Use an Oxygen-Bleach Soak for This Stain

Use an Oxygen-Bleach Soak for This Stain

Oxygen bleach, sold as OxiClean and store brands, is generally sodium percarbonate. Dissolved in water it releases hydrogen peroxide and washing soda, and the peroxide slowly breaks apart the colored molecules in many stains. That is why it works best as a soak rather than a quick spray: the reaction is gentle, so it needs hot water and time. One OxiClean instruction sheet lists a scoop as 2 tablespoons and gives 1 to 4 scoops per gallon of hot water for soaking, and 30 minutes up to overnight for laundry stains. Scoop sizes and directions vary by brand and version, so follow your own label.

Here is the simple routine. Rinse the stain under cool running water first, especially for protein stains such as blood or sweat, because heat can set them; the Soap and Detergent Association's stain guide says to avoid heat until the stain is completely gone. Dissolve the powder fully in the water your label calls for, submerge the item, and leave it for 30 minutes up to overnight for stubborn stains. Then wash it as usual with your regular detergent. Check the fabric before you dry it: if any shadow remains, repeat the soak.

What not to do matters as much as what to do. The OxiClean instruction sheet says to not use it on wool or silk, and Cornell Cooperative Extension says chlorine bleach must never go on wool, silk or spandex, so keep both bleaches off those fibers. Test any colored item first on a hidden seam; UGA Extension recommends testing colored fabrics before using oxygen-type bleaches. Never put a stained item in the dryer until the stain is gone, because heat locks it in. Do not store leftover solution in a tightly sealed bottle, since oxygen-releasing cleaners can build pressure (check your label).

Never combine oxygen bleach with chlorine bleach, ammonia or vinegar in the same bucket, and do not use it as a top-up for another cleaner. Read the label on every product you use and use one at a time, rinsing containers between products. If a cleaning product was mixed by accident, or someone breathes fumes or swallows some, move to fresh air, open windows and call Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222 (America's Poison Centers, US). Call 911 for trouble breathing, chest pain or collapse.

Source: OxiClean product instruction sheet (1 scoop = 2 tablespoons; as hosted on Home Depot's product page); Soap and Detergent Association, Removing Stains from Washable Fabrics (as hosted by Texas A&M AgriLife Extension); Cornell Cooperative Extension, Removing Stains at Home; University of Georgia Extension, Textiles: Products; Missouri Poison Center, Some Things Just Don't Mix. Note: scoop size and soak times vary by product, confirm on your label.

General household-cleaning guidance, not medical or professional advice. The label on your product always wins; never mix cleaning products. For a poisoning emergency call Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222 (US), or 911 if someone has trouble breathing.

How Oxygen-bleach soak compares

* Illustrative starting amounts and notes, rounded -- use the calculators below for your exact numbers, and always check your product label.