What To Do If Hydrogen Peroxide Is Making Your Laundry Stains Worse

There's no shortage of ways hydrogen peroxide can be used for cleaning around the home — it can be particularly worthwhile to use hydrogen peroxide in the laundry room. When cleaning clothes, it can help remove stains, disinfect, and brighten white fabrics, much like bleach can. However, even if you have the best intentions, hydrogen peroxide can sometimes cause yellow stains to appear on clothes and fabrics, especially if used repeatedly. Hydrogen peroxide is a natural bleaching agent, and in some cases, can cause yellowing. This discoloration could occur if you used too much or because a particular fabric didn't react well to it.

If you've noticed that a fabric has started to develop yellow stains after using hydrogen peroxide on it, the stains need to be removed immediately. Eliminating the discoloration caused by hydrogen peroxide isn't always possible, especially if you don't move quickly enough, but if it is, the versatile cleaning tool known as vinegar is what you need. Applying vinegar to the stain as soon as you notice the yellowing is essential if you want to prevent your clothes from being ruined.

As soon as you notice yellow staining from hydrogen peroxide, take action. The first step is to dip the fabric into water to dilute the stain as much as you can. Then, add some white vinegar to a bowl and dip a clean cloth into it. You can then use this cloth to blot the stain before letting the affected fabric sit for about five minutes. Next, rinse the fabric and blot again to continue getting rid of the yellow discoloration. At this point, you may also want to add some dishwashing liquid to the stain and scrub it with a hard bristle brush.

If all goes well, the yellow stain should be eliminated and your fabric should look like new again. After you're done, you can then proceed to wash it as you normally would, either with a machine or by hand. However, you may need to repeat this process again if the yellow stains haven't lifted completely.

When using hydrogen peroxide to remove stains or bleach your clothes, be aware of the potential problems you may face. Knowing the risks will help you use this ingredient more wisely and avoid potential issues. Be sure to spot test it on your clothes first before using it on the entirety of your fabric. Spot testing will help you determine whether the hydrogen peroxide will immediately react with the clothing and cause damage or discoloration.

Despite many people using it as a skin disinfectant and acne treatment in the past, you should avoid letting hydrogen peroxide come into contact with the skin. Hydrogen peroxide can slow the healing of wounds by harming the nearby healthy skin and cause skin irritation, so it's best not to make this mistake when using hydrogen peroxide to clean around the house. Hydrogen peroxide is best reserved for cleaning purposes in the home (not on your body), and you should always wear gloves when you're using it to stay safe and prevent irritation.