10 Great Uses for Clorox Bleach

If you read my other blog, Remodelaholic, you will know that we got a new (to us) house recently!  It is a huge fixer upper, and this has been our first BIG remodel project with kiddos.  It is throwing a bit of a loop into our normal remodeling plans.  We’ve got TONS of dirty little people cloths, there are a lot of scary dirty things in this new house, that go way beyond soap and water and finally there is some water damage which must be taken care of.

Anyway, the other day I was hanging out in our backyard with my cute neighbor.  We had just eaten dinner on the patio, and the ants, that apparently inhabit the entire concrete slab patio (eye roll), were all swarming looking for that one speck of lettuce that had fallen on the patio… literally there was one piece of lettuce on the patio and they were going CRAZY.  I wish I loved lettuce that much, but that is beside the point.

I wanted to get rid of them, but I had nothing to use, when my neighbor suggested bleach…  I hadn’t ever tried bleach as an ant killer before so it was worth a try.  I diluted the bleach by half with some water and poured it right into the cracks they inhabited… and waited.  Guess what, the next day, they were dead and gone!!

So it got me thinking, what other great uses are there for Clorox bleach?  So I did a little research!

10 Great Uses for Clorox Bleach

*I understand bleach isn’t needed for every mess!  When disinfecting isn’t needed, bleach my not be necessary.  I don’t recommend bleach for all cleaning needs, instead this article is for opening up consideration for all the ways to use beyond the laundry room.  Also, some additional uses of Clorox Regular-Bleach can be found here.

1. Washing Whites:

When you are washing whites, use Clorox® Regular-Bleach for white and or bleachable items only.   Pre-fill you top loader with water add bleach first,  then clothes or use the washer’s bleach dispenser.

To get your clothes to be the whitest white that they can be (and they don’t have to be part of the army to do it!) In fact, 1 cup of Clorox® Regular-Bleach whitens 2X (times) as much as bargain bleach.  Read the care labels on the garments to be washed and wash them with half a cup of bleach in the hottest water that the garment allows for.

When using bleach always avoid these fabrics or materials: wool, silk, mohair, leather and Spandex. (We know how sad you would be if you lost those neon yellow spandex pants you wear around the house when you don’t think anyone knows!)

Clorox video

2. White Slip Covers:

Since my passion is interior design, and how that relates to how a family life, I will admit I had to laugh when I read an article on my friend’s blog, about how she chose to buy white slipcovers ON PURPOSE while her kids were young.  I know right?  Sounds like a horror movie.  But actually she has a really good plan!!

Let the kids be kids, and bleach the slip covers when necessary (follow the basic principals listed above for washing whites).  Soon, your furniture will look so good everyone will think you are the mean mom on the block and be afraid to sit down…and all the other mom’s will be jealous! Sounds like it is time to makeover my living room (insert evil laugh here).

3. Clean Your Washing Machine:

I don’t think we would be comfortable eating in a kitchen where the cook never cleaned the sink, like ever.  Gross, can you imagine that?  No, cleaning out a sink is a regular thing.  Heck, we clean our sinks several times a day with each meal if we are cooking at home.  I do that and I am not even a clean freak.  But, I bet a lot of us neglect to think about cleaning our washing machine?  Am I right?  Gross!  I forget too, don’t feel judged!  Check out these posts for how to clean a front loader vrs how to clean a top loader machine.

And, if a thorough cleaning is not in the cards because of time, a periodic run through of a couple cups of Clorox bleach on the hottest temperature cycle (without any laundry) ought to keep your washer clean, disinfected, and smelling fresh between the more elaborate cleanings!

Tips for Public Laundromat:

If you are using a washer in a public laundromat, wash your white load with Clorox® Regular-Bleach first.  Clorox® Regular-Bleach disinfects 33% more than store brands.  You will instantly become a laundry washing, grime fighting super hero!  You’ll kill the germs in just a single wash of whites… and save the rest of your next loads from any unwanted germs!  Go you, I knew you’d grow up to be amazing!

Be sure to check out other great cleaning and laundry tips here.

 4. Clean Plastic Lawn Furniture:

Is your white plastic lawn furniture looking dingy? Using diluted bleach and water can also eliminate mold and mildew from your plastic lawn furniture and get it bright and white again. So, before you toss it to the curb, try washing it with some mild detergent mixed with 1/2 cup Clorox bleach in 1 gallon water. Rinse it clean with a garden hose, then air-dry in the sun!  (do not leave the bleach on for extended periods as that can cause yellowing!)

5. Shine White Porcelain:

Like I told you before I have a thing for interior design, and in my mind beautiful white porcelain farmhouse sinks, along with porcelain plates, bowls, and pitchers in a mix of shapes is one of the prettiest things you can display, hands down. Dirty, grimy white porcelain… not so much!

To Clean a Porcelain Sink:

1. First scrub your sink to remove any dirt or grime.  Use a mild dish soap or dishwasher detergent and get to work.
2. Spray a diluted bleach all over the sink.  And allow it to sit doing it’s thing for about 5 minutes, pretty soon any yellowing and general yuckiness with be gone!  Wipe down and rinse thoroughly.
3. Now shine that sink with Bar Keepers Friend, to get it shining like the top of the Chrysler building (name that movie!)

To Clean Porcelain Dishes (not antiques!!!)

1. In your kitchen sink, place the white dish you want to clean.
2. Cover it with several paper towels and carefully saturate the paper towels with undiluted bleach.
3. Let soak for 15 minutes to a half hour.
4. Rinse thoroughly and the wipe dry with a clean towel.

Note: Do not try this with antiques; you can diminish their value or cause damage. Never use bleach on colored porcelain, because the color will fade.

6. Brighten Up Glass Dishware:

When washing glasswear, add a teaspoon of bleach to your soapy dishwater.  Wash like normal, be sure to rinse well, and dry with a soft towel. Watch as you put the sparkle back in your glasses!  You are a domestic goddesss!

7. Clean Mold and Mildew From Grout:

It is amazing what bleach can do for grout!  Mix three-quarters cup Clorox bleach with one gallon of water, and use an old tooth brush to scrub off the mildew.  You’ll be singing in the shower again in no time!

8. Sterilize Secondhand Items:

I am all for shopping around to get the best deal, but don’t forget, when you get something used, you REALLY don’t know where it has been. My recommendation, before jumping right in, take your used, waterproof items and soak them for 5-10 minutes in a solution containing 3/4 cup bleach, a few drops of antibacterial dish washing liquid, and 1 gallon warm water. Rinse well, then air-dry, preferably in sunlight.  Now you can feel good about loving that retro thingamajig you didn’t’ know you always wanted!  Or letting the kiddos try to eat that doll… well, not eat it but you know what I mean right?  Spit central!

9.Love Fresh Cut Flower’s Longer:

Easily extend the life of freshly cut flowers.  Just add one-quarter teaspoon of bleach for every quart of water used in your vase.  Awesome!

10. Make REALLY Cool T-shirts, Pants and Shoes:

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13

Those are such great uses for Clorox bleach! Don’t you agree!  And when you are done with your bleach bottle, there are TONS of uses for that, be sure to check them out.

**Thank you to Clorox® Bleach for sponsoring this post.  All thoughts, opinions and stories represented in this post are my own..   Clorox provides better value over the competition—one bottle disinfects 22x more bathtubs than store brand bleach.  Clorox® Regular-Bleach packs the whitening and dirt-fighting power you demand. Plus it disinfects to kill 99.9% of germs and bacteria, which is kinda awesome.