How to remove bleach stains from white clothes

We commonly use bleach to keep our white fabrics bright, but it can also easily cause unwanted stains on our white clothes if not used properly. There are several ways to remove these stains, including using white vinegar, alcohol, oxygen bleach, and liquid soap.

Read on to see how to do these methods in detail to restore your clothes’ ideal appearance.

Getting rid of bleach stains using vinegar

Vinegar is one of the best home remedies for dealing with bleach stains. Its acidity easily dissolves the properties that are causing the bleach stain to stick out.

Before trying this method, you have to ensure there’s no more fresh bleach residue left on the fabric because mixing vinegar with bleach can form toxic chlorine gas that can be harmful to your health. So, what you need to do first is to neutralize the bleach from the clothes by rinsing the fabric with cold water. When the smell of bleach comes off, you’re good to go.

Follow these simple steps to remove bleach stains from your white clothes using vinegar.

1. Mix 1 tablespoon of white vinegar with 2 cups of water.
2. Make sure that the stained area is free from any dirt or dust. Get a clean white cloth and soak it in cold water, then dab the stained area.
3. Blot the area continuously until the affected area lightens. Be careful not to over saturate the stain with vinegar, as it can cause unwanted damage to your clothes.
4. Repeat the blotting process until the stain disappears. By doing this, the solution will lift any residue of the bleach and will reduce the intensity of the stain.
5. When there’s no stain left, wash your clothes regularly with detergent to remove the vinegar’s smell and residue. Let the clothes air dry or chuck them in your dryer.

Use alcohol for smaller stains

Alcohol is another effective solution for this job, and this works best for small bleach stains on your fabric. It’s an elbow grease-free method that helps you remove bleach stains from white clothes with ease, as alcohol can quickly dilute stains.

Here are the following steps to diminish bleach stains with alcohol.

1. Gather a clean cloth or cotton ball and isopropyl alcohol. You can also use clear alcohol like gin or vodka.
2. Soak the clean cloth with alcohol and gently blot it onto the bleach stain. Blot continuously on the affected area until the cloth absorbs all the stain from your white garment.
3. When there’s no visible stain left, rinse your white clothing with water and wash it regularly with your preferred detergent to eliminate any alcohol or stain residue.
4. Dry your clothes in the dryer or under the sun.

Using bleach against bleach stains

A white shirt usually gets a bleach stain due to unwanted dyes transferring to it, and this happens when you mix colored shirts with your white ones when applying bleach. When this unfortunate event occurs, don’t worry because we can fight against the stubborn stain with oxygen bleach.

Just stick to these easy steps to deal with any bleach stain problems on your white clothes.

1. Dissolve 1 cup of oxygen bleach in 2 liters of hot water. This solution will help to restore the brightness and whiteness of the shirt and remove the unwanted stain at the same time.
2. Soak your garment in the mixture for 15 to 30 minutes, depending on the stain’s severity.
3. After the allotted time, check to see if the stain is no longer visible. If the stain is still noticeable, soak it in the solution for another 10 minutes.
4. If there’s no visible stain left, wash your clothes regularly using laundry detergent. Let your clothing air dry.

Diluting liquid dishwashing soap to remove bleach stains

Liquid dishwashing soap can help neutralize and remove the bleach stains on your white clothes. Its cleaning properties can easily penetrate and break down stubborn bleach stains caused by “loose dyes” or color bleeding.

You can remove bleach stain from your white clothes by following these steps.

1. Make a solution of 1 tablespoon liquid detergent and 2 cups of water. Get a clean white cloth and dip it in the solution, don’t over saturate the cloth as it can spread the stain more.
2. Blot the affected area with the damp cloth, start from the edges of the stain towards the center. This technique will prevent the stain from spreading.
3. Let the solution sit on the stain for about 5 minutes. Doing this gives the mixture more time to penetrate and break down the stain.
4. After 5 minutes, take another clean white cloth and soak it in cold water. Use this cloth to blot the treated area to remove any bleach stain residue broken down by the solution.
5. Rinse your treated white clothes with clean water and hang to dry.

Common questions about bleach stains.

How can I avoid bleach stains?

There are a lot of ways to prevent getting bleach stains on your garments. These include:

1. Check the care instructions on your clothing to see if it’s sensitive to bleach,
2. Test the bleach out on hidden areas of your clothes to see if bleach produces any unwanted effects.
3. Always sort colored garments and white clothes when doing your laundry to avoid unwanted transfers of color.
4. Never apply bleach directly on your clothes, and always dilute it with the right amount of water. You can do this by checking the product’s label for the correct application.

Can you fix bleach stains with dye?

Most bleach stains are permanent, especially those stains on colored clothes. There’s no way to brush the bleach stains away. The best solution here is to restore the damage by covering them with color that matches the clothes by using fabric dye. You can dye your whole piece of clothing to make sure you get an even intensity of color on any part of the cloth.

How do you fix discolored clothes?

When you accidentally spill bleach on your clothes or use too much of it, the chemical can discolor your clothes. You can fix discolored clothes by immediately sprinkling baking soda on fresh spills. Doing this helps absorb most of the liquid and prevent it from leaving a stain or discoloring your clothing.

If your clothing is stained by something other than bleach, check out these articles for information about how to remove stains on your clothes due to blood, sweat, coffee or oil.

Final thoughts

Bleach stains can damage your clothing’s overall appearance, so it’s best to remove them immediately. But if you notice them too late, you don’t need to worry because you can do any of the methods listed above to deal with the problem swiftly, allowing you to rock your favorite white shirt again in no time.