Liquid Oxygen Bleach Stain Removers

[mrboilwash]

My biggest laundry problem is the eternal battle between gentleness to fabrics and colors versus cleaning power and hygiene. Not easy for me to find the perfect balance...

Found out that washing at 60°C with a liquid is no more wear on fabrics than washing at 40°C with a color powder. But have to say my 10 years old Miele does not get hot enough at 60° cottons to shrink clothes that can withstand a tumble dryer nor does it seem to kill any germs at that temperature with a liquid detergent alone.

The problem was that I still was not 100% happy with the smell of my clothes even after a 60° wash.
A sanitizing rinse additive brought some improvement for a while, but I dont want to use that c**p permanently. Ironing is no option for me as well.

So now my latest discovery is ACE gentle bleach. Its mostly hydrogen peroxide and should be milder than the normal (with bleach) powders or powdered stain removers like Vanish.
Have washed quite a few loads at a "cool" 40° and always added the stuff just 20 minutes before the rinse. I dont know how much it interferes with the enzymes but by adding it rather late to the wash cycle I also hope to keep bleaching of my darks to a minimum.

So far I love the stuff! My t-shirts smell fresh and clean for up to 24 hours and I can wear a pair of pants up to 4 days. No more old dishrag or thrift store smell after the slightest perspiration.

I only hope it will not fade my clothes in the long run !

 

[donprohel]

No fade, don't worry

I have been using "gentle bleach" for years (how I miss it!) and it does not fade colours at all.

Moreover, as far as I know, it does not affect enzymes or detergents: I suggest you to try adding at the beginning of the wash when you add detergent.

And just in case, because it is essentially hydrogen peroxide (the rest are useless colourants, perfume, and not much more) why not trying the supermarket-brand version? Much cheaper, and exactly the same product

 

[mrboilwash]

Thanks for the input, very much appreciated.

Certainly will try the store brands and Henkel`s version (Sil). With the exeption of Vanish all of them are rather inexpensive here.

 

[launderess]

We Have Similar "Gentle" Oxygen Bleaches Here

Clorox II, Vivid, Seventh Generation, Vaska and others have various formulas of liquid hydrogen based bleaches. Then there are those sold for commercial use through various suppliers.

Consumer Reports years ago tested these liquid hydrogen peroxide bleaches and found none could even equal the stain removal/whitening power of standard powder oxygen bleaches. Small wonder as they were most certainly used in the standard top loading washing machines Americans favoured.

Long used in European commercial laundries and even in homes, hydrogen peroxide is great if one has the proper water temp (not to boiling) and or is willing to prolong contact time in cooler water. One of the reasons given by those whom like liquid hydrogen peroxide (and by the way you can also use the stuff in brown bottles sold at chemists), is that is breaks down basically into water with a few other trace bits. This makes it easier to rinse say if one is doing delicate textiles or even silk or wool.

You can use hydrogen peroxide (with proper knowledge) on protein fibers (wool, silk, etc...) because unlike sodium perborate or sodium percarbonate it does not contain a alkali and has a near neutral pH. Both of the latter are made by treating base substances (borax and washing soda respectively) with hydrogen peroxide. Powdered oxygen bleaches are more stable giving longer shelf life than hydrogen peroxide.

 

[stan]

Interesting Laundress

Since peroxide, sold at say at a beauty supply for hair coloring is suppose to be stablished, wonder how that would work for laundry?

 

[launderess]

Have heard/read online accounts of persons using hair dye "developer" (hydrogen peroxide) as a textile oxygen bleach for various purposes, but personally I won't bother.

Hair dye developers often contain various chemicals that are great for enhancing the performance of colouring one's hair, but maybe not so much for other purposes.

Besides chemists hydrogen peroxide is inexpensive enough, especially if you purchase the private label/store brands. On a sad note it is becoming more difficult to find those large and cheap one quart brown bottles. Duane Read, Walgreens, Rite Aide and other chain drug stores in this area have down sized hydrogen peroxide as well. Bottles are now one or two pint sized but cost about the same as the old quart. While the same is true for alcohol one can wait for sales and purchase that in decent supply. Liquid hydrogen peroxide does have a limited shelf life at full strength, so it is not advisable to lay in surplus supplies.

 

[stan]

Some

Hair color developers are clear hydrogen peroxide at 5,10,20,30, and 40 volume.
20 volume is 6%. Drug store peroxide for minor cuts, and wounds is 10 volume (3%)

I believe that cream developers, sold for coloring purposes, contain the extra conditioners, or the "extra chemicals" to enhance the coloring process for hair.
Often times stylists use one or the other, depending on the consistency they are seeking, or the use the developer that the hair color Co recommends (their own brand)

To my understanding all developers "peroxides" made for coloring are stabilized to maintain their percentages.

Don't know how much oxygen is in a liquid non chlorine (color safe bleach) for laundry, or if they stabilize.

It make sense though, that the powdered oxygen bleach for laundry would be a safe bet.

Laundress, do I understand you correctly, you think the powdered versions, for laundry are better than the liquid?

 

[mrboilwash]

The drugstore stuff sold in brown bottles is not availible here. AFAIK has never been widely used for first aid purposes like in the US.
All those liquid Euro stainremovers list 5-15% Oxygen Bleach (by weight?) and less than 5% surfactants. Not clear to me how that compares to 3% drugstore peroxide in strength.

Isn`t H²O² also used to set permanent waves in a more liquid form than the milky, viscous stuff for hair dyes ? Anyway wouldn`t bother as the laundry bleaches are fairly inexpensive in Germany.

Our consumer magazine found the liquid bleaches the least effecive, most powdered stain removers did better and powdered regular detergent (with oxy bleach) beat them all, but was also found hardest on colors.
Stainremoval is not so important to me, I was looking for something gentle to get my clothes smell better when washing at low temperatures.

For those with some German skills I`ve attached a link to the stain remover test. Since it`s an obsolete test it`s free to read for everyone.
Just click on "Artikel als PDF (6 Seiten)"

Fleckenentferner im Test: Nur wenige sind gut

Zitrone, Waschmittel, Seife, Ultraschall - womit gehen Flecken am besten weg? Den Fleckenentferner-Test der Stiftung Warentest lesen!

www.test.de

 

[launderess]

Hair color developers both clear and creamy all come in a range of strengths, from about 6 up to 40 volume. All depends on what one wishes to do with higher numbers usually for bleaching. Clear or creamy again depends on the beautician's choice and what they are working with. Some like creamy developers because when mixed (especially) with cream hair coloring it creates a consistency that says put. Liquid colors with clear or less creamy developers does have tendency to run all over the place.

Powdered oxygen bleaches will always beat out liquid. Suppose again if you used the liquids as hot to boiling wash temps with alkaline pH things might really get going.

Most all hydrogen peroxide based products from laundry bleaches, to stuff sold at chemists, to hair developers, to contact lens cleaning/disinfecting solutions, etc... all contain some sort of stabilizing chemical. The stuff is just too unstable and will break down into pure water otherwise, giving very short shelf lifespans.

Most permanent waves are alkaline based, though IIRC there maybe a few acid ones.

Where chemist sort hydrogen peroxide shines is in removing blood stains, especially if fresh. Pour a bit of the stuff on (always check for colour fastness first), and watch it fizz. Either rinse well or chuck into the washing machine. Violia, blood stain gone. For really bad or set blood stains you can add a drop or two of ammonia over the peroxide