The Ultimate Guide To Oxiclean: Reviews & Uses (2024)

Here is the ultimate guide to Oxiclean, the product used to fight stains and clean all types of items. In this article I've provided lots of uses for this product, for both laundry and cleaning, as well as reviews of lots of products.

This product, itself, is not a laundry detergent, but is a laundry booster and stain treater that you can add to your normal detergent.

The actual ingredients are not listed on the package, but the active ingredient in it is sodium percarbonate, which when it comes into contact with water releases hydrogen peroxide and sodium carbonate, also known as washing soda.

As such, it is a classic oxygen bleach powder.

Those two stain fighting and laundry boosting ingredients are what make it such a powerful stain remover.

Many people really love that Oxiclean does not contain chlorine bleach, and therefore is safe to use for both whites and colors.

There are several types of the product available, including original, a free version, which is free of dyes and perfumes and therefore hypoallergenic, and one for babies.

In addition, the manufacturers of this product, Church & Dwight Co., (which also makes , among other products) has made several other laundry stain removers and products using the brand name, and also several detergents which also contain this powerful stain remover.

The product can be found in most stores. In addition, you can purchase it online, through the links below:

Oxiclean Can Be Used On Many Surfaces

One of the best things about this stain remover is that it is so versatile. It can be used in top loading washing machines or high-efficiency machines to help fight stains while washing your clothes.

In addition, you can use it as a pre-treatment on clothes by soaking the clothing before you wash them to remove some very tough stains, or spray a solution of Oxiclean and water onto fabric surfaces like certain upholstery fabrics.

You can also use Oxiclean to spot clean your carpet stains, and also use it on certain hard surfaces, like plastics, to clean and remove stains.

Oxiclean comes with a scoop for measuring out the powder, and with all the instructions below I will discuss how much water versus how many scoops of the product to use for various stain removal and cleaning purposes.

One of the most known and best ways to use Oxiclean is as a presoak for stained clothing. To illustrate how to use it in this way I will tell you how I removed blackberry stains from my son's yellow shirt with this product.

For dessert one night we had ice cream with fresh blackberries on top, and my son loved them so much he wanted to eat some plain. I said OK, and before I knew it this stain to the left happened on one of his favorite shirts. Lovely, huh?

So, this is what I did. I got out a big plastic bucket (see to the right) and my Oxiclean and filled it with warm water and 4 scoops of the product.

Next, I soaked the blackberry stained shirt in the solution for several hours while I did other things around the house (see below).

In the picture you can see the stains still, but I kept checking every few minutes out of curiosity and over time they just disappeared.

I didn't do anything to them except let time and the Oxiclean work to remove the stains from the blackberries.

Then, I just washed as usual and the shirt was as good as new! (That is my son below throwing the shirt in the washing machine.)

The instructions on the package say that you can add between 2-4 scoops per gallon of water for this presoak, and should let the items soak between 1-6 hours. I have also heard of people soaking overnight for really stained items.

Use As A Laundry Booster

In addition to presoaking, which I suggest for heavily soiled items, you can just throw it in the washing machine, along with your regular laundry detergent to help catch other stains you may not have noticed on your clothing.

It works in both top loading machines and HE machines. For top loading machines add 1-3 scoops to the wash water, before you add the clothing. The more soiled the clothing (or the larger the load) the more you should add.

For HE machines add 1-2 scoops to the machine. If your machine has an Oxiclean dispenser add the powder to that, but if not then add it directly into the washing machine tub before adding clothing. Don't put it into the detergent dispenser.

You can mix up your own upholstery cleaner by adding 1 scoop of powder to 2 cups of water in a spray bottle and spray this on upholstery stains. Let it sit for 1-5 minutes (about 10 minutes max), and don't let it dry on the upholstery.

This spot cleaner will work best on food and beverage stains, and fruit and berry stains, but not as well on greasy or oily stains.

Before using, however, I would suggest testing in an inconspicuous location on the upholstery to make sure it does not harm the fabric. In addition, I suggest you check the upholstery cleaning codes to make sure they say a water-based cleaner can be used on your upholstery (either Code W or WS).

In addition, once you mix this formula you must use it within about 6 hours, so this may seem like a lot for a small spot. Therefore, you can just use a smaller about of water and powder for a smaller amount of cleaning solution.

After treating the stained area you should blot the upholstery well with a wet clean white cloth, and then blot it dry with a dry clean white cloth. Make sure to get the upholstery only as wet as necessary to clean it, and let it dry thoroughly.

The same proportions of Oxiclean can be used to spot clean your carpet (1 scoop of Oxiclean to 2 cups water), mixed in a spray bottle for application.

If you are concerned about changing the color of your carpet, I would suggest checking this homemade carpet cleaning solution in an inconspicuous area before using on the stain.

Similar to cleaning upholstery, when cleaning carpet with this product you should only get it as wet as necessary to saturate the stained area, but no wetter.

Let the solution sit on the carpet for 1-5 minutes, and then blot with a dry white cloth. Then, rinse away the solution with water and blot dry again. Once the carpet is completely dry you should also vacuum it.

Cleaning Hard Surfaces With It

You can also make your own all-purpose cleaner with the powder, by mixing 2-4 scoops with a gallon of warm water.

You can then use this cleaning solution in many areas of your home, such as to clean and remove stains from plastics, trash cans, linoleum and more.

After cleaning rinse with clean water to remove any residue.

I've share several uses for this versatile cleaning product, but there are lots more ways to use it. Please share your reviews of the product below, telling me which version you used and the results you had. As always, I am especially interested in how it worked on various stains you encountered while using it.

Here are some of the best uses for and reviews of this product, and products containing Oxiclean, that have been submitted so far:

Share Your Comments, Tips & Ideas

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CAUTION: This website is provided for informational purposes only. It is provided as is, without warranties or guarantees. Some stains and messes just won't come out, and are permanent. Further, some cleaning methods can harm your item, so if what you want to clean or launder is sentimental or expensive call a professional. See disclaimer of liability for more information.