# Color-safe bleach.  What's it do?

**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/color-safe-bleach-whats-it-do/362147
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
**Created:** [June 26, 2006, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/color-safe-bleach-whats-it-do/362147 "2006-06-26T02:12:10Z")
**Posts on this page:** 4
**Page:** 1

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### Author: ![jmwatts](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jmwatts/32/17348_2.png) [@jmwatts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jmwatts)
#### Post date: [June 26, 2006, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/color-safe-bleach-whats-it-do/362147/1 "2006-06-26T02:12:10Z")

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If it’s safe to use with colors, it’s obviously not “bleach”. If it’s not bleach, doesn’t that just make it soap? If so, what’s the point? I’m already using soap, so why do I need to add color-safe bleach soap to my regular soap?

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### Author: ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)
#### Post date: [June 26, 2006, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/color-safe-bleach-whats-it-do/362147/2 "2006-06-26T12:28:01Z")

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More things are bleach besides Clorox: Sunlight, vinegar, hydrogen peroxide.

Colorsafe bleach usually contains sodium perbonate and/or sodium percarbonate, both of which contain hydrogen peroxide. It’s a gentler bleach than Clorox.

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### Author: ![LorieSmurf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a587f6/32.png) [@LorieSmurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LorieSmurf)
#### Post date: [June 27, 2006, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/color-safe-bleach-whats-it-do/362147/3 "2006-06-27T03:30:23Z")

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Does it kill germs like regular bleach? Just wondering…I’d like to wash my undies with bleach, but some of 'em have pretty colors.

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### Author: ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)
#### Post date: [June 27, 2006, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/color-safe-bleach-whats-it-do/362147/4 "2006-06-27T04:16:00Z")

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Man, this is the [second time today](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=377258) I extolled the virtues of color-safe bleach.

Use it on your colors! Go on!! (just not the stuff that says “do not use bleach” because of the fabric)