The Case of The Missing Bleach Stain*

*spoiler alert due to title, but I still  need your input

I know that stranger things may have happened, but this is a true story, and I can't figure it out.

The other day, in order to get some chronic dirt out of a pot I added bleach, along with the dish detergent and water and let it soak. My husband sometimes helps in washing dishes, and he davka did that pot.

Suddenly I heard a yell. Some of the bleach laced water splashed onto his black cotton blend slacks and he saw the spot turn white.

"My pants are ruined because of the bleach you put in the water." He shouted at me.

I tried to calmly tell him to rinse the area well with soap and water, and that I'd buy some black fabric paint to paint over the lightened section.

I laundered the slacks, letting them dry indoors, and a few days later I went off to buy fabric paint. There's a nice craft/toy store in Sha'ar Binyamin, Dusha, and that's where I finally found some black fabric paint, in an easy to apply marker.

As soon as I got home I proudly showed my purchase to my husband and asked him to bring out the cleaned black slacks. I was ready and raring to go in my quest to repair/repaint the slacks. We searched every inch of them. No bleach stain. Not a white or even light grey spot.

How could that be? Do you have any idea?

We welcome your comments, thanks.

Another Simple Cleaning Tip

When I'm stuck with a difficult cleaning job, like getting burnt stuff out of a good pot, I take out one of the oldest and least expensive cleaners, "bleach."

after just a couple of hours

For good and for bad, I've seen common bleach dissolve all sorts of things from burnt food to fabric. One of the big advantages in using bleach is its price. It cost much less than all the modern, fancy well-marketed cleaners.

For cleaning pots, I pour it straight in, but for most cleaning, like on the tiles with a scrub brush, I dilute it with water. And never pour bleach directly on fabrics, or you may find that the fabric disappears along with the stain. If you're really desperate to sanitize a load of laundry with some bleach, then pour a small amount in the prewash soap compartment along with detergent. That way it won't land directly on the fabric and will be rinsed out early in the wash cycle.

If you read washing instructions, most items tell you never to use bleach. It can easily change the color of the clothes besides weaken or destroy/damage the fabric. But I must admit that I've used bleach many times. Remember that I'm of the generation that laundered cotton diapers for all of my kids. And over the years I've had to sanitize many things and get rid of moldy smells etc.

Of course there is always a danger to the fabrics and various surfaces, especially synthetics, when you use bleach. But if it's between throwing the item out or adding some bleach, I'd try a small amount of bleach first. Cotton seems to do best with bleach, white of course. Again, I repeat that you need to prewash and not let the bleach directly touch the fabric.

Here in Israel, if you have the old floor tiles you can clean/sanitize with bleach, especially diluted and/or adding a tiny bit to the floor cleaner.

I also find that only bleach will get grime out of the sink and tub. Open your windows and use gloves, of course.

I've also had good results pouring bleach down a slow-moving drain. Unlike with the commercial drain-cleaners and acids on sale, I know what I'm using.

No government health and safety department has gone over or approved this. Use at your own risk.

Success!! Removed Gum From My Husband's Slacks!

There are few laundering challenges as serious as removing chewing-gum. The other night when my husband walked through the door and announced that he had apparently sat on gum in the bus and wanted me to "get it out," it was clear that he hadn't a clue that it wouldn't be a simple task.

It's a well-known fact that if the gum gets rubbed into the fabric, it can never be removed. I wracked my brain for ideas. I remembered hearing that freezing the clothing sometimes works, but my freezer is small and pretty full. I'd have to empty half a shelf to fit in his slacks.

So, I finally checked with "professor google." I got a few articles/sites like "14 ways to get gum off of clothing," "10 ways to get gum off of clothing" and others of varying numbers.

The "freezing" technique didn't seem all that easy, and the ironing it out seemed too risky. Boiling vinegar and then using a toothbrush to brush it out of the fabric didn't seem very safe either. On one of the list there was a suggestion to use a strong stain remover and then rub out the gum with something abrasive.

I mulled over the various ideas also taking into account if the method could cause secondary damage to the counter or sink or wherever I'd attempt to do it. Also I realized that an unsuccessful attempt would further embed the gum into the fabric, so there would be no "second chance."

The slacks were black and the gum was white. Too bad you can't paint gum black with a permanent marker...

By the time I came back home after babysitting the grandkids I had made a decision. One of my good friends who is probably the best housekeeper I know "swears by" Oxygen stain remover for a multitude of laundering challenges.

And until I grabbed the green scrubbing thing by the laundry-room sink I wasn't sure what I'd use. I had been thinking of using my toothbrush which needs to be replaced, but the downside of that would have been risking the bleaching effect the residual toothpaste may have had on the black fabric.

The slacks went into the sink, and I poured a very generous amount of Oxygen onto the gummy "seat" and began to rub. I know there's no suspense here, since I used the word "success" in the title. Yes, after a pretty short time the gum broke into tiny bits and pretty much left the fabric. It was hard to know what percentage remained.

Then I laundered it in a regular delicate wash, adding more clothes and detergent. Of course the slacks fabric had lots of Oxygen. When the laundry was finished I hung it all out to dry and must say that it was about 90% plus clean if not cleaner, which was good enough and far cleaner than I had expected.

And, no, this isn't an advertisement. I just wish I was getting paid to write it.