How Does The Bleach Slot On A Washing Machine Work

How Does The Bleach Dispenser Work In A Washing Machine
How Does The Bleach Slot On A Washing Machine Works

When the laundry looks dingy, we reach for the bleach. But did you know there's more to bleach than just Clorox?

Aside from liquid chlorine bleach in the familiar white jug, there’s the gentler oxygen bleach (OxiClean is the best known brand), usually in powder form. And there’s a newer bleach product on the market, Tide Brights + Whites Rescue, which comes in a pod, and claims to use a unique oxygen bleach technology to get clothes whiter. We tested the cleaning performance of all three bleaches to see which cleaned best, and the results were surprising.

How Does The Bleach Dispenser Work In A Washing Machine

Types of bleach

Chlorine bleach
You probably have a bottle of Clorox—or a store brand version of it—in your laundry room right now. Liquid chlorine bleach works by breaking dirt and stains into particles that detergent can wash away. You pour this bleach into the washer’s dispenser, it releases at the right time, and your laundry comes out whiter.

One big advantage of chlorine bleach is its powerful disinfectant action. The big disadvantage of chlorine bleach is that you can only use it on white cottons or colorfast fabrics without risking ruin. Chlorine bleach also causes fading and yellowing in the long run, and it ultimately weakens fabrics, leaving holes in your clothes.

How Does The Bleach Slot On A Washing Machine Works

Use one cup in top-loading machines, one-half cup in front-loaders and 1 tbsp. Per gallon of water when hand-washing laundry. Step 3 Dilute the bleach in water before adding it to your machine and allow it to mix with soapy water before adding the laundry items.

Oxygen bleach
Oxygen bleach (like OxiClean) is an alternative to chlorine bleach, and it’s safe for many fabrics. You can use it to remove stains on colors, as well as whites. It doesn’t contain scary chemicals and it won’t ruin most fabrics—though you should avoid using it on silk or leather. The most effective version is powdered—you dissolve it in warm water and you can let the clothes soak in the solution to remove stains.

Tide Brights + Whites Rescue
These laundry booster pods contain oxygen bleach and a small amount of 'bleach activator' in liquid form. They break down dirt, whitening whites and brightening colors. They are pricier that other types of bleach, but they claim to get clothes up to three shades whiter.

Our tests

To see how well each bleach product cleaned, we used the stain strips we normally test with (to simulate sebum, carbon, cocoa, blood, and red wine) and followed the directions on the back of each package for bleaching a medium-sized load. This amounted to 1/2 cup of bleach, 25 grams (.88 ounces) of OxiClean, and one pod of Tide Rescue.

We washed loads of laundry detergent and each bleach separately in a top-load washing machine, the GE GTW685BSLWS. We also ran a test load with OxiClean and no detergent.

Conclusions

We compared the effectiveness of each bleach.

• Tide Brights + Whites Rescue did the best cleaning job overall, cleaning 73% of stains. However it costs 93 cents a load to use these pods, meaning you should probably save them for really dingy, soiled wash loads.

• OxiClean contains no chlorine and came in second, cleaning 72% of stains. And at 13 cents a load, it’s a bargain.

• Chlorine bleach came in last place, cleaning 63% of stains. It also left white spots! OxiClean beat its whitening power, even without adding detergent to the laundry, which is not recommended.

If you have bleach around the home, save it for disinfecting. You can get safer, better whitening results using bleach alternatives.

Bleaches help whiten, brighten and remove stains. Here's how to use bleach on clothes:

Bleach converts soils into colorless, soluble particles which are easily removed by detergents, then carried away in the wash water. Bleach can also brighten and whiten fabrics and help remove stubborn stains.

Sodium hypochlorite bleaches (also called chlorine or liquid household bleach) are the more powerful laundry bleaches; they disinfect, as well as clean and whiten. They work on many whites and colorfast washables - but not on wools or silks. Oxygen (color-safe) bleaches are gentler, working safely on all washable fabrics. They work best in maintaining whiteness, not in restoring it.

For Sodium Hypochlorite Bleach, read the label and dilute as directed. For best results, add 5 minutes after the wash cycle has begun to agitate in order to avoid destroying enzymes and fluorescent whiteners in the detergent.

For Oxygen Bleach, add directly to the wash water before the clothes are added. Do not pour powdered bleach directly on wet clothes. Oxygen bleaches are most effective in warm-to-hot water.

Using Bleach to Remove Stains on White Clothes

IMPORTANT: Read the fabric care label first! The fact that the item is white doesn’t necessarily guarantee that it’s safe to use bleach, especially chlorine bleach. Factors such as the fabric’s fiber content (including silk, wool, mohair and spandex), finishes (such as the flame-retardant finish on children’s nightclothes) and certain trims will affect the item’s suitability for bleach.

If bleach is a no-no and there are stains, pre-treat them with a pre-wash stain remover, check the cleaning product label first to make sure it is safe for the fabric, or presoak the item, using detergent or a presoak laundry product that’s safe for the fabric. Mix the soaking agent with water, and then add the item. Minimum soaking time is 30 minutes; longer, as much as overnight, may be necessary.

If bleach is safe for the fabric, follow the tips below.

Tips for Using Bleach in Laundry

1. Read the Label: Check the garment label before laundering; some fabrics cannot be washed using liquid household bleach (sodium hypochlorite). If liquid household bleach is not recommended, you can use a color-safe (oxygen) bleach to help remove stains and odors. Also read the cleaning product label. Some detergents have color-safe bleach or bleach alternative built into the product. However, remember that these products do not disinfect.

2. Test: Dip a cotton swab in the bleach/water solution and dab on an inside seam. If the fabric color remains, then you should be safe.

3. Start small: Lay the stained section of the garment flat and be sure there not layers of fabric or anything underneath that can be affected. Work from the outer edge of the stain in, rinse with fresh water when the stain is gone.

4. Bleaching the whole load: Read the label on the bleach product to determine the amount to use when adding bleach to an entire load of laundry. Consult your washing machine use manual to see if you should add the bleach to the drum or to a special dispenser drawer or section.

Chlorine bleach can be used to disinfect and sanitize laundry and well as kitchen, bathroom and other surfaces around the home. Disinfectants and disinfectant cleaners are the only products that kill germs—but they only work if the label directions are followed. Products that claim to kill germs must meet efficacy requirements and guidelines established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and must be registered with EPA and carry an EPA registration number on their label.

Safety Reminders:

Read and follow label directions at all times.
Never mix chlorine bleach or any product containing chlorine bleach with ammonia, ammonia-based products or acidic products. The combination can be dangerous… or even deadly.

Ninshopper