Oxygen bleach
A colour-safe, non-chlorine bleach — usually sodium percarbonate — that releases hydrogen peroxide in water to lift stains and brighten fabric.
What it means
Oxygen bleach works by oxidation, breaking down coloured stain molecules without the harshness of chlorine bleach. Because it activates in warm water and is gentle on most dyes, it is the bleach permitted by the non-chlorine-only care symbol.
What to do
Dissolve oxygen bleach in warm water and soak the stained item for 30 minutes to several hours, then wash as normal. Use it for organic stains like wine, coffee and grass, and always confirm the fabric does not carry a do-not-bleach symbol first.
How to use this term
Use this process term when a guide tells you to pretreat, soak, brighten, rinse or adapt a stain method.
- Read oxygen bleach with the other symbols on the same care label; the strictest symbol wins.
- Match the instruction to the garment's most fragile part, including trims, lining, prints and finishes.
- If the label, fabric behaviour and stain method disagree, test a hidden area or choose the lower-risk route.
Common mistake
Because the label says "colour-safe," people assume oxygen bleach cannot touch any dye and leave coloured items soaking for hours. The colour-safety is real but relative: a long soak can still dull or bleed dyes that are not colourfast, especially dark or vintage shades. Spot-test a hidden seam first, and resist extending the soak on a stubborn stain, since the dye can fade before the mark lifts.
For the broader method, use the What Fabrics Can You Bleach and then return to this term when the label changes the safe option.
Related terms
Sources
- ISO 3758:2012 Textiles — Care labelling code using symbols — International Organization for Standardization