How To Get Bleach Out Of Clothes? A Few Simple Steps

Last Updated on April 21, 2022

Bleach is one of the most used items for cleaning purposes, accompanied by other household items. Its higher alkaline nature makes it more corrosive but perfect for cleaning and disinfecting various surface types. You may need this more often for making your whites more bright.

Along with certain benefits, you will encounter a few disasters too. Even one drop of bleach can leave a spot or stain and discolor it. It takes no time to ruin your clothes. Do not panic if this situation occurs because we will discuss “how to get bleach out of clothes?”.

You can remove bleach stains to some extent. As it totally depends on the amount of bleach and fabric type. You can fix small spots through home remedies with ease. But if the disaster is critical, you need to put more effort into bringing back your favorite piece of cloth.

Before going into further details, there is one thing that you should remember. You have to do it right away at the time of the mishap. And that is to neutralize the effect of bleach.

Rinse the stained fabric with cold water to avoid further damage. If bleach stays on the garment for an extended period, it can burn the spot. And you will end up with holes in stained areas. Rinsing it with water will remove excess bleach. The next step is neutralizing the affected area. Follow the steps below to neutralize the bleach stain.

• Once the spot is thoroughly cleansed. You have to make a thick paste with equal amounts of baking soda and water.
• Apply this thick paste to the stains evenly. Make sure to cover all the affected areas with even layer of mixture.
• Let it dry completely. Now take an old toothpaste brush and gently scrub off the dried mixture.

Once you have neutralized the effect of bleach on the fabric. Now it is easier to restore the dye of the cloth. You can get your clothes back with either one of the methods below.

You can use this method if you have less area to recover the color. Also, dark color fabrics are easier to revive.

• Take piece of cloth or a cotton ball and let the rubbing alcohol soak into it.
• Keep the fabric on a flat surface and start rubbing around the stain.
• Once you notice that fabric dye starts to loosen up. Change the rubbing direction and move towards the center of the stain.
• Use gentle strokes. It will loosen up the excess fabric dye and spread it to a discolored area.

This method will not be much suitable for those with large stains.

When the above method does not seems to be a perfect fit for your disaster situation, you can apply this technique to revive your fabric. You have to buy a fabric dye from the market. Take a piece of cloth with you to perfectly match the color. Also, purchase a dye remover. You will need this to remove the existed color. Now you will have a clear canvas to apply the dye.

Read the instructions carefully and follow as directed to get the best results.

• Wear old clothes and gloves to avoid stains of fresh dye.
• The dye method depends on the dye type you choose for your fabric.
• You can dye your clothes with any of these three techniques washing machine method, the stovetop method, and the bucket or sink method.
• Take one teaspoon of fabric dye with an equal amount of salt, and mix it with two tablespoons of water to make a paste.
• Use an old toothbrush to apply the dye directly to the area.
• Soak it well with dye and repeat the same on the other side.
• Leave it to dry and rinse with water. You can use the cloth after drying.

You can use this technique immediately after getting bleach on the fabric. It will work effectively if the discoloration process is just initiated. After neutralizing the stain, follow the steps below.

• Simply add a few drops of dish soap to a bowl of water. Make sure to use warm water.
• Now take a piece of cloth and dip it in the mixture. Start blotting on the stain to lift it.
• Take another bowl of cold water and rinse the fabric by blotting.
• Keep the dry towel on the area and let it absorb the moisture.
• You can use the fabric after air drying it.

Distilled white vinegar is another natural solution for getting bleach out of clothes.

• After neutralizing process, mix two cups of warm water with one tablespoon of distilled white vinegar.
• With the help of a soaked clean cloth, work on the stain to remove the stain.
• Use tapping motion as rubbing can further damage the surface.
• Take another clean piece of cloth soaked in cold water to clean the area.
• Repeat the tapping motion until the smell of vinegar totally vanishes.
• Let it air dry. And Voila, you can have your garment without visible bleach stain.

We often hear the phrase ‘Prevention is better than cure. The same rule applies while using such harsh chemicals. You need to take precautions first, rather than fixing the damage. Because most of the time, bleach does not only discolor the surface but also burns it if you leave it on for an extended time. Take the following steps to ensure perfect cleaning results without blunders.

• Always wear old clothes while doing chores with harsh chemicals.
• Wear eye protection and gloves to protect your eyes and skin.
• Ensure proper ventilation while working with powerful bleaching products as such chemicals release toxic gases and fumes into the air. Such gases or fumes can cause severe issues to the respiratory system or lungs. It can also irritate the eyes of users.
• Ensure to inform everyone in the house about the area where you are applying the bleach. So it does not get wiped away through smudging.
• Always dilute the bleach with water, If you are using bleach for clothes. Pouring it directly on the clothes can fade out the fabric color.
• Read instructions carefully and use bleach on bleach-safe fabrics. Do not use it for colored fabrics as it can discolor them or leave stains.

Hopefully, this guide will help you get through the disasters done by bleach to some extent. The intensity of damage and fabric type will have different effects from the above solutions, so the results may vary. However, it is vital to take necessary precautions while using such chemicals. So you do not end up in a situation like that.