Therefore, while both generic and name brand chlorine bleach work in about the same way, and I don't think there is much difference between them (see my reviews of household bleach), it is not the same with color safe bleaches such as oxygen bleach.Īlong with the active ingredient of hydrogen peroxide, additional ingredients are added, including builders, surfactants, optical brighteners, bluing, enzymes, and scents to name a few. While all fabric bleaches generally have the same active ingredient, hydrogen peroxide, this is not their only ingredient.

Other Ingredients In Oxygen Bleach Which Make The Brands & Formulas Different The hydrogen peroxide breaks down to liberate oxygen gas, which is what oxidizes or bleaches the stain. The hydrogen peroxide is what does the 'bleaching' in this type of bleach. When any of these powdered compounds comes into contact with water a chemical reaction occurs which converts the chemical to hydrogen peroxide and other residue chemicals. Typically, all fabric bleach contains one of the following chemicals, which are all powdered peroxide compounds: In this article I'll be referring to the powdered versions as oxygen bleach, and the liquid versions as color safe bleach, although that is really an artificial difference, since they are basically the same thing, at least in terms of their active bleaching agent, which is hydrogen peroxide. It is often found in powdered form, but can also be found in liquid form. Oxy bleach is often also known as 'all fabric bleach', 'non-chlorine bleach', or 'color-safe bleach', since it can be used on both colored and white clothing, and doesn't contain chlorine as an ingredient. Although the most famous type of this non-chlorine bleach is Oxiclean, there are many varieties and brands of it available.

Color safe bleach