Other Bleach Alternatives
Here are some bleach alternatives that are notable mentions:
8. Bluing Liquid
Is it natural?: No
Is it eco-friendly?: No
Is it potentially toxic?: Yes
Bluing liquid is still available today in a non-toxic and biodegradable form to make white laundry look whiter. However, it’s recommended to keep this away from direct eye contact to avoid irritation. Prolonged inhalation may also be harmful to people.
Place your white laundry items in the bluing solution, ensuring they are fully submerged. Let them soak for about 5 to 10 minutes. Remove the laundry items from the bluing solution. Rinse them thoroughly with clean cold water to remove any excess bluing liquid. Then, put them in the wash as usual.
9. Cream of Tartar
Is it natural?: Yes
Is it eco-friendly?: Yes
Is it potentially toxic?: No
Cream of tartar is a natural ingredient, derived from tartaric acid.
Create a paste with two tablespoons of cream of tartar. Apply the paste directly on any stain and allow it to sit for at least 30 minutes. Then wash as usual.
10. Enzyme Presoaks
Is it natural?: Yes
Is it eco-friendly?: Yes
Is it potentially toxic?: No
Enzyme presoaks are essentially stain removing agents used before machine washing your laundry. These bleach alternatives are usually great for treating protein stains that are difficult to remove.
They are typically derived from natural sources, such as plants. They are considered natural and eco-friendly. However, it is important to check specific products for their ingredients and environmental certifications.
11. Borax (Sodium Borate)
Is it natural?: Yes
Is it eco-friendly?: Yes
Is it potentially toxic?: No
Borax is laundry safe and is considered a natural, non-toxic clothes whitener. It’s an oxidizing agent that breaks down dirt and grime that holds onto your fabrics.
12. Sodium Carbonate (Washing Soda)
Is it natural?: Yes
Is it eco-friendly?: Yes
Is it potentially toxic?: No
Sodium carbonate, also known as soda ash or washing soda, can be helpful as a pre-soak ingredient to treat heavily-soiled clothes.
Use a quarter to a half cup of washing soda to your regular wash cycle. You can add it to the detergent compartment for front-loading machines along with the detergent.
It is a strong alkaline compound, and it's important to handle it with care. Avoid direct contact with your skin and eyes. Also, keep washing soda away from children and pets.
13. Color Remover
Is it natural?: No
Is it eco-friendly?: No
Is it potentially toxic?: Yes
Color removers are good for treating white fabrics that have been accidentally dyed when mixed with colored clothes.
Using a pot large enough to soak clothing, simmer water and add a color remover. Start adding the clothes and stir as the unwanted colors fade from the garments.
While it does the job of removing unwanted dyes, it can be harmful to the environment when it leaks back into our water. The chemicals used in it may be toxic to aquatic life. Material Safety Data Sheets of these products also outline its harmful effects on humans.
14. Citric Acid Powder
Is it natural?: Yes
Is it eco-friendly?: Yes
Is it potentially toxic?: No
Citric acid, like vinegar, is used as an all-purpose surface cleaner. As a mild acid, it can be used as a cleaning agent against dirt, grease, and grime.
Start with 1 to 2 tablespoons of citric acid for a regular-sized load. Dissolve it in warm water and add it directly into the washing machine drum along with your regular laundry detergent. Start the washing machine and run it as you normally would, following the care instructions on the garment labels.
15. Aspirin
Is it natural?: No
Is it eco-friendly?: Yes
Is it potentially toxic?: No
Aspirin is one of the many notable mentions in cleaning hacks on the internet today. Huffpost suggests crushing three aspirin tablets and mix it in a bowl of warm water where you should submerge clothes. This article, however, suggests that it is not as effective as good old commercially available bleach.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) In Whitening Clothes
Still have questions about bleach alternatives? Find out more with this FAQ:
How to Get Stains out of White Clothes
For armpit stains, use a stain remover and agitate it with a soft laundry brush (or rub the fabric together). Then wait at least 15 minutes before throwing in the washing machine. For tougher stains, you can let the spray set for several days. An enzymatic or plant-based stain remover will do the job well here.
Note: For wool and silk, however, you should only leave this spray on for 60 minutes
Do Bleach Alternatives Work on Colored Clothes?
Yes, bleach alternatives also work on colored clothes. Distilled white vinegar, baking soda, and hydrogen peroxide work well in non-white fabrics.
What Are Eco-Friendly Bleach Alternatives?
Plant-based enzymatic detergents, distilled white vinegar, sodium bicarbonate (baking soda), hydrogen peroxide, and lemon are considered eco-friendly bleach alternatives.
What’s the Best Way to Remove Yellow Stains on Whites?
There are several great ways to remove yellow stains from white fabrics. You can use a combination of hydrogen peroxide and baking soda to make a paste over the stain or you can also soak the fabric in vinegar for about 2-3 hours.
The Most Effective Laundry Whitener and Stain Remover
You can prolong the lives of clothes with an effective laundry formula that cleanses, revives, and softens fabrics. By combining our home remedies (above) with our Natural Laundry Detergent, you've got plant-based enzymes that remove stains and refreshes fabrics. Best of all? It works beautifully without caustics, bleach, synthetic perfumes, sulfates, phosphates, dyes, petrochemicals, optical brighteners, and chlorine.
