Is OxiClean safer than bleach?

Author: Teresa Barrows  |  Last update: Thursday, May 15, 2025

Oxygen bleach Oxygen bleach (like OxiClean) is an alternative to chlorine bleach, and it's safe for many fabrics. You can use it to remove stains on colors, as well as whites. It doesn't contain scary chemicals and it won't ruin most fabrics—though you should avoid using it on silk or leather.

Why not to use OxiClean?

OxiClean cannot be used on wool, silk, leather or anything else that cannot be washed with water. It also is not recommended on rust and other metallic stains because of the oxidation process. I had persistent carpet stains on my staircase.

Is OxiClean safe for health?

Harmful if swallowed. Avoid contact with eyes and prolonged contact with skin. Contact with powder or cleaning solutions can injure eyes and may irritate skin. For Eye Contact, immediately flush with water for 15 minutes.

What are the disadvantages of oxygen bleach?

  • General: Causes serious eye damage. Inhalation: Prolonged exposure may cause irritation. ...
  • Skin Contact: Prolonged exposure may cause skin irritation. Eye Contact: Causes serious eye damage. ...
  • Ingestion: Ingestion may cause adverse effects.

Is it okay to use OxiClean on colored clothes?

OxiClean can be used on colored clothes, but caution is advised. While it is generally safe for most colorfast fabrics, it can cause fading or discoloration on some colors. Here are some tips:

Chlorine Bleach VS Oxygen Bleach (What's the Difference?)

What is the best laundry detergent?

The Best Laundry Detergent
  • Top pick. Tide Ultra Oxi Powder Laundry Detergent. ...
  • Top pick. Tide Free & Gentle Liquid Laundry Detergent. ...
  • Runner-up. Persil Original Liquid Detergent Everyday Clean. ...
  • Best for... Tide Pods Free & Gentle Laundry Detergent. ...
  • Best for... Dirty Labs Free & Clear Bio Laundry Detergent.

How harmful is bleach to humans?

Bleach can irritate the skin and eyes. Breathing in bleach over a long period of time can increase your risk of cancer. A dangerous gas can be formed when bleach is combined with certain chemicals (like ammonia).

Is oxygen bleach safe for all fabrics?

Aside from its capabilities to clean around the home and a variety of formats, oxygen bleach has the following additional benefits: Safe to use on all colored or patterned clothing. Safe for septic tanks. Works in all water temperatures when used as directed.

Is there an alternative to bleach?

Hydrogen Peroxide: A milder cousin of chlorine bleach, hydrogen peroxide offers disinfecting properties and is effective at whitening without the risk of yellowing fabrics over time. Oxygen-Based Bleach: This color-safe alternative is great for brightening colors and whites alike.

What are the warnings of OxiClean?

Harmful if swallowed. Prolonged skin coontact causes skin irritation. Wash hands after using. Store in a cool area.

What is a healthy alternative to OxiClean?

Best to Use Hydrogen Peroxide for Stains and Laundry Booster

Like OxiClean, hydrogen peroxide is a miracle cure for many stains — especially organic ones, like blood, sweat, bodily fluids, and wine.

Which laundry detergent is safest?

The best non-toxic laundry detergent is one that delivers cleanliness to your clothes while ensuring safety and sustainability.
  • NaturOli* (Our Top Pick)
  • Truly Free*
  • Ecos Free & Clear*
  • Meliora Unscented Powder Detergent*
  • Molly's Suds*
  • Aspen*
  • ATTITUDE*
  • Clean Cult*

Why is OxiClean better than bleach?

Oxiclean is also more gentle. If you use bleach too often, or add too much, your clothes will begin to degrade and get holes. Also, bleach can turn white clothes a little yellow if you use it too often. Oxiclean whitens whites, but also brightens colors.

Is OxiClean harmful to breathe?

General: Causes skin irritation. Causes serious eye damage. Inhalation: May cause respiratory irritation. Skin Contact: Causes skin irritation.

Does OxiClean actually disinfect?

It tackles a wide range of household cleaning tasks with ease. Bathroom Tile: OxiClean effectively sanitizes and disinfects bathroom tiles, killing 99.9% of bacteria and viruses. Its powerful formula removes stains, making tiles look new.

Is OxiClean just hydrogen peroxide?

OxiClean's most important active ingredient is sodium percarbonate: Which is basically dry/powdered hydrogen peroxide plus washing soda.

What is the best oxygen whitener?

Our overall best pick for laundry whiteners is the OxiClean White Revive. Not only will this oxygen-based whitener brighten your whites, but it also works on your colored clothes, too (although you should only use it on colorfast fabrics). We love that it works with top-loaded or high-efficiency machines.

Is bleach or hydrogen peroxide better for laundry?

Both remove stains and kill microorganisms through oxidation-reduction reactions. However, oxygen-based bleach products such as hydrogen peroxide are not as strong as the chlorine-based bleach products, making them gentler to fabrics.

Is bleach a carcinogen in the CDC?

How likely is chlorine to cause cancer? The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have not classified chlorine as to its human carcinogenicity.

Is bleach in laundry toxic?

Bleaches, Laundry. Household bleach (sodium hydroxide) is not, technically speaking, considered corrosive or toxic, even if ingested. However, bleach exposure can cause irritation in the eyes, mouth, lungs and on skin. Individuals with asthma or other breathing problems are particularly susceptible.

Is bleach still toxic when dry?

Bleach left behind on surfaces after cleaning, even when dried, can still be toxic.

Why is Tide simply so cheap?

Tide Simply is a value version of Tide that includes less cleaning ingredients to help lower the cost while still providing a very solid clean.

What is America's #1 detergent?

America's favorite detergent, Tide, has every laundry detergent you need - whether it's HE detergent or Tide PODS® with Febreze. Learn More. Our heritage - celebrating the last 75 years.

What is the best disinfectant for laundry?

Liquid bleach is one highly effective option: The University of Arizona laundry study found that adding bleach to the load reduced the number of viruses by over 99.99%. 1 For normal loads, a 3/4 cup of bleach should be enough to disinfect the items, according to the Clorox website.

Previous article
Do plastic cups leach microplastics?
Next article
Does vinyl flooring attract termites?