The kit · chlorine
Chlorine bleach: what it removes and where never to use it
Sodium hypochlorite solution, usually 3–8% as sold. A strong oxidiser and disinfectant.
- pH
- 11–13
- Safe on
- 0 materials
- Never on
- 19 materials
- Used in
- 0 files
01 How to use it
Only on white, bleach-safe fabric (the care label shows a plain, empty triangle; a triangle with two diagonal lines means oxygen bleach only): follow the exact product dilution and contact-time directions; bleach concentration varies. Rinse as directed.
- Never mix with vinegar, other acids, ammonia, rubbing alcohol or hydrogen peroxide: these release toxic gases or react violently.
- It can worsen rust stains and damage incompatible fibres or dyes. It is not a universal treatment for protein stains.
How it works
Chlorine bleach is a powerful oxidiser and disinfectant. It destroys colour, including the colour of dyes you want to keep, and it reacts dangerously with acids, ammonia and alcohols.
On a label
On an ingredient list, chlorine bleach shows up as sodium hypochlorite (sometimes listed as "chlorine bleach" or "hypochlorite").
Chlorine bleach is ruled out on clothes, jeans, linen, polyester, leggings, a wool sweater, silk, rayon, carpet, a wool rug, a couch, a microfiber couch, velvet, a car seat, a mattress, leather, suede, a wood table and a painted wall. Avoid routine home use on white sneakers, marble, granite and a quartz countertop. The table gives general restrictions; an unlisted restriction is not proof that a product is compatible.
02 What it works on
- Dye
- Tannin
- Living mould
- Oil-soluble pigment
Chlorine bleach is strongest against dye, tannin and living mould, and useful on oil-soluble pigment.
03 Where it is safe
| Material | Verdict | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Clothes | Never | It strips colour from dyed fabric. |
| Jeans | Never | It strips indigo and leaves an orange-white patch on denim. |
| Linen | Never | It strips colour from dyed fabric. |
| Polyester | Never | It strips colour from dyed fabric. |
| Leggings and activewear | Never | Chlorine destroys elastane and turns it yellow. |
| Wool and cashmere | Never | Chlorine bleach dissolves wool and silk; it can eat holes in them. |
| Silk | Never | Chlorine bleach dissolves wool and silk; it can eat holes in them. |
| Rayon and viscose | Never | It strips colour from dyed fabric. |
| Carpet | Never | Chlorine leaves permanent white or orange spots in carpet. |
| Wool rug | Never | Chlorine bleach dissolves wool and silk; it can eat holes in them. |
| Fabric couch | Never | It permanently bleaches upholstery and weakens the fibres. |
| Microfiber couch | Never | It permanently bleaches upholstery and weakens the fibres. |
| Velvet upholstery | Never | Chlorine leaves permanent white or orange spots in carpet. |
| Car seats | Never | It permanently bleaches upholstery and weakens the fibres. |
| Mattress | Never | It weakens ticking and foam and leaves fumes in something you sleep on. |
| Leather | Never | It burns the dye and finish off leather. |
| Suede and nubuck | Never | It leaves permanent pale blotches on suede. |
| Wood furniture and floors | Never | It bleaches wood and can damage the finish. |
| Painted walls | Never | It leaves bleached patches in coloured paint. |
| White sneakers | Avoid | It yellows rubber soles and the glue and synthetic parts of sneakers. |
| Marble | Avoid | It can dull and discolour polished marble, and it does nothing for most stains in stone. The exception is mildew on stone, where stone-care guides use a weak solution (about ½ cup per gallon of water) and rinse it off. |
| Granite | Avoid | Repeated bleach can degrade the sealer on granite. |
| Quartz countertop | Avoid | Quartz makers warn that bleach can discolour the resin. |
| White shirt | Test first | Only on white cotton or linen whose care label shows a plain triangle. Many white shirts contain elastane or polyester, which chlorine yellows, or carry the oxygen-bleach-only symbol. |
| Sheets and bedding | Test first | Only for white cotton with a care label that allows bleach; never on coloured items. |
| Towels | Test first | Only for white cotton with a care label that allows bleach; never on coloured items. |
| Baby clothes | Test first | Only for white cotton with a care label that allows bleach; never on coloured items. |
| Tile grout | Test first | It kills mildew in grout, but can lighten coloured grout. Ventilate well. |
| Plastic containers | Test first | Fine on most food-safe plastics if rinsed well; it can dull some. |
04 Mixing
The combinations people ask about most, and what actually happens.
- Can you mix chlorine bleach and white vinegar? Toxic chlorine gas
- Can you mix chlorine bleach and ammonia? Toxic chloramine vapours
- Can you mix chlorine bleach and rubbing alcohol? Toxic chloroform and chlorinated compounds
- Can you mix chlorine bleach and hydrogen peroxide? Hazard a burst of oxygen, heat and splashing
- Can you mix chlorine bleach and oxygen bleach? Hazard a burst of oxygen, heat and splashing
- Can you mix chlorine bleach and lemon juice? Toxic chlorine gas
- Can you mix chlorine bleach and dish soap? Caution a product-dependent combination
- Can you mix chlorine bleach and baking soda? Caution a product-dependent combination
- Can you mix chlorine bleach and acetone? Toxic chloroform
- Can you mix chlorine bleach and toilet bowl cleaner? Toxic potentially hazardous fumes or splashing
- Can you mix chlorine bleach and ammonia-based glass cleaner? Toxic chloramine vapours
- Can you mix chlorine bleach and enzyme cleaner? Hazard chloramine fumes on urine, and dead enzymes
- Can you mix chlorine bleach and borax? Caution a product-dependent combination
- Can you mix chlorine bleach and enzyme laundry detergent? Caution a product-dependent combination
- Can you mix chlorine bleach and oxalic acid cleanser? Toxic chlorine gas
- Can you mix chlorine bleach and hot water? Caution a product-dependent combination
05 Myth files
- Does bleach remove all stains? Chlorine bleach removes colour from some stains, but it makes rust, sunscreen and protein stains worse and dissolves wool and silk.
06 Questions
What stains does chlorine bleach remove?
It works best on dye, tannin, living mould and oil-soluble pigment.
How do you use chlorine bleach safely?
Only on white, bleach-safe fabric (the care label shows a plain, empty triangle; a triangle with two diagonal lines means oxygen bleach only): follow the exact product dilution and contact-time directions; bleach concentration varies. Rinse as directed. Never mix with vinegar, other acids, ammonia, rubbing alcohol or hydrogen peroxide: these release toxic gases or react violently.
What should you never mix with chlorine bleach?
white vinegar, ammonia, rubbing alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, oxygen bleach, lemon juice, acetone, toilet bowl cleaner, ammonia-based glass cleaner, enzyme cleaner and oxalic acid cleanser. Acids pull chlorine out of hypochlorite as chlorine gas, the same gas used as a weapon in the First World War. Do not combine commercial cleaners unless their exact manufacturers explicitly permit the use.
Where should you never use chlorine bleach?
On clothes, jeans, linen, polyester, leggings, a wool sweater, silk, rayon, carpet, a wool rug, a couch, a microfiber couch, velvet, a car seat, a mattress, leather, suede, a wood table and a painted wall. It strips colour from dyed fabric.