It’s about time for me to use a bleach alternative!
I must make a confession. In our home, we’ve gone non-toxic in so many areas: label-reading, water collection barrels, passive solar and solar collectors, transitioning to organic pasture and fields, raising chickens and some of our own food, safe household products…uh…well…hm, that is except for bleach. You see, I didn’t think I could get my wash load (especially dirty wash cloths and work clothes) really clean (think germ-free) without it.
Updated 4/2020 for coronavirus: Hydrogen Peroxide
According to the CDC, household hydrogen peroxide is effective in deactivating rhinovirus, the virus that causes the common cold, within 6 to 8 minutes of exposure. Rhinovirus is more difficult to destroy than coronaviruses, so hydrogen peroxide should be able to break down the coronavirus in less time. (source)
USDA text on safety: “Peracetic acid’s primary use in food processing and handling is as a sanitizer for food, contact surfaces, and as a disinfectant for fruits, vegetables, meat, and eggs (Evans, 2000). Other uses of PAA include … suppressing odor, and stripping biofilms from food contact surfaces.” (source)
The EPA lists hydrogen peroxide for institutional and healthcare use in their List of Disinfectants for Use Against SARS-CoV-2.
It took me forever to switch from bleach to my alternative. You might just say I had this fixation that only bleach would do, but I was dealing with so many allergies and chemical sensitivities that it just made sense. I’m so glad I did!
We all expect to produce a nice and fresh smelling, stain-free laundry. It is sad, but it is true that most of the big producers like P&G and Unilever are using harsh, toxic chemicals in order to meet our demands. However, bleach is something that was traditionally used even when I was a girl in the 50s, so I overlooked it for some time.
Most people know by now that bleach is a poison, but it is still in most homes. The side effects include eye, nose, throat, lung, and skin irritation, and it usually tops the list for household poisons. (In case your mom didn’t tell you, it’s a very bad idea to mix bleach and ammonia. The gas that results from these two chemicals is such a strong poison; it was used in the past as a chemical warfare agent.)
So when I saw a simple recipe to make a bleach alternative on Andrea’s blog {Frugally Sustainable}, I decided to check it out. I want to share it with you; now none of us have to make ourselves sick from using chlorine bleach.
Note: In their purest and most concentrated forms, mixed vinegar and hydrogen peroxide form a compound called Peracetic acid according to the USDA. It has been used in a diluted form to disinfect raw chicken, eggs, and organic food for many years with no toxicity. This straightforward recipe utilizes a very diluted form of Peracetic acid and our family has used it without harmful effects, plus the rinse cycle would remove it fully. Research this, learn and determine what is best for you and your family.
Homemade Bleach Alternative
Ingredients to make a gallon:
• Water to almost fill a gallon jug. Leave enough space to add the next 2 ingredients:
• ½ cup white vinegar or lemon juice
• 1 1/2 cup 3% hydrogen peroxide
• 10 to 20 drops lemon or lemongrass essential oils (optional/omit if using lemon juice)
Note: this is NOT a pure form of peracetic acid. It is very dilute, thus it is not any longer considered peracetic acid.
Directions To Make a Gallon of Bleach Alternative
1. Simply pour the above measurements of hydrogen peroxide and vinegar into the gallon jug, then top it up with water.
2. Cap and store. It is that simple.
I put it in the ‘bleach’ cup of my newer model or right into the wash water in my older model Maytag in the shop.
I use this with my regular laundry soap, Nellie’s Laundry Soda, and I have used it for over 10 years! I love it!
OR to make 2 cups (does 2 loads) as a trial (which is what I did the first time). Use:
• 2 cups water
• 1 Tbsp. vinegar
• 3 Tbsp. hydrogen peroxide
• Optional: 2-3 drops lemon, lemongrass, or lavender essential oils. These do not stain clothes.
Notes:
• Add 1 cup of this bleach alternative for softer and brighter clothing. No need to dilute.
• This bleach alternative is color-safe.
• It can be used to safely clean tubs, showers, toilet.
• It can be used as a pre-soak in a separate container for tough or ground in stains.
• You still may want to hang on to the bleach for the really, really stinky loads or when it smells ‘sour’.
If you have questions, a good place to start is on Andrea’s blog comments as there was quite a lot of discussion there.
I just did my first white and dark loads and loved the results. This has really got me excited, but do your own research!
Update 8 years and counting: I love that I not don’t use bleach anymore in the laundry room!
“It all comes out in the wash!” ~unknown
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Cari Leigh
Thank you for sharing this. Over the years I have been replacing chemical cleaning products with vinegar and Mrs. Meyers cleaners but didn’t know what to do about my laundry. I will be giving this a try. Thank you.
LindaG
I’ve bookmarked it. I had already noticed, by accident, that with vinegar I don’t need the dryer fabric sheets. I will definitely be giving this a try. :o)
Jennifer Price
Thank You for this~I’ll be making it soon. I can’t wait to get rid of bleach; so excited for a safe alternative!
Natalie
I have heard that in diluted form, paracetic acid is rather unstable & will lose potency over time, so keeping the ingredients on hand and mixing it up as needed is probably the best solution. 🙂
Also, I’m sorry, but I will be sticking to my bleach in one instance. I have switched to using more vinegar or just good plain ol’ hot water to clean things, but when laundry goes sour, nothing, and I mean NOTHING works like real bleach. I only use 1/8 c. mixed in a gallon of warm water which is then poured into the washing machine after it’s begun agitating (doing it that way keeps the bleach from messing with dark clothes!). We recently had a period of rainy weather when I was unable to hang out my laundry for about three days. This means it sat in the washer all that time, getting stinky and mildewy. I washed that darned load multiple times—with vinegar, vinegar & peroxide, baking soda, and just about anything else I could think of. I have no doubt that the clothes were clean, but they certainly weren’t fresh-smelling. And nothing but bleach could fix that. Just sayin’.
