How to Neutralize Bleach

Co-authored by Bess Ruff, MA

Last Updated: October 3, 2022 References Approved

Bleach is an amazingly cheap and effective disinfectant and clothes’ brightener, and it also comes in handy when stripping and cleaning wood. However, bleach is an extremely corrosive substance, capable of damaging fabrics, carpets, your skin, and even hard surfaces such as stainless steel. In order to keep it from damaging your items, you need to take care to neutralize the effects of bleach. Find out if the bleach you have contains chlorine, as non-chlorine bleach is neutralized differently than chlorine bleach.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Neutralizing Bleach on Fabric

1
Buy a neutralizing agent. There are several cost-effective choices for neutralizing chlorine bleach (commonly sold under the brand name Clorox), which is the kind used in washing and for decorating or changing the color of fabric products. It also contains sodium hydroxide (lye) to stabilize the hypochlorite. The lye is difficult to rinse out completely and will slowly destroy cotton. To fully neutralize the lingering effects of chlorine bleach the hypochlorite and the lye must be neutralized, too. If you’re using bleach for decorative effects on cotton, denim, or other natural fabrics, you can try one of these options:
- Bisulfite/metabisulfite is very inexpensive. It is sold under the brand name Anti-Chlor, and you only need to use a small amount to neutralize bleach. You can usually find bisulfite at dye suppliers or you can get Camden Tablets (which have the same ingredient) from a wine brewing supply company.^{[1]
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- Thiosulfate, which is called Bleach Stop, can typically be found at a local photography supply store, as it is commonly used in developing photographs. This is a more expensive option than bisulfite, and it’s not as strong so you’ll need to use more.^{[2]
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- Vitamin C/Ascorbic acid: Ascorbic acid neutralizes both the hypochlorite and the lye. You will find it in most food stores or pharmacies under its common name, vitamin C. Yes, get the cheapest vitamin C you can find and grind the tablets up into powder to dissolve in your rinse water.
- Hydrogen peroxide is the most easily obtainable of the neutralizers; you can find it at drugstores and grocery stores. This is an inexpensive choice, and it works well for people with asthma, who may be sensitive to the other compounds, which contain sulfur. Opt for the 3% solution.
2
Measure your neutralizing agent. The amount of neutralizing agent required will depend on which one you’ve chosen.
- Anti-Chlor: use 1 teaspoon (4.9 mL) per 4 cups (950 mL) of water.
- Bleach Stop: 1 ounce by weight (30 grams) per 1 gallon (3.8 L) of water.
- Vitamin C/Ascorbic acid: Crush up 4-6 tablets and add the powder to enough water to submerge the fabric.
- Hydrogen peroxide: 1 part hydrogen peroxide to 10 parts water.
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3
Bleach your fabric. Following the directions on the bottle, use the bleach to achieve the desired effect/shade on your fabric.
4
Rinse the fabric. Before you use your neutralizer, you want to rinse the fabric well with warm water to remove all of the bleach.^{[3]
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- Fill your bucket or stationary tub with rinse water before you begin bleaching. This way, you can be sure to get the bleach off your fabric as soon as necessary so you don’t remove more than the desired amount of color.
5
Soak the bleached fabric in neutralizer. Soak your fabric in the neutralizing agent mixed with the appropriate amount of warm water. Depending on the size of the fabric item(s) you may want to use a bucket or a stationary tub. It may or may not be cost-effective for you to do your neutralizing in the washing machine.
- Whatever neutralizing agent you use, the quantity needed depends upon the quantity of bleach remaining in the material that has been bleached, not the amount of water.
- Fabric should soak in the neutralizer for about 10 minutes.
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Wash and rinse. Wash your neutralized fabric in warm water with laundry detergent and rinse well.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Neutralizing Bleach on Wood

1
Determine what neutralizing agent you need. Different types of wood bleaching processes require different types of bleach, and different types of bleach, in turn, call for different types of agents to neutralize their action.
- If you’ve used alkali peroxide—which is popular for lightening the color of wood—you will want to neutralize with white vinegar.^{[4]
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  Research source} This is an inexpensive neutralizer that you can find at your local grocery store.
- When bleaching with oxalic acid, which is good for removing stains such as iron, you want to use baking soda as a neutralizer.^{[5]
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  Research source} Like white vinegar, baking soda is cheap and can be easily found at the grocery store.
- Chlorine bleach used on wood only needs to be rinsed several times with distilled water.^{[6]
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2
Bleach your wood. Use your chosen bleach to remove the stain from your piece of wood, or to lighten its color, allowing the bleach to sit for the recommended amount of time.
3
Rinse the wood. Once you have achieved your cleaning or color lightening goal, rinse the wood several times using distilled water before you move on to any neutralizing methods.
- This will be sufficient for neutralizing the effects of chlorine bleach.
4
Mix your neutralizer. If you are using vinegar to neutralize peroxide bleach, mix 1 part vinegar to 1 parts water. To neutralize oxalic acid, mix 2 tablespoons (2.8.8 g) of baking soda with 1 cup (240 mL) of hot water.^{[7]
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5
Apply your neutralizing agent. Use a sponge or a rag to apply the neutralizing agent to your wood in any place that the bleach has touched and allow it to dry.

Expert Q&A
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Question

How can I neutralize bleach in a washing machine?

Bess Ruff, MA
Environmental Scientist
Bess Ruff is a Geography PhD student at Florida State University. She received her MA in Environmental Science and Management from the University of California, Santa Barbara in 2016. She has conducted survey work for marine spatial planning projects in the Caribbean and provided research support as a graduate fellow for the Sustainable Fisheries Group.

Bess Ruff, MA

Environmental Scientist

Expert Answer

Support wikiHow by unlocking this expert answer.

The rinse cycle of your washing machine is generally sufficient for neutralizing bleach use on your clothes.
Question

The decorative petals of my hummingbird feeder were covered with black mold. I used bleach to clean them. The residual from the bleach is still in the tiny holes and crevices. How can I remove it?

Community Answer

Use a solution of one tablespoon lemon juice to eight ounces (one cup) water, soak for twenty minutes, and then rinse in clear water. Lemon juice is a natural cleaner and disinfectant (with the added benefit of neutralizing chlorine because of the ascorbic acid, one form of vitamin C), leaving no harmful compounds.
Question

I wanted to bleach a colored cotton comforter white. I used Clorox bleach mixed with water and it took the color out, but left the comforter a pale yellow. Is there any way I can make it pure white?

Community Answer

If you use pool chlorine or tablets for your toilet you might have better luck but your probably better off just buying a white one. You might also try laying it out in the sun for a day or two to see if the sunlight will turn the yellow white. Any bleach solution strong enough to turn a colored fabric white would most likely damage the fibers, greatly reducing the item's useful life. I tried a strong solution on a white towel with Kool-Aid on it. It turned yellow and disintegrated the next time I washed it.

Warnings

Many bleach neutralizers are non-toxic, but you should still make sure to carefully follow instructions and store products out of reach of children or animals.

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Never use vinegar to neutralize chlorine bleach. The same goes for any acidic solution. The mixture of chlorine bleach and acidic substances can cause dangerous chemical reactions.^{[8]
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If using multiple bleaches on wood because you didn’t get the desired results from your first attempt, be sure to neutralize each bleach before moving on to the next one. Otherwise the residual bleach could mix with the next bleach and create harmful vapors.^{[9]
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