Bleaching clothes by hands is required for hand washed clothes. White clothes are more susceptible to dust, dirt and stains. Bleach helps to remove the stains on the whites and helps keep white for a long time. The purpose of telling the exact procedure of bleaching clothes by hand is, that bleach can sometimes spoil the clothes. Bleach is a very strong chemical and hence, must be used with utmost care. There are two types of bleaches used for washing clothes viz., chlorine bleach and oxygen bleach. Let us look at the exact procedure of how to bleach clothes white by hand. Read more on removing stains from clothes.
Bleaching Clothes by Hand
There are mainly two types of bleach; chlorine bleach and oxygen bleach, which are used for washing clothes. It is recommended to use gloves while you are bleaching clothes by hand. Let us take a look at how to bleach your clothing by hand. Read more on laundry.
Chlorine Bleach
Chlorine bleach is a liquid bleach and there are many products available in the market for liquid bleach. All the chlorine bleaches available in the market have 5 % active ingredients in them. There are powdered chlorine bleaches also available, however, they are more expensive than the liquid chlorine bleach. Liquid chlorine bleach is effective in killing germs in the water also. In this process, you must remember that bleach can damage your clothes. There are certain types of clothes which can be washed with chlorine bleach. Dish towels, sheets, pillowcases, white socks, t-shirts and tablecloths. While you wash clothes with liquid chlorine, it is advisable to use only 1 tablespoon of bleach per gallon of water used. Mix the bleach in lot of water to make it diluted. Always use a diluted mixture of the bleach, otherwise it will damage the clothes. After dilution, mix this mixture in soapy water in which you have soaked your whites. Let the white clothes stay in the bucket for 15 min and then wash off the bleach and detergent from the clothes, by using ample amount of water. Chlorine bleach must not be used on silks, wools, fabrics with dyes or colored fabrics.
Oxygen Bleach
Oxygen bleaches are usually available in the form of powders. This type of bleach is considered to be more safe than the chlorine bleach. Unlike chlorine bleach, the oxygen bleaches can be used for all the fabrics, of different finishes. For using oxygen bleach, mix it in hot water and follow the directions given on the pack of oxygen bleach. Rinse off the clothes with enough water.
Bleaching Clothes with Lemon Juice
There are bleaching methods which do not use chemicals for bleaching. Bleaching clothes without bleach, uses lemon juice as the bleaching agent. Bleaching clothes in the sink is possible with lemon juice used to wash clothes. For washing clothes, place the clothes in the sink. Fill up the sink with hot water and add ample amount of lemon juice to the water. Soak your clothes in this water overnight. Next morning, remove these clothes from the lemon water and wash them with your usual detergent. Lemon juice is a natural substitute for bleach.
