Homemade OxiClean
I was so extremely excited to see that my little guys socks were white again Not brown, but white It worked perfectly
I was so extremely excited to see that my little guys socks were white again Not brown, but white It worked perfectly
- Carbohydrate 0 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 0 g
- Fiber 0 g
- Protein 0 g
- Saturated Fat 0 g
- Serving Size 1 1 recipe (592g)
- Sodium 23.7 mg
- Sugar 0 g
- Trans Fat 0 g
- Calories 0 calories
Step-by-step
- Mix 1/2 cup of Washing Soda with 1/2 cup Hydrogen Peroxide in a large bowl or bucket.
- Add in hot water till your bowl is half full.
- Add your dirtiest, dingiest, filthiest clothing to the bowl.
- Make sure each piece gets thoroughly soaked.
- Add just enough more water to cover the clothes.
- Stir a little to make sure it is all mixed up and each piece of clothing is covered.
- Let your clothes soak for at least a few hours.
- Overnight would be even better.
- After allowing it to soak toss the clothes and mix that was in your bowl into the wash, and launder as normal.
A simple combination of washing soda and hydrogen peroxide hides a potent oxidation reaction that commercial laundry powders package at a steep markup. While the ingredient list merely suggests mixing powders and liquids, the active cleaning agent relies entirely on the alkalinity of sodium carbonate to activate the bleaching power of hydrogen peroxide. When dissolved in water registering at least 120 degrees Fahrenheit, sodium carbonate raises the pH of the solution, causing the hydrogen peroxide to dissociate and release perhydroxyl ions that target organic chromophores responsible for staining.
Achieving success with this mixture requires strict adherence to soaking duration, specifically allowing garments to remain submerged for a minimum of four hours to permit adequate molecular penetration. If treating larger loads in a top-loading washing machine, pause the cycle after agitation to let the mixture dwell undisturbed before the final spin. Water temperature remains the critical variable determining whether the reaction proceeds efficiently or stalls entirely.
Substitutions alter the cleaning efficacy significantly since baking soda lacks the necessary high pH required to properly activate the peroxide, meaning regular sodium bicarbonate will yield vastly inferior results compared to washing soda.
