To keep our house and surrounding neat and fresh, we all use different types of soap, detergent, washers, and cleaners.
But sometimes your regular cleaning agents may fail if the dirt is too stubborn to go away or you need to deep clean appliances. So you may want to try something more powerful and effective.
But since it’s not possible all the time to look and find a good strong cleaner instantly, you can use the ones you already have at home.
Mixing cleaning agents often results in powerful and effective cleaners that can ease many of the cleaning jobs. When it comes to combining two cleansers, detergent and bleach pop up as suggestions.
But can you mix these two? We’ve here discussed what happens when you combine bleach and different types of detergent, whether it’s safe, and everything in between.
Mixing bleach and detergent:
Not all types of detergents should be mixed with bleach randomly as the results can be harmful. You can mix laundry detergent that has no ammonia with bleach. It will clean and whiten clothes. But mixing dishwashing detergents with bleach is not suggested since it can produce poisonous gas.
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Bleach is often used in households for cleaning or disinfecting activities. It’s very effective to remove spots from different types of surfaces and making them germ-free.
Though bleach alone is a strong cleaning agent, many tend to mic it with detergents for a better result. But you should not combine any detergent or cleaner and bleach without knowing the ingredients’ compatibility with bleach.
Because if not matched well, bleach and detergent together can turn into a toxic solution and make lethal gas. Thus it can make one fall sick and damage the fabric, appliances, or surface whatever you’re using it on.
So it’s a must to know with what detergent you can mix bleach.
Bleach and laundry detergent:
Bleach can be used together with laundry detergents that have no ammonia. It’s safe to mix bleach with any detergent that’s meant to wash clothes or fabrics such as Arm and hammer detergent.
Arm and Hammer detergent is a top-class stain-removing laundry washer and it says bleach can be mixed with it.
Laundry detergents mixed with bleach become more effective and suitable for heavy-duty cleaning. You can wash fabrics that aren’t too delicate with the solution.
Also, you can use this mixture for other cleaning works. However, you must follow some tips and precautions to mix laundry detergent with bleach.
Bleach and liquid dish detergent:
Stubborn and dark spots on utensils can’t be ignored. But if you think you need to boost your dish washers’ power by mixing bleach in it, stop right there!
Because bleach when mixed with any dish detergent such as Dawn dish detergent, can create a toxic solution along with strong foul-smelling gas.
Dishwashing detergents whether Dawn dish detergent or any other brand are more or less made with the same ingredients that aren’t compatible with bleach.
When you mix them harmful gas can form and trigger many health issues such as dizziness, nausea, headache even breathing problem.
In short, you can mix bleach with any detergent except dish detergent. And also you must ensure whatever you’re mixing with bleach is ammonia-free.
What happens if you mix bleach and detergent? Is it safe?
If you mix bleach and laundry detergent, in a result there will be no bubbles or gas or other types of visible reaction. It might seem like no reaction has happened between bleach and the detergent.
But while washing clothes or a surface with the mixture, the difference can be noticed. Bleach together with laundry detergent, powder, or liquid cleans better. It becomes powerful so helps to lighten dark spots with less effort.
But if bleach and dish detergent are mixed, you may notice some bubbles at first, the solution color will slightly change and then a strong-smelling gas will spread in the air. This gas is poisonous and if inhaled can make people uncomfortable.
Bleach when mixed with fabric softener detergent reacts in a form of chlorine gas which can be injurious to health. Moreover, if you mix bleach with some detergent that contains ammonia it will create poisonous gas and fume.
Whether mixing bleach and detergent is safe or not, depends on what kind of detergent is being mixed. If it’s a laundry detergent or one free of acid and ammonia, it’s safe to mix with bleach.
Is bleach and detergent mixture really effective?
Bleach and detergent mixture is undoubtedly more powerful than detergent alone. It’s stronger and more effective as a cleaner.
If you mix bleach with laundry detergent, you’ll see the enhanced power of the mixture in the first wash. Bleach along with washing powder or liquid whitens fabric and fades dark stubborn spots.
Not only stains or patches, detergent, and bleach mix keeps fabric free from tiny insects, bacteria, and germs. Thus you get to wear clean outfits without worrying about skin problems.
Bleach and detergent mixture when used on a hard and non-porous surface such as a floor, cleans out old dirt, grease, and stains. Bleach also disinfects the surface and makes it free of germs and bacteria.
If you use this mixture on countertops or in the cutting area, the solution will help to fade the stain of fruits and vegetable juice.
Bleach and detergent mixture is also very effective to deep clean house and appliances quickly. So yes, the mixture of bleach and detergent is quite beneficial and powerful.
Bleach to detergent mixture ratio and tips:
To make your clothes crisp white and spotless, washing them with only detergent isn’t enough sometimes.
The quickest thing you can do to have new-like clothes is to add bleach to your detergent. Adding bleach boosts the power of the detergent no matter where you use it. But you must follow a ratio while mixing these two for any purpose.
The ideal ratio of mixing bleach with detergent is 6:1. In words, you have to divide the detergent if it’s liquid in the arts and then mix one part of bleach into it.
If the detergent is powder, then put 6 parts water, mix a similar amount of detergent, and 1-part bleach. In all means keep the bleach portion lower to make the solution less harsh.
Apart from following the perfect ratio, another important tip to have a great cleaning result is to keep the cycles small as the detergent will work better now so no need for longer cycles. Don’t use bare hands to mix the solution.
Don’t keep the clothes in bleach for too long. Avoid washing delicate fabrics in bleach-detergent mix. Also, you shouldn’t use these mixtures on colorful clothes.
Where to use bleach with detergent?
Bleach mixed with detergent is a very strong cleaner. It’s safe to use as a quick cleaner as the enhanced quality of this mixture works without putting much effort.
Since both the ingredients are handy most of the time, this powerful solution can be made anytime for a deep cleaning session.
Now if you are wondering where this mixture should be used, we’ve given a few ideas below:
To clear spots:
The solution of bleach and detergent works best on stains and spots that don’t go away even after several washes with detergent only. You can use the mixture over stains, leave it for some time and it will be faded.
To wash white fabrics:
Bleach is often used with laundry detergent to make white clothes whiter. Bleach is a proven whitening ingredient so the bleach-detergent duo will make old white clothes bright and sparkling.
To disinfect:
Bleach is great disinfection. Though it can be used alone but combined with any detergent that’s acid or ammonia-free, bleach works better.
The mixture of bleach and detergent is filled with disinfecting and sanitizing agents that quickly make your clothes, floor, walls, or appliances germ-free.
The bleach-detergent solution to some extent can protect from the life-taking virus as well.
To remove surface stains:
Not only clothes, stains from hard and non-porous surfaces can be cleaned with detergent and bleach solution. Bleach detergent solution is milder than many heavy-duty cleaners.
So when used on walls, stone countertops, floors, etc. it will not damage these surfaces.
To get rid of bad odor:
Bleach has a strong smell that’s similar to chlorine smell.
But since it’s quite overpowering, bleach and some fragrant detergents mixture can be used in places that are foul smelling. Such as near the kitchen sink, dustbin, or after chopping meats to remove the bad odor.
Final Thoughts
You can mix bleach with some specific kinds of detergent. Combining it with a dishwashing detergent, ammonia or acid-contained detergent is toxic and can put health at risk. On the other hand, laundry detergent mixed with bleach is an effective cleaner and safe to use.