I don’t use much chlorine bleach in the washing machine, but even a very small amount will wreck my clothes. So why doesn’t the chlorine in the swimming pool discolor my bathing suit?
- it will, just give it time.
- the chlorine in your pool and washing machine are in different concentrations. If memory serves me correctly, a swimming pool will probably have about 3 parts per million(ppm) of chlorine in it. According to this source New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services to dilute a gallon of chlorine bleach down to 5 ppm, you would have to add 10,000 gallons of water to it. That would take one big washing machine, even for just a capful of bleach.
Also, it depends on how you’re using the bleach to wash your clothes. If you put your clothes in the machine & then toss the bleach, full-strength, on top of them, of COURSE you’re going to wreck your clothes. If you start the washer, add the bleach & detergent, & let the washer fill up about halfway, you shouldn’t have a problem. (Unless you’ve got dark-colored clothes in there, but I am assuming that anyone smart enough to check out the SD knows that chlorine bleach does NOT go on dark clothes!) In the pool, the chlorine is already dissolved so it’s not like you’re just pouring it right on your bathing suit.