10 OxiClean Hacks You Have To Try!

You might know it as OxiClean, oxygen bleach, oxygenated bleach, or non-chlorine bleach. It’s got a lot of names, but usually, most people call it OxiClean, which really is just the most popular brand of the stuff. Like the Q-Tip of oxygen bleach, OxiClean kind of just gives it that technical vibe, but no matter what you call it, oxygen bleach is an amazing addition to your home. It’s a master of removing odors and stains when doing laundry. Here, I am going to walk you through 10 different ways that you can use oxygen bleach at home.

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Stain Pre-Treater

Now, let’s start off with laundry and more specifically, pre-treating. Oxygen bleach is an excellent pre-treater and it’s an important step in getting out those tough stains and smells. There are a couple of different ways that you can use it as a pre-treater. First, you can purchase the ready-to-use spot pre-treater, which is best for small stains. If you happen to have a powdered oxygen bleach, you can whip up your own spot pre-treater by putting some in a spray bottle with a little warm water. You can also make a big batch of pre-treater and soak your stained items in the sink or tub. Soaking is best if it’s a really big, difficult, and smelly stain, whereas I like the direct shot pre-treater if it’s smaller. I simply spray a bit, let it soak in, and then toss it in my regular laundry load!

Laundry Booster

You can also use oxygen bleach as a laundry booster, and at the end of this article, I’ll break down how exactly that works. It’s like your laundry detergent but on steroids. I remember using it a lot when Riley was just a baby. Babies always have this glaze of mess on them, and their clothing is a constant mess.

The trick here is using a really good detergent and tossing in a scoop of oxygen bleach. It’s also important to know how your washing machine works, but just add a scoop of oxygen bleach to the drum, load your clothing in, and run a regular cycle. Your clothes will come out brighter, cleaner, and smell great!

Carpets & Upholstery

Oxygen bleach powder or pre-made oxygen bleach shot stain spray is best to deal with carpet and upholstery stains. There are, however, a couple of caveats that I need to share before we get into carpets and upholstery. First of all, you always want to rely on what the manufacturer of the item says. Rule #1 is always to make sure that the method you are going to use isn’t going to cause any outright damage to your item. That’s the first rule.

Next, you’ll want to test the solution on a hidden area, like an unseen corner, so that you can make sure that it won’t damage the color or material. The last thing you want is to go in for a clean and come out with damaged goods. So, test first, and check with the manufacturer.

If everything looks good so far, get your stain flat and dry, and add the solution to the stain slowly, working it in a circular motion with a small cleaning toothbrush. Then, rinse it out, blot it dry, and repeat the whole process until you notice the stain starts to come off. If you have a stain on a carpet or piece of upholstery, this is the perfect solution to break through the grime and leave your items looking and smelling fresh!

Grout Lines

Oxygen bleach is also a great solution when you want to lighten up and clean out your grimy grout lines. For this, it’s best to whip up a very concentrated mix of powder and hot water. Take the strong concoction and apply it to the grout, letting it sit for 10-15 minutes. Then, take a clean cloth or paper towel and wipe away the mixture. You can scrub, but it isn’t necessary here, as the concentrated solution should lighten and clean on its own!

Uniforms

I spent many years working in food service, especially when I was just starting Clean My Space. At the time, I was working at a steakhouse where we had to wear a white blouse and a tie. It was hot and stuffy, and the thing is, when you’re serving steaks and clearing dishes, you tend to get tons of drips and grime on your clothing, not to mention your shirt ends up smelling of b.o and steak. So, at the end of the night, it was imperative that I took care of my uniform tops and had a few cycling. I wasn’t as proficient at doing laundry back then, and if I could give any advice to my younger self, it would be to toss a scoop of oxygen bleach in with my clothing to get rid of those smells and stains.

This goes for anyone who has to wear a uniform, whether it’s a sporty golf tee or a mechanic outfit, oxygen bleach will be your friend. It will help release grease, grime, and odors, leaving you with a fresh and clean outfit for your next shift!

Cotton Towels

If you are noticing that your cotton towels are stinky and crusty, just add a scoop of oxygen bleach to your load and toss your towels in. Also, check out Maker’s Clean line of microfiber towels that don’t retain smells and wash out easily! The point is, towels can get smelly from buildup over time, so this is a great way to make your cotton towels smell better and feel softer!

Pets

If you have a pet, you probably know they have a favorite soft surface, pillow, blanket, or pet bed, that stinks to high heaven. Every now and then, it’s important to get those surfaces clean and odor free. A great way to do this is to add a scoop of oxygen bleach to your wash and toss the stinky pet stuff in.

You can also use a store-bought or homemade spot cleaner, to tackle any barf or specific stains that your pet leaves on any surfaces. Efficiently deal with these by making the stain flat and dry, and treating it with your homemade or store-bought oxygen bleach spray. Dry it, spray it, agitate it, then rinse and blot until dry and clean! It’s that easy!

Sports Apparel

I have never played a team sport in my life, but I know from friends and from my own workout gear, that this stuff can get pretty smelly. A really good way to deal with this is to soak your garments in warm water and a scoop of oxygen bleach for a few hours as a “pre-treat”. Then toss the garments into the laundry and do a regular load.

You can even add a scoop to a load of laundry if you want to pack an extra fresh punch. This is a nifty trick used by many in the sports world to get uniforms crisp, clean, and odorless. It really helps rejuvenate that sports gear and get you ready for the next game!

Blood Stains

As a child, I used to deal with chronic nosebleeds that would leave stains on my clothing. I am also a regularly menstruating woman. Suffice it to say, I have dealt with my fair share of blood stains and I know, first and foremost, that the key here is to act fast. This is definitely not the kind of stain where you wait to clean it up or take a coffee break in between your cleaning session. Now, if you’re really quick, you can actually just run the stain under cold water and it should rinse out.

However, if you don’t notice the stain until later, this is what you’ll do. First, get the stain flat and dry, and begin to blot up any excess blood. Then, whip up some oxygen bleach solution with warm water or use a ready-made version. Spray the stain and let it do its magic for a few minutes, then rinse is out with cold water. Remember, the more product you add, the more water you use to rinse, hence the larger the stain ring is going to get, so you really want to use as a little as possible. Keep your blotting and washing action minimal and be very tight, focused, and concentrated on the stain itself. Now, blood can be a very stubborn stain so if this doesn’t work the first time, you’ve got to keep working at it. The biggest tip here is to not use hot water or even warm water. Cold water is key, and again, keep your cleaning concentrated and focused to make sure you have the best chance at getting the stain out.

When we think about oxygen bleach, there’s a really simple way to imagine how it works. Essentially it has two ingredients, sodium carbonate, and hydrogen peroxide. It either comes in a liquid form or powdered form. When you add the powder to water or spray the ready-to-use stuff, you’ll notice teeny tiny bubbles forming. This bubble action penetrates the fibers and helps break the bonds between the dirt and the surface, lifting off deep stains. The tiny oxygen bubbles shake all the odor, dirt, grime, and grease free and leave you with fewer stains and fresher fabrics.

Hopefully now you’ve picked up a few tricks of the trade with oxygen bleach and can add this useful tool to your cleaning arsenal. Remember, if you work right and let the product do what it’s supposed to do, you will get a lot more bang for your buck when tackling tough stains.