Whether you are cleaning the toilet, disinfecting your house surfaces, or washing your clothes, bleach has become a go-to product for some. However, are you aware of the dangers of bleach products?
Bleach does not only give you health issues, but it also significantly affects the environment. Moreover, they are dangerous around children and pets. Don’t fret. There are several best alternatives for bleach products.
1. Sunlight
Using the ultraviolet rays of the sun to whiten your clothes is a green laundry solution. You do not only save money and resources by not using a dryer. You are leaving a negligible carbon footprint, and once you have a clothesline, it’s free.
It’s a great bleach alternative and whitening disinfectant that fades stains. However, they can fade colored fabrics. You have to be careful about hanging your clothes. Do not hang them directly under the sun.
2. Lemon
Ah, lemons. Its natural acid is not only good for our health. It has a natural bleach action. Its citric acid easily breaks down stains, and it’s pretty safe on colored clothes. Unlike bleach, it not only harms your health but also damages the color of your clothes.
Adding 1 cup of lemon juice to the washer during a laundry load of white clothes will keep them as white as how you wanted. Do you know there’s a trick to make your stained and smelly cotton socks bright and fresh-smelling? Prepare warm water with sliced lemons and soak your cotton socks overnight. Do this before washing your socks. It will easily remove the stains and odor.
3. Baking Soda
Baking soda is a great whitening agent. It eliminates stubborn stains. Add a half cup of baking soda into your laundry load. It will boost your laundry detergent’s performance. Baking soda helps soften and deodorizes your clothes. Thus, it’s not only an impressive bleach alternative but a suitable replacement for fabric softeners.
It will leave your clothes whiter and brighter, and it is safe for both standard and high-efficiency washers. Just add it directly to the washer drum, not the automatic dispenser. Add the baking soda before the dirty laundry to let the powder dissolve completely. If you feel the need to use chlorine bleach, use lesser amounts when using baking soda because it helps the laundry detergent clean more effectively.
4. Distilled White Vinegar
Distilled white vinegar is the best alternative for both bleach and fabric conditioner. It does not only brighten and disinfect your clothes, but it also softens your garment and removes soap residue.
Around 80% of molds, bacteria, and viruses on your clothes’ surface are eliminated by distilled white vinegar.
Create the solution with one part of white distilled vinegar and six parts of warm water. Completely soak your white clothes to ensure that all of their parts are wet. Let it sit for an hour. Wash your clothes thoroughly to remove the vinegar odor.
5. Castile Soap
Castile soap is a multipurpose product with a variety of uses. If you don’t like bleach or strong liquids, you can use castile soap to help keep everything clean. It is a vegetable-based, all-natural, and gentle soap, making it safe to use around children and pets.
6. Tea Tree Oil
Tea tree oil is a known essential oil that stimulates relaxation. Do you know it’s excellent for disinfecting too? Tea tree oil has several uses. You can add a few drops to your DIY surface cleaner or add a few teaspoons to your laundry load.
Its natural and powerful antifungal properties make it the best alternative for bleach. Aside from tea tree oils, there are other essential oils with disinfecting properties and pleasant fragrances.
7. Hydrogen Peroxide
Hydrogen peroxide is a gentle alternative for a bleaching agent that has disinfecting properties. It is used for treating fungal growths, foul odors, removing stains, and whitening laundry whites. You can add about a cup to your laundry and use it as an alternative to bleach.
Do not expose the hydrogen peroxide to light. It breaks down water and oxygen to become a biodegradable oxygen-based bleach, making it safe to use on a laundry load that’s full of white clothes or colored clothes. It should be placed in the automatic bleach dispenser or added as the washer fills with water to disperse it evenly before adding the clothes. Do not pour it directly on dry-colored garments to avoid having color bleeding or removing color.
Most of these alternatives are available at home. Consider all these alternatives in washing your next load. If you are used to going to the laundry service near you, you can ask them if they use natural, safe, and eco-friendly laundry detergents. Don’t be shy. Most laundromats offer alternatives to give the best service to their clients.