Clorox Stinks in More Ways Than One

Mouseprint reports on some sleazy tactics from Clorox bleach.

If you've wandered down your supermarket's laundry detergent aisle anytime recently you've probably noticed that Clorox bleach now comes in regular scent (that would be YMCA pool smell multiplied by 100) as well as Citrus Blend, Fresh Meadow, and Mountain Fresh.

What you probably didn't know is that the new, sweet-smelling Clorox bleaches contain only half the active ingredient that makes bleach do its job. And Clorox doesn't mention it on the label of the new scented bleaches.

Clorox does, however, mention it in a place where it's actually a selling point: on the label of regular, eye-burning, nose-stinging Clorox:

The scented bleaches contain a sodium hypochlorite concentration of 2.75%.  Clorox Bleach - Regular Scent has a sodium hypochlorite concentration of 6%.

As I said, it's sleazy.

Have you ever noticed that white athletic socks, white towels and pretty much anything else that you'd want to keep white with laundry bleach comes with a "No chlorine bleach" warning on the care tag? Why is that? And why do I sound like Andy Rooney?

Comments

[Naomi]

I know this post is really old, but I know the answer to your question. The reason white clothes have a "no chlorine bleach" tag is because the clothes are dyed white now, so that they are super white. I found this out when I used bleach on some white underwear (for no particular reason, other than that it was a load of whites, and that's what you're supposed to do, right?), and they came out that dingy gray color you used to see on clothes that NEEDED to be bleached.

[Paula Zargaj-Reynolds]

Naomi, thank you so much for writing. The question about beach and whites has bugged me for a long time, so I'm very happy to have an answer -- and a reason to follow the directions on those tags!