All house cleaners use bleach at one point or another. But some of them start to realize that it is not as healthy nor safe to use. Some people don’t like the smell of it and find it bothersome. Others are concerned about the harshness of the chemicals that it might have, especially if one has a child. Finally, there is the environmental factor to think of. But we still need to keep our clothes white and clean.
Housekeepers usually have a big day in front of them when it comes to cleaning the house. More often than not they turn towards hiring professional help to help them do the chores around the house. However, in any case, one has to think about safety and going natural if possible.
Alternative bleach solutions are one way to resolve the health factor around your home. So let’s check out some green ways to substitute bleach out of your usage.
Use Some Baking Soda
Chlorine Bleach may be your go-to method to cleaning white clothes. But baking soda can have equally successful effects when cleaning out stains or simply by keeping your whites clean. The best way to use it is to simply add ½ cup of baking soda to your laundry detergent and mix the two together. However, do not add the soda in the automatic dispenser. It may not dissolve as well and not have the effect that you need.
The trick is to add the baking soda directly to your washer drum before you put in the dirty laundry. That way it will have the best effects. If you don’t really think that this method is a good one, you can still mix it up with bleach. But you will then have to add much less bleach than you usually do.
Use Oxygen-Based Bleach
Oxygen bleach is a great and much safer solution as opposed to using chlorine bleach. The most obvious difference is that chlorine bleach is designed to remove all kinds of stains and will also remove the color from your clothes. However, oxygen bleach is much more gentle to your clothes and can be used even for colored materials. It will remove the stains out but will keep the color intact. But oxygen bleach is not meant for wool, silk or anything with leather trim.
But the way oxygen bleach works is a bit slower than the regular hydrogen bleach. You will get the best results if you put your clothes in the oxygen bleach and leave them there for some time. Two hours is enough but you can leave them even overnight. After getting them out of the water and bleach solution you need to wash them as you would regularly do.
Water and Vinegar
The best way to treat your whites and linen, use a mixture of water and some vinegar. It should consist of one part distilled vinegar and six parts water. Mix the solution in a plastic container or a tub where you plan to soak your clothes. Soak the clothes that you wish to clean in this solution and make sure you swish them about so they are entirely wet.
Leave the clothing items that way overnight and wash them out with water. Make sure that you use the correct water temperature for different clothing items and fabrics. After you do that all the vinegary smell will disappear and you will be left with clear and decent clothing. Additionally, you will not create and environmental problems that way.
Use Some Lemons
Lemon juice has the same acidic effect as vinegar does. This means that it has the same bleaching effects as vinegar and at the same time healthy and positive solutions. So next time when you are washing your white clothes, just add a cup of lemon juice to the washer so it helps them stay bright.
Lemon is also a great way to clean your old dirty socks. You just have to put some cut lemon slices into a large pot of boiling water first. Add the socks next after turning off the heat. Wait for them to soak overnight and they wash them as usual afterward.
Solar Power
Probably the safest, cheaper and simplest solution is during your clothes on a hang line and allowing them to soak in the Sun rays. The ultra-violet rays of the Sun will whiten, disinfect fabric and fade stains. It is the greenest possible solution for your clothes and you don’t spend any additional money that way.
Just make sure you don’t do this for colored clothes as the sun will then fade the colors and perhaps destroy your favorite clothing items. This is only a solution for white clothes since only then does it have the healing effects that are needed.
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Interesting related article: “Coral Bleaching at the Great Barrier Reef.”