BLEACH AND HOW TO MAKE YOUR OWN

BLEACH AND HOW TO MAKE YOUR OWN- Aired on Good Morning Arizona (3TV/Phoenix) – Monday, January 23, 2017 (8:30am)

Today I want to talk about the best way to use bleach, when to use different types of bleach, and how to make your own for laundry and for cleaning.

CHLORINE BLEACH

This is the one we are all familiar with. It comes in liquid and powder form. It is a whitener and disinfectant. Use it on white cottons. Using it on colors will remove color and fade them. Using in on poly/blends will turn them a grayish color. Use with caution. It is hazardous. Check out the label on the back to read all the warnings. Measure the exact amount DO NOT just pour.

ALL FABRIC BLEACH

This is for colored fabrics and blends. It is used to brighten colors

There are other alternatives, some of which work even better, and are totally safe to use. Did you know you can make your own bleach for laundry and for cleaning?

MAKING YOUR OWN BLEACH FOR CLEANING

2 cups Hydrogen Peroxide

2 cups water

2 Tablespoons lemon juice

Combine in opaque (dark colored bottle) Peroxide is broken down by light.

Use for cleaning sinks, showers, and toilets.

This is too strong for laundry. Use only for cleaning so you don’t remove color.

MAKE YOUR OWN BLEACH FOR LAUNDRY

½ Cup Hydrogen Peroxide

2 Tablespoons lemon juice

3 – ¼ cup water

5 drops Tea Tree Oil or essential oil

Combine and use as you would regular chlorine or non-chlorine bleach

OTHER ALTERNATIVES:

LEMON JUICE: Great for bleaching cottons and polyesters. Combine one gallon of the hottest water you can use for your fabric type (check the care label). Add ¼ cup of lemon juice or slices of lemon from one or two whole lemons. Soak for 30 – 60 minutes. Launder as usual. You can also apply undiluted lemon juice to fruit stains or rust on white clothes.

AUTOMATIC DISHWASHER DETERGENT: Great for things like white socks. Add 2 Tablespoons to a gallon of hot water. Soak the cotton clothes for about 30 minutes or longer. Dump in the washer and launder as usual.

MRS SMITHS BLUING: This has been around for years. It is basically an optical brightener. It is great for getting white clothes brilliantly white. Use care with this. If you spill it you will have a permanent stain. If you pour it on the clothes without diluting it, it will stain. Find in the laundry aisle. Follow the directions on the label.

WHITE BRITE: This removes yellow and dinginess from your whites and colorfast colors. It is excellent for removing fugitive color from clothes. You know, the red shirt gets in with your white shirts and boom….they are pink. Follow the directions to remove that pink! You may need to repeat twice if the color bleeding is bad.

SUGGESTIONS: If you are making your own bleach, repurpose opaque detergent bottles that you carefully label. I use different colored bottles for my cleaning and laundry bleach so I don’t get mixed up.

Buy lemon juice in large bottles at the $$$ store.

Watch for sales on hydrogen peroxide and stock up. You can also buy it at the $$$ store.

It doesn’t matter what brand of chlorine bleach you buy, they are all the same.