(NC)—A versatile disinfectant found in laundry rooms countrywide, bleach is best known for its ability to whiten whites and leave toilets squeaky clean. Despite its widespread use, some people still have questions about its safety and its affect on the environment. To learn more about bleach, consider the following information from laundering expert, Dr. Laundry.
•Bleach is safe for the environment.
Made from sodium hypochlorite and water, household bleach such as Ultra Javex Bleach by Clorox starts and ends mostly as salt and water. Once used in the home, 95 to 98 per cent of bleach quickly breaks down primarily into salt and water. The remaining two to five per cent of the solution is effectively treated by sewer or septic systems, causing no significant impact on the environment.
•Laundry detergent is not enough.
Laundry detergent does not clean or whiten clothes as effectively as when it is used with liquid bleach. When using laundry detergent alone, stains, body soil, dead skin and odours are often left behind. Bleach works by breaking the chemical bonds that keep soils and stains attached to fabrics, leaving your fabrics cleaner and whiter.
•Bleach is safe for fabrics.
When used as directed, bleach does not affect the lifespan of fabrics. Tests have shown that after 50 washes, there is no difference in fabric integrity between items washed in laundry detergent and bleach and those washed in detergent alone.
More information is available online at www.Clorox.ca.
Harold Baker aka Dr. Laundry is an Associate Research Fellow at The Clorox Company. He has spent 30 years remedying tough stains and solving laundry needs across North America.
- News Canada