mix some baking soda with a bit of water to create a paste and apply it to the stain. While drying, this paste will suck up the remainder of the bleach.
2
Use dish soap.
Mix some dish soap with water. Then, take a clean cloth, dip it into the mixture, and start working on the stain from its outer edges inwards.
3
Try rubbing alcohol.
If the dish soap mixture doesn’t achieve the desired effect, take a cotton swab, and dip it in rubbing alcohol. Similarly to dish soap, work your way from the outer edges of the stain inwards, transferring the colour from the surrounding areas to the stain. You may end up with the bleached area still being slightly lighter.
4
Dye the fabric.
If neither dish soap nor rubbing alcohol is enough to fix the bleach stain, or if the stain was way too large to begin with, the easiest way may be to find a matching fabric dye colour and dye your garment at home.
How to remove yellow bleach stains from white clothes
Removing bleach stains from white clothes can be a bit different, as instead of lightening the garment’s colour, the bleach tends to leave a yellowish-coloured stain. But if you follow these steps, you’ll have a better chance at removing it.
1
Rinse.
Put the fabric under running water and rinse it. Be careful and make sure the bleach is completely gone before moving on to the next step.
2
Use vinegar.
Pour white vinegar onto the stain directly.
3
Sit.
Let the vinegar sit on the stain for at least five minutes.
4
Rinse again.
Using cold water, rinse the fabric thoroughly.
5
Check.
See if the yellowish stain is gone. If not, repeat these steps.
6
Wash
Always use Ariel Matic 4-in-1 PODS® to keep your clothes in the best possible condition.
Extra tips on how to fix bleach stains on coloured, dark, and black clothes
You can try store-bought bleach removers that contain sodium thiosulfate, and use them to neutralise and remove the bleach stain from your shirt, jeans, towels, black pants, or any other garment. Make sure you always follow their specific instruction for the best possible results.
How to avoid bleach stains
Bleach stains, just like any other stains, happen from time to time. But that doesn’t mean there’s nothing you can do to avoid them. Here are a few ideas that can help you stay stain-free.
Wear light colours. Whenever you’re using bleach to clean or do the laundry, wear light-coloured clothing. It’s easier to handle bleach stains on white clothes.
Keep clothes away from bleach. Make sure that your laundry basket is nowhere near where you’re using bleach to avoid accidental spillage.
Wear gloves. An extra layer of protection comes in handy when working with bleach. Gloves can also help you avoid getting bleach stains on your cuffs.