The Bleaching Powder code D, so useful and versatile, is generally used for bleaching and hygienizing white and resistant laundry. Indeed it is possible to use it for dark fabrics too, on condition that they’re not delicate or esy-to-fade: the oxygen peroxide released by this salt may increasing dyes fading and create whiter stains. Instead there is no problem with resistant dyes and fabrics.
The Bleaching Powder (sodium percarbonate) is made with oxygen peroxide and sodium carbonate; when peroxide is exhausted, some lime traces may remain on clothes, due to the combination of calcium and magnesium (present in hard water) with sodium carbonate.
It may happen that the laundry machine motion make fabrics pills and lime traces lump together, particularly on synthetic fleece. How to remove them without washing it all again? It is enough to rub with your hands the damp fabric, then run a sticky picker.
On cotton fabrics, it is better to rub damp clothes with a dry sponge towel.
i would like to know how to add sodium per carbonate on powder detergent and its effects on coloured fabrics,ie safe or not.
am from kenya where children plays in mad
regds magati
Hi Magati,
we usually recommend to use sodium percarbonate in addition to liquid laundry detergent, because liquid detergents lack bleaching power; laundry powder detergents usually contain sodium percarbonate (or perborate), so the amount of it needed in addition may be lower than usual. Well, you may add to a full load (4,5 Kg laundry) from 1 to 3 tablespoons sodium percarbonate, also depending on water temperature (more effective at higher washing temperatures).
About coloured fabrics: be careful if clothes are delicate and tend to lose colour, because the hydrogen peroxide, developed by sodium percarbonate, shows bleaching power and may discolour delicate colours. The bleaching power is associated both to the tendency to whiten cotton and other fibres and to the disinfecting properties of “active oxygen”.
Please remember to touch washing solutions containing sodium percarbonate wearing protective gloves, at least until hydrogen peroxide bubbles developing is over.
Best regards
Silvia
P.S.: say hello to the children for me 😉