Industrial bleach brands are of various types based on their manufacturers but basically, all of them perform the same function which is to whiten, remove stains, and probably kill germs. The use of bleach for washing became necessary when fabrics & floors are seen to have stubborn stains.
Bleaches used for fabrics are majorly for white fabrics, meanwhile there still special bleach which can work on colored fabrics but with special care. Some bleaches used for clothes may not be suitable for floor and vice versa, the reason being the chemical content, concentration and reactive strength of the bleach.
When the wrong bleach is used on fabrics, it tends to damage the material after some time especially when water or solvent is not used to dilute the bleach when applied to the fabric.
One of the popular bleach models includes the sodium hypochlorite bleach. It is a green/yellow liquid that smells like chlorine, a chemical compound made with sodium cation and hypochlorite anion, the two compounds were known to have charges that attract one another.
The history of industrial bleach started when Claude Louis Berthollet made the first bleach in the year 1789, the bleach was said to be weak when compared to the present day bleaches. Chemistry advancement and research have made the new bleaches to become more effective and the improvement had been continuous over the years. Some bleach experts produce bleaches for fabrics right from the comfort of their home by bring the needed chemicals together and mixing them according to their proportions.
No matter the type of bleach someone may be using, it has been found that bleaches have a more negative effect on fabrics than on ceramic walls like floors. For that reason, more safety procedure has bene focused on using the bleach on fabrics. The following safety procedures have been itemized to be followed when using bleach on fabrics:
- When using bleach for laundry, do not mix white fabrics with colored fabrics or white fabrics that has traces of color on it.
- Do not use highly concentrated bleach on colored clothes because it will fade the color.
- When using it for stain removal, apply only to the affected area with detergent and squeeze gently until the stain disappears, then dip it inside a solvent or water immediately to neutralize its effect on the clothing.
- If it is a toxic bleach for floors, do not hand with bare hands without after one hour.
- When using bleach for stain removal in colored clothes, it should be diluted with water and tactical approach must be used by applying and dipping the cloth inside water before squeezing to avoid removing the color.
- Some detergents have bleaching agents in them when washing colored clothes with such detergent regularly it could reduce the color over time.
- Avoid eyes contact with any type of bleach, the chemicals used in their making can be harmful to the eyes but if it accidentally happened washing the eyes thoroughly with water could save the victim but it must be done immediately.
- Soaking clothes for days with water that has concentrated bleach in it will reduce the lifespan of the cloth over time.
- Bleach must be kept out of the reach of children to avoid mistaking it to drink or water.
- Some bleach can cause scares on palms after using them for hours of washing with proper rinsing and washing of hands, therefore regular washing of hands is advisable.
The bleach of sodium hypochlorite has the following advantages in its use:
It acts as a bleach to both fabrics, floors, and other places.
It can act as a disinfectant.
It can act as a deodorizing agent i.e. to remove odor.
It is an active stain removal.
It can be used for water treatment purposes for domestic uses.
It is endodontic.
It is an agent for nerve neutralization.
These and more are the uses of industrial bleaches especially the ones made with sodium hypochlorite.
