Bleach can stain clothes, furniture upholstery, and even carpets if you're not careful with it. Unfortunately, bleach is one of the most commonly used household products. As the bleach picks up the color on the object, you may feel that the stain it leaves behind is permanent. However, if you act quickly, you can remove or lighten the bleach stain before it dries and sticks permanently. You can use alcohol (or clear alcohol) to treat small spots or stains on dark fabrics, a diluted mixture of sodium thiosulfate for large stains, and liquid dish soap or vinegar on clothes, furniture upholstery, and carpets.
Step
Method 1 of 4: Treating Bleach Spots with Alcohol
Step 1. Rinse the clothes in cold water to remove any residual bleach
To prevent the bleach from mixing with the alcohol, rinse the item thoroughly in cold water until the bleach odor disappears. Because the alcohol mixes with the fabric dye and spreads it, the bleach residue on the fabric can also be dispersed.
Step 2. Soak a cotton swab in alcohol (or a clear alcoholic beverage such as gin or vodka)
Clear alcohol is suitable for removing small blotches or stains from bleach on dark colored fabrics. This is because the alcohol can dissolve the dye in the plant and spread it over the area where the bleach is left.
Alcohol is found to be less effective at treating larger bleach stains or spots on light-colored fabrics because there isn't enough dye residue on the fabric fibers that the alcohol can spread. Therefore, try to follow alternative methods if necessary
Step 3. Rub a cotton swab soaked in alcohol on the stain and the area around it
The original dye on the clothes will be spread over the stained area. Keep rubbing the cotton into the garment until the stain or stain is covered with dye and you are happy with the smoothing result.
Step 4. Dry the clothes by drying them in the sun, then wash them to remove any excess alcohol
Make sure the dispersed dye dries and gets into the fibers of the fabric before you remove any excess alcohol from the fabric. Once dry, wash clothes as usual to prevent discoloration caused by residual alcohol.
Method 2 of 4: Removing Bleach Stains from Clothes Using Diluted Sodium Thiosulfate
Step 1. Purchase sodium thiosulfate from a supermarket
Sodium thiosulfate (also known as a photograph fixer) can be used to neutralize the effects of bleach stains on clothes. You can buy it from a supermarket or pet food store. In addition, this product can also be obtained from large outlets (eg Carrefour or Lottemart) and online stores.
- Look for products that are sold as chlorine neutralizers. Products like these contain sodium thiosulfate which is needed to treat bleach stains on clothes.
- This product is also useful when you need to deal with stains immediately. If the stain is left long enough, the diluted sodium thiosulfate may not be able to completely remove the stain. However, the product can at least fade or reduce the appearance of the stain.
Step 2. Mix 1 tablespoon (15 grams) of sodium thiosulfate with 240 ml of warm water
Make the mixture in a plastic bowl or tub used specifically for cleaning purposes. Make sure you stir both ingredients with a disposable spoon until all the sodium thiosulfate is dissolved.
Step 3. Take a white washcloth and dip it in the sodium thiosulfate mixture
Actually, you don't need to use a white washcloth; old rags can still be used. However, keep in mind that other colored rags will get stains of the bleach you lift off the clothes.
Use a cotton swab if you don't have a clean washcloth
Step 4. Blot a washcloth dipped in the sodium thiosulfate mixture on the stain until the mixture is absorbed into the fabric of the garment
Make sure you blot the rag, and don't rub it on your clothes. If you rub a cloth on clothes with a sodium thiosulfate mixture, the clothes can be damaged.
Rinse the garment in cold water if the stain is still visible. After that, remove the stain again with the sodium thiosulfate mixture. Keep removing the stain from the garment until it has reduced or faded as desired
Step 5. Wash and dry clothes as usual
Even if you rinsed the clothes in cold water, you still need to make sure the excess sodium thiosulfate is removed completely. Wash clothes separately until they are clean and ready to be worn again.
Method 3 of 4: Diluting Liquid Dishwashing Soap
Step 1. Mix detergent or liquid dish soap with water to deal with bleach stains
Diluted detergent or dish soap can neutralize bleach stains on clothes, furniture upholstery, and carpets. However, different materials/fabric types, different water temperatures needed to maintain the effectiveness of the detergent.
- For clothing and furniture upholstery, mix 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of liquid dish soap with 480 ml of cold water.
- For carpets, mix 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of liquid dish soap with 480 ml of warm water. Warm water is more suitable for cleaning carpets than cold water because it is more effective at removing dirt and remaining liquid from the carpet fibers. Usually, professional carpet cleaning service providers only use warm water to wash the carpet.
Step 2. Dip a clean white washcloth in the mixture, then dab it on the bleach stain
Blot the washcloth from the outside of the stain towards the center. The outside of the stain that hasn't been exposed to a lot of bleach is easier to recover than the center of the stain. Therefore, focus on handling the sides of the stain first.
If you don't have a white washcloth, use a different color or cotton. Since you will be lifting the bleach stain, some of the washcloths used will also get stained
Step 3. Wait for the soap mixture to soak into the fabric for 5 minutes
Allow the dish soap mixture to lift the bleach stain. Make sure the stain is thoroughly moistened with the mixture before letting it sit.
Step 4. Blot a clean washcloth dipped in cold water on the treated area
In this way, the remaining bleach that is raised by the dish soap can be removed. Keep dabbing the washcloth on the stain until it's dry, or no more bleach will be removed from the clothes.
Blot the detergent mixture back on the stain and rinse with clean water until the stain is not visible or you are satisfied with the cleaning result
Step 5. Clean the treated carpet using a vacuum cleaner after it dries to restore its natural texture
Previously affected areas of carpet may feel stiff or rough after cleaning. Dry the carpet overnight, then use a vacuum cleaner to clean the carpet in the morning. To speed up the drying process, place a paper towel on the surface of the carpet to absorb any remaining liquid and moisture.
Method 4 of 4: Using Diluted Vinegar
Step 1. Mix vinegar with water to treat bleach stains
White vinegar is the right natural ingredient to remove bleach stains. You can treat the stain with vinegar alone, or use it as a follow-up after removing the stain using a detergent or dish soap mixture. However, keep in mind that each fabric material requires a different water temperature for the cleaning process to be effective.
- For clothing and furniture upholstery, mix 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of vinegar with 480 ml of cold water.
- For carpets, mix 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of vinegar with 480 ml of warm water. Warm water removes more of the bleach stain from the carpet fibers, as well as any dust and grime that clings to the bleach particles. Therefore, warm water is usually used to clean the carpet with steam.
Step 2. Soak a clean white washcloth in cold water, then dab it on the stain
You'll need to treat the stain first with water to remove as much of the bleach as possible. A mixture of vinegar and bleach can produce toxic chlorine gas. Keep putting water on the stain until the bleach smell goes away.
If you previously removed the stain with a liquid dish soap mixture, make sure the area is clean before tackling it with vinegar
Step 3. Use a washcloth dipped in vinegar to remove the stain
The vinegar mixture will remove any remaining bleach and reduce the appearance of the stain. Keep dabbing the washcloth on the stain until the dirty area is wet and coated with vinegar.
Don't let your clothes wet with vinegar thoroughly. Residual vinegar can damage or destroy some types of fabric
Step 4. Take a clean washcloth, dip it in cold water, and dab it on the stain
The water will remove the remaining bleach and vinegar mixture from the clothes. Keep dabbing the washcloth on the stain until no more of the bleach has come off (or until the vinegar smell is gone).
