Remedy for Clorox Spills on Clothes

Even with all its positive attributes, Clorox can still damage and discolor a variety of surfaces, including clothing. Clorox spills on clothing can quickly ruin the garment beyond repair.

Cleaning Clorox Spills

The key to removing Clorox spills is to act as quickly as possible. The longer the beach sits on the clothing, the more damage it will do to the fabric. Absorb as much of the Clorox as possible by blotting -- do not scrub -- with either a white cloth or white paper towels. Do not use colored cloths or paper towels with printing on them. Continue blotting until you can no longer absorb any Clorox. Flush the clothing under cold running water for several minutes. Once you have cleaned the Clorox spill, the clothing may have stains and discoloration. You must treat the bleach stains and discoloration based on whether the clothing is white or colored.

White Clothing

Lay a thick white towel out flat on a level surface. Place the clothing on top of the white towel with the Clorox spill facing up. Pour 1/2 cup of cool water in a small container. Add 1/4 tsp. of commercial color remover to the cool water, and mix with a spoon. Dip the corner of a clean white cloth in the solution, and begin blotting the area of fabric where the bleach spilled. Continue blotting for several minutes until the discoloration is no longer visible. Rinse the solution off the clothing with cool running water, and launder the item as usual.

Colored Clothing

Place a thick white towel flat on a level surface, and lay the clothing on top with the bleach spill pointing up. Fill a small container with sodium thiosulfate. Used for photo processing, you can find sodium thiosulfate at photo centers and drug stores. Dampen a clean sponge in the container. Begin blotting the Clorox stain with the sponge. Start at the edge of the stain, and blot while moving toward the center of the stain. Continue in this process until the discoloration is no longer present. Flush the sodium thiosulfate off the clothing with cool running water. Launder the item as you normally would.

Considerations

Clorox bleach produces harmful fumes that can cause dizziness, headaches, nausea and fatigue. Before cleaning up the Clorox, open doors and windows and run fans in the area to help get the air circulating. Also wear a pair of rubber gloves to prevent possible skin irritation that Clorox bleach will cause.