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Bleach can be your laundry-time friend if you use it wisely. But nothing can ruin your day more quickly than bleach damage to your favorite piece of clothing. Here's how to keep bleach on your side:
 
Chlorine Bleach — The Old Standby

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• Place a measuring cup in your laundry area and use the amount specified on the bottle and no more. Holes in clothes could result from overexposure — this is strong stuff.
  
  
• Fill a two-quart laundry pitcher with water and your measured bleach: diluting first gives you control.
  
  
• Employ a timer and add bleach five minutes after the wash has started. Stain-removing enzymes in your detergent need that time to work before bleach takes over.

Moxie with Oxy

Although safer on colored fabrics than chlorine bleach, oxygen bleaches can still cause color loss.

• Pre-test on the inside of a seam or other hidden area.
  
  
• Mix or dilute till thoroughly dissolved.
  
  
• Use recommended amounts. As with chlorine bleach, more is not better.
  
  
• Unlike with chlorine bleach, add an oxy-type bleach as the water fills — before adding laundry.
  
  
• The warmer the water and the longer the cycle, the more effective the oxygen bleach.

Mystery Bleach Spots?

If you follow these suggestions and are still frustrated by bleach spots appearing on shirts, towels or other laundry:

• Check for benzoyl peroxide in acne or other skin products. It can bleach many fabrics. Adjust your schedule, perhaps, to apply these products before bed — or at any rate when you're not planning to wear your favorite dark shirt.
  
  
• Consider your laundry detergent. Some brands contain powdered oxygen bleach. Try washing in warm water to help ensure a complete dissolve.
  
  
• Wipe down the top and lip of your washing machine regularly so that clothes do not catch stray oxygen bleach crystals or tiny splashes of chlorine bleach. If you use a public laundry facility, bring paper towels and a spray bottle of water for this purpose.