How to use oxygen bleach (sodium percarbonate) on clothes

What sodium percarbonate is

Sodium percarbonate is a crystal made of sodium carbonate and hydrogen peroxide bound together, with the formula 2Na2CO3 · 3H2O2. It is a dry, stable way to store hydrogen peroxide. When it dissolves in water it separates back into hydrogen peroxide and sodium carbonate, the same compound sold as washing soda. The peroxide releases oxygen that breaks down the colored molecules in many organic stains, and the carbonate makes the water alkaline and helps soften it so detergent works better.

This is the oxygen bleach powder sold in plain tubs. Ingredient labels may list it as sodium carbonate peroxide or sodium carbonate peroxyhydrate. It is the main active ingredient in branded oxygen stain removers; Church and Dwight's ingredient disclosure for OxiClean Versatile Stain Remover, for example, lists sodium carbonate, sodium carbonate peroxide, a surfactant and a little salt and colorant. So a tub of pure sodium percarbonate does the same basic job, without the added surfactant and fragrance. Liquid color safe bleaches are a different format built on dilute hydrogen peroxide.

Is it the same as baking soda, borax or chlorine bleach?

No to all three. Baking soda is sodium bicarbonate, a much milder alkali with no bleaching power; our guide to baking soda in laundry covers what it can do. Borax is sodium tetraborate, a laundry booster and water softener that contains no peroxide, so borax is not oxygen bleach even though they often sit on the same shelf. Washing soda is sodium carbonate alone, which is half of sodium percarbonate without the peroxide.

Chlorine bleach, sodium hypochlorite, is the strongest of the group. It disinfects and removes color, which is why it ruins colored clothes and damages wool and silk. The American Cleaning Institute describes oxygen bleach as the gentler option for most fabrics, better at maintaining whiteness and brightness than restoring it. That distinction matters for expectations: regular oxygen bleach keeps whites from drifting gray, but a badly yellowed shirt may need several soaks, and some damage cannot be reversed. Our guide to washing white clothes covers when chlorine is the right tool.

How to use oxygen bleach in the washing machine

Used in every white load and in colored loads that need a lift, oxygen bleach works as a booster alongside detergent.

1. 01

   Check the care label and the fabric

   Look for the bleach triangle. An empty triangle or one with two diagonal lines allows oxygen bleach; a crossed out triangle means no bleach of any kind. Skip wool, silk, leather and anything labeled dry clean, whatever the label says about bleach, and see our guide to laundry symbols if a label is unclear.

2. 02

   Measure by the package

   Branded products come with a scoop and a chart by load size and washer type. Pure sodium percarbonate is concentrated and usually dosed in tablespoons rather than scoops. More powder than the package suggests does not add safety or much extra power.

3. 03

   Add it to the drum before the clothes

   The American Cleaning Institute says to add oxygen bleach to the wash water before the clothes go in, and OxiClean recommends the drum rather than the bleach dispenser, including in front loaders. Powder poured directly onto wet fabric can leave spots.

4. 04

   Use warm or hot water if the label allows

   Oxygen bleach works best in warm to hot water. In a cold wash it dissolves slowly and releases oxygen weakly, so predissolve it in a cup of hot tap water first. Do not use boiling water.

5. 05

   Add detergent and wash normally

   Use your usual detergent dose. Check stained spots before drying, since dryer heat can set what is left.

Soaking stains and dingy whites

A soak gives the peroxide time to work on organic stains such as wine, juice, coffee, tea, grass and food, and on the gradual graying of cotton whites. Dissolve the powder in a clean bucket or basin of the warmest water the fabric tolerates, at the concentration the package gives for soaking, and stir until no grains remain. Submerge the garments, keep them under the surface, and soak for the time the package recommends, often a few hours. Then wash as usual. For heavily yellowed whites, a second round often does more than one very long soak.

Colors are where people hesitate. Oxygen bleach is color safe in the sense that it does not strip dye the way chlorine does, but not every garment is colorfast. Test first: dab a little of the solution on an inside seam, wait a few minutes, and blot with a white cloth. If color transfers, keep that piece out of the soak. OxiClean also notes that its powder is not designed for dye transfer stains, the tint from a red sock in a white load; our guide to removing dye transfer covers that problem, and stain specific guides such as getting red wine out of clothes start with the right first aid.

Safety rules for oxygen bleach

Never store a dissolved solution in a closed bottle. OxiClean warns that the solution keeps giving off oxygen, and in a sealed container pressure can build until it ruptures. Mix only what you will use, in an open bucket or basin, and pour out what is left. Keep the dry powder in its closed tub in a cool, dry place; clumps mean moisture got in, which weakens it.

Do not combine it with other cleaners in the same bucket. OxiClean says not to mix it with chlorine bleach, and the Washington State Department of Health lists hydrogen peroxide among the chemicals chlorine bleach reacts with. Keep vinegar away too: Houston Methodist notes that hydrogen peroxide and vinegar can form peracetic acid, which irritates the eyes, skin and lungs. The powder and solution are also strongly alkaline, with a pH up to about 11 when diluted, and the pure chemical carries a danger warning for eye damage. Wear gloves for soaks, keep it away from your eyes and from children and pets, and rinse skin with water if it splashes.

Oxygen bleach for cleaning, and homemade versions

Because it breaks down organic stains and rinses away, oxygen bleach is also used for cleaning around the house: stained plastic containers, tile grout, outdoor furniture and unfinished wood decks. Follow the product's directions for each surface, test in a hidden spot, and rinse plants and soil nearby with clean water afterward. It is not a substitute for a registered disinfectant or for pool chlorine.

You may find recipes for making oxygen bleach by mixing washing soda with drugstore hydrogen peroxide. The peroxide sold for first aid is only about 3 percent, and a mixed solution loses strength quickly, so the result is weak and unpredictable. Buying sodium percarbonate powder, which stays stable while dry, is simpler and safer. For a one off stain on a white cotton garment, dabbing plain 3 percent hydrogen peroxide on the spot after testing a seam is a reasonable small scale alternative.