Can someone please explain to me why all of our white clothing articles have labels that say "Non Chlorine Bleach Only"? Wasn't bleach invented, or at least marketed, to get our whites clean?
My son is 12 years old and in his 8th year of baseball (he plays football, too) and both of the clubs he plays for always provide them with white uniform pants. Now if anybody out there has kids that play sports, the red dirt from the baseball fields and grass stains from the football field will not come out of these pants!
And if that weren't enough, I bought a white top, wore it once and when I pulled it out of the washer it had faint blue stains on it! And guess what? No bleach allowed! I am at my wits end and the season hasn't even started yet! Can someone help me keep my sanity?
Helen from Concord, North Carolina
They say "No Chlorine Bleach" for 2 reasons: One reason is if the fabric is a colored fabric that will fade or run. The other reason is for more delicate fabric, because every time we bleach fabric it breaks it down a bit.
Suggestions:
Here's what "The Queen of Clean" says about how to remove grass stains:
1) Grass stain on a football uniform -- Apply undiluted rubbing alcohol to a cotton ball and pat onto the stain. Let it set for a few minutes, then blot. If the stain is stubborn and doesn't come out right away pour a little white vinegar on the stain or put the uniform into a pan with a vinegar rinse. Let it set for approximately an hour, then launder as usual.
2) Grass stain on a baseball uniform -- Moisten the stain with warm water. Sprinkle powered all-fabric bleach over stain and work in using your thumbs. Let it soak for about 30 minutes, then launder as usual.
3) Grass stains on soccer cleats and shoes -- Pour molasses on the stain and let it soak overnight. The sulfur in the molasses will eat away the grass. Rinse thoroughly to remove the molasses.
4) Grass stains on jeans -- Saturate the stained area with alcohol and let soak at least 30 minutes before laundering. White non gel toothpaste can also be use to remove grass stains from jeans.
5) Spot Removal Tip: Avoid using ammonia, degreasers or alkaline detergents on grass stains. They could permanently set the stain.
By Cyinda
Oxy Clean! I love the stuff. Soak the clothes in itthe night before in hot water and then wash the next day. It gets smells out as well. (03/14/2007)
By Molissa
You can buy non chlorine bleach from Proctor and Gamble. It is called Biz.
Clorox also makes a product called Clorox-2.
When I was in the Navy we used to wash clothes in salt water and hang them in the sun. They would get bleached out.
You may also want to do your wash by not mixing colors together. Good luck. (03/14/2007)
By Deanj
There is a great whitener called Zout made here in California that was originally made to take grass stains out of baseball uniforms! I first found out about it when I asked a woman I worked with how she kept her white jeans so spotless. (03/14/2007)
By pam munro
Depending on the size of load, I use 1/2 to 1 cup of white vinegar in white laundry. (03/15/2007)
By Ellen
We use about 1/3 cup white vinegar in place of fabric softener. (Fill a liquid detergent lid to the line below the top.) On my old machine, I filled the dispenser the rest of the way with water.
My new machine works with just the vinegar. Vinegar removes the extra detergent from the clothes. leaving them very soft. It whitens whites and revives colors.
There may be a faint vinegar odor when you first open the machine but never a vinegar smell in the clothes. Also, they dry just as soft on the line as in the dryer. (10/15/2007)
By Jenna
I've heard great things about Biz bleach and Oxyclean, though I use neither. I have had great luck recently substituting hydrogen peroxide (H202), the brown bottle at 3 percent dilution (already diluted for consumer use). I use a cup instead of a cup of bleach and our whites have never been whiter. Bleach just is so harmful to the environment, to our lungs, skin and bodies!
Try the H202, big 32 oz bottles at Wal Mart, etc. for less than $1. We do a load of whites about every three days and the single bottle will last a week. Hope it works for you! (04/04/2008)
By missy
I have had great results with cleaning with LA's TOTALLY AWESOME. Yes, that's actually the name of the product. Though I have not used it in the laundry yet, testimonials and proof in more intense areas of cleaning have proven itself. I am a chef and I'm actually using baking soda and hydrogen peroxide with a little detergent to wash my chef coats tonight. But I'm going out tomorrow to pick up a few bottles of Awesome. sold at dollar stores. (06/02/2008)
By Anthony
I, too, had an old bottle of LA's Totally Awesome Stain Removal in my cupboard and was desperately trying to get what looked like rust stains on a white part of my teen son's swim shorts.
I tried multiple products, including Oxy, bleach, etc. without any luck. Mind you this was a set stain that had already gone through the dryer.
I poured a bit of the LA product on it, rubbed it in and immediately the stain was visibly going away. After washing it the stain entirely came out.
I then went after other shirts that I could not remove set in stains from and also got all of those out - these included mustard and pen stains.
I am a new fan and will continue to use this product. It is at the Dollar General and I believe someone also said at the Dollar Tree. Totally amazing! (08/30/2008)
By LibbyR
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