Jacqueline
I agree, Natalie 🙂 I will keep also bleach on hand for those really stinky loads or where it smells (I like your word) ‘sour’. No use not having the best of both worlds; I just don’t want to use bleach all the time.
And yes, peracetic acid is slightly unstable, and it gets slightly weaker through time. I suppose if you do a lot of loads in a week it would be easier to mix a gallon, but if not , maybe just 2 or 4 cups for 2 or 4 loads. Thanks for your thoughts!
What Joy Is Mine
Jacqueline…I make my own fabric softener and love it so I look forward to giving this a whirl. Thank you for the recipe and information friend.
Angela Goodson
You mention that we might like to keep bleach around for when things go sour, but you’ve already got what you need! I had an entire load of towels sour and after washing a couple MORE times and being a little more diligent of when to take them out they STILL smelled sour. So I set the washer to heavy duty and hot water, poured one cup of vinegar into the bleach dispenser (no soap, no fabric softener) and turned the washer on. After they were finished, I re-washed them again, this time with detergent; no vinegar, no fabric softener. The towels smelled CLEAN and they were soft even though I hadn’t used fabric softener. Vinegar is AMAZING. I buy it in bulk at the local wholesale club. I accidentally discovered its bleaching properties when one of the boys spilled it on the concrete floor in the basement and it produced a much lighter streak than the rest of the concrete (though the smell wasn’t great for a couple of days, lol). Great post; thank you!!!
Jacqueline
Angela,
I am so glad to know that! We haven’t use a softener for years for chemical sensitivity reasons; it would be nice to make things feel softer.
Next time I have a smelly load, I will resort to vinegar!! Thanks for the tip!
Jaime
I have been trying to add myself to your mailing list with NO success.
Please add me thanks.
Jaime
Cathy
Thank you for the recipe, I will try it today! I have been using lemon juice concentrate instead of bleach for a couple of months now and I love it! My whites are bright white again without the chemical smell! I am going to give this bleach alternative a shot.
Tammy Miller
I am trying this today in a load of whites. The smell is so amazing. I have been using bleach to clean my whites and now I can’t wait to see how this works. Thanks for sharing.
Jacqueline
Tammy,
Many really like it and have been very pleased, but a few (like me before) haven’t felt good about it since they can’t measure the germ killing ability. For me it was a trust issue…I had been told for so long that bleach was the only way!
Would you let me know your findings?? Thanks so much!
Julie
I’m guessing your being a nurse had something to do with your attachment to bleach too:) My 76 year old mom has tons of allergies and lung problems and still uses bleach by the gallons. I’ve tried but she just won’t give it up. Because of multiple chemical sensitivities I’ve used only combinations of borax, washing soda, vinegar, or baking soda (and just plain hot water) for many years. And have been very satisfied. But I’m going to add this safe bleach alternative to my arsenal now. It sounds great! Bless you for all the work you do to keep us informed!!
ANDREA MOSELEY
Does this work for bathroom stains? Thanks!
Jacqueline
Andrea, it will depend on the age of the stain, what the stain is from, and how porous the surface is. I would try it! ~J
Tibel
Can this be used in the kitchen when disinfecting bacteria from chicken and other meats?
Jacqueline
Hi, Tibel,
I believe so, but you will need to do your won research on exactly how.
Near the end of the post is a link to a PDF on how peracetic acid is “used in a diluted form to disinfect raw chicken, eggs, and organic food.”
I wish you success!
Oh, and also, I am writing a post on chlorine dioxide (MMS) and how that can also be used in very low levels for ingestion (to kill viruses, bacteria, and fungi), food disinfection, and
much more. So stay tuned. It is an amazing product that has been totally c3nsored. (It not chlorine at all, but they ignore the science of it to debunk it).
Blessings,
Jacqueline
Carol L
@Tibel: You can. I clean my cutting boards using both hydrogen peroxide and ACV, BUT: they must be used one after the other! I spray either on the cutting board first, let it sit a bit, wipe, but leave it a bit wet, then follow with the other and do the same, this time allowing it to air dry.
You should not use these mixed! It is not safe to do, plus they lose efficacy if left together and you are just wasting your ingredients and they won’t work at all.
Doreen
Why are you saying to not use vinegar and hydrogen peroxide mixed, and stored,as it’s not safe, when this recipe for alternative bleach is using it mixed?
I don’t understand.
Pat
I was so happy to get this recipe since using bleach in my front loader causes some of the bleach to get into the next load. I just used up my first gallon and made another. Recently a friend spilled her coffee in my lap while I was wearing white pants, and although I ran cold water on them, I wasn’t able to treat them until I returned home 3 weeks later. I soaked them in the bleach alternative and washed them, but saw a faint stain still there, so I’m soaking it again. Not only is it safe for my clothing, it’s very inexpensive to use. Thank you, Jacqueline!
Jacqueline
That is a very encouraging report! I sure hope the soaking helps.
One tip… since they are white, try putting them laid out flat into the sun for an hour or so. The sun seems to really weaken lots of stains that nothing else will touch!
I hope that you can restore your pants!
Sending peace,
Jacque