how to remove bleach stains from colored clothes

Life

These Powerful Stain Removers Will Keep Your White Clothes Looking Brand New

fotolia/Tanya Rozhnovskaya

When it comes to removing stains from white clothes, many people automatically reach for a bottle of chlorine bleach. However, despite popular perception, most experts don't recommend using chlorine for laundry. Although it can be effective for other household uses, like whitening bathroom grout, chlorine bleach actually weakens and deteriorates fabrics over time with use. That's why, chlorine-free products are the best stain removers for white clothes.

These stain-fighters rely on oxygen bleach to lift stains and clean white clothes. And, as an added plus, they don't give off the noxious odor and fumes like chlorine bleach does.

Although, the best way to remove stains from white clothing is to pre-treat (or pre-soak) and then launder them, chances are you aren't always going to be near a washing machine every time a stain happens. Luckily, there are great on-the-go stain removers that will let do the trick when you're in a pinch. Plus, the sooner you treat the stain, the better luck you will have removing it in the long run.

Pro tip: With any stain remover, remember to dab at the stain, instead of rubbing it, to help prevent the stain from transferring to another part of the garment.

But enough talk, here are the best stain removers for white clothes.

1 The Overall Best, All Things Considered

These stain-remover power paks are simple to use and offer a tremendous value for the price. They help lift stains out of clothing in the washing machine — no scrubbing or hand-washing required. To use, simply dissolve a pod in water to pre-soak tough stains or add one to a load of laundry to help more generally brighten and whiten.

What fans say: "What a difference this makes for my laundry! I had some tough stains on a couple of garments; they just weren't coming out and I ready to sadly throw them away. Giving one last chance I tried OxiClean White Revive power paks and the stains were gone giving new life to my clothes! What's more, I use it now on my towels replacing bleach and the towels come out beautifully clean and white."

2 The Best Spray

If you aren't able to machine wash your stained clothes right away, this Unbelievable! stain remover spray is the next best option. It allows you to treat stains quickly and conveniently: All you have to do is spray it on and use a brush or a rag to dab the stain away. The enzyme formula works well on all kinds of stains from red wine to grass and also helps eliminate odor as well.

What fans say: "This is absolutely the BEST stain and odor remover! My grandson plays high school baseball and it is one of the very few products that totally removes stains from his white pants."

3 3.The Best Stick

In an emergency, these Clorox laundry pens are a small and portable stain remover that you can keep in your desk or bag and use to treat small stains on the go. Each pen has two applicators; use the finely pointed side to precisely target stains or the wider scrubber side to coat them. This pack contains four pens, two specifically made for white clothing and two color-safe ones that will work on both white and colored garments.

What fans say: "The bleach pen completely removed a day old wine stain from my white sweater! Such a lifesaver, definitely good to have on hand in your laundry cabinet!"

4 The Best All-Natural

Hypoallergenic, biodegradable, and free of chlorine and phosphates, this Nellie's oxygen brightener powder is the leading non-toxic stain remover. Adding 3 tablespoons to your load of laundry will help eliminate stains and make white clothing look brand new again. This formula is also effective when used to pre-soak or hand-wash stained clothes.

What fans say: "This is the best product to get your whites clean! My husband is allergic to bleach and his whites were dingy until I started using Nellie's. The difference is amazing."

Bustle may receive a portion of sales from products purchased from this article, which was created independently from Bustle's editorial and sales departments.