You Should Never, Ever Clean These 7 Items With Bleach

Life can get messy, and bleach can be a reliable solution for tackling tough stains and disinfecting surfaces. It’s great for removing grass stains from white clothing, brightening towels, and sanitizing when illness strikes. However, bleach isn’t the best solution for everything. In fact, if bleach is one of your go-to cleaning products, you’re probably over-using it.

It also turns out it can be detrimental to your health, according to mold and air quality expert Michael Rubino. “One main reason to avoid bleach is the harm it causes to indoor air quality and the unwanted exposure of the person using it,” he says. “Bleach contains sodium hypochlorite and other chlorine-based compounds that release harmful fumes. These fumes can negatively impact indoor air quality and can irritate the eyes, skin, and respiratory system, leading to symptoms like coughing, headaches, and watery eyes.”

In addition to all of that, bleach can also cause permanent damage to some of your beloved items and surfaces.

Mold

There’s nothing like going to take a nice shower or bath only to discover some unwanted mold growing either on the wall or under your favorite bottle of body scrub. But don’t get out that bottle of bleach just yet. It turns out it won’t get the job done entirely.  

“Bleach is ineffective against indoor contaminants,” Rubino says. “It is often assumed to be an effective product for dealing with mold, but it falls short in several key ways. While it may kill surface mold, it does not remove dead mold particles, meaning exposure can continue. Even the EPA advises that dead mold must be removed to prevent health risks.”

Porous and Semi-Porous Materials

If you want to clean a wood wall, drywall, or even one of those pretty wood salad bowls, don’t use bleach. Trish Duarte, cleaning expert and owner of MaidPro Temecula and Murrieta, says that not only is bleach ineffective for cleaning these surfaces, but it can also break down wood fibers permanently, ruining your wooden surfaces or items.

Bleach also doesn’t work to tackle mold issues on these surfaces. “Bleach fails to penetrate porous and semi-porous materials, such as wood and drywall, deep enough to remove mold particles that have burrowed beneath the surface,” Rubino says. “This means the contamination can persist and even regrow over time.”

Colored Fabrics

Your mom was right. You should never use bleach to wash anything that isn’t white. Duarte tells me never to use bleach on colored fabrics because it will permanently ruin them. “Say goodbye to your favorite shirt colors.”

If you have a multi-colored fabric and stain the white part, you can use a little bleach (ideally from a bleach pen) on that section as long as you rinse it off immediately afterward. 

However, using color-safe bleach (it should be clearly labeled on the bottle) can be used to tackle colorful fabrics. But if you aren’t sure if a product will be safe to use on a certain item, make sure to read the care label and do a spot test in an inconspicuous area first.

Stainless Steel

You might be tempted to use bleach on stainless steel surfaces like your range or refrigerator, but Duarte tells me it can ruin your appliances. “Bleach will create corrosion and ruin the finish,” she says.

Instead, use a product specially formulated for this surface.

Natural Stone

You might want to get your natural stone countertops—such as those made from marble and granite—extra clean by using bleach. However, Duarte warns this can cause permanent damage.

“It etches and damages expensive countertops,” she says. A multi-purpose cleaner or disinfectant that’s labeled safe for natural stone is the best choice here.

Carpets

Did you accidentally spill some red wine on your carpet? Well, don’t panic—and don’t reach for the bleach—unless you want to create an entirely new problem that’s going to be costly to solve.

“Bleach can cause discoloration and fiber damage to carpets,” says Duarte. So, put the bleach away and follow our steps on how to get red wine out of carpet, instead.

Delicate Fabrics

If you use bleach on delicate fabrics, such as silk and lace, you can say goodbye to your favorite garments, explains Duarte. “Bleach destroys silk and lace,” she says.