How Do You Neutralize Bleach? 5 Simple Neutralizers & How to Use Them

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Learn which neutralizers to use on fabrics, carpets, or hard surfaces

Co-authored by Bess Ruff, MA and Elaine Heredia, BA

Last Updated: January 2, 2026 Fact Checked

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Types of Bleach Neutralizers

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How to Neutralize Bleach on Fabrics

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How to Neutralize Bleach on Hard Surfaces

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Expert Q&A

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Warnings

Bleach is an amazingly cheap and effective disinfectant and clothes brightener, and it also comes in handy when stripping and cleaning wood. However, bleach is an extremely corrosive substance, capable of damaging fabrics, carpets, your skin, and even hard surfaces such as wood and stainless steel. To keep bleach from damaging your items after a spill or your plumbing when you dump it, experts advise neutralizing the bleach's effects. In this article, we'll explain the best bleach neutralizers to use and how to mix them, plus how to apply a neutralizer to fabrics or a hard surface like wood, tile, or metal.

Easy DIY Bleach Neutralizer Solutions

Mix 1 part hydrogen peroxide with 10 parts water in a bucket or spray bottle.
Stir in 1 tsp (5.5 g) of sodium bisulfite per 4 cups (0.95 L) of water.
Mix 1 oz (30 g) of sodium thiosulfate per 1 gallon (3.8 L) of water to soak fabric in.
Sprinkle baking soda on bleach spills on hard surfaces.
Rinse dried bleach off hard surfaces with distilled water.

Section 1 of 3:

Types of Bleach Neutralizers

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Hydrogen peroxide 3% hydrogen peroxide is easy to find and available at drugstores and grocery stores. It's also inexpensive, and it works well for people with asthma. Dilute it with water before soaking your bleached fabric in it or spraying it on a surface that's been exposed to bleach.
- How to mix it: Combine 1 part hydrogen peroxide with 10 parts water in a bucket or spray bottle.
- Works on: Fabric, tile, and stainless steel
- Always wear gloves and eye protection when handling bleach, neutralizers, and other chemicals!
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Baking soda If you accidentally spill bleach on the floor or another hard surface, sprinkle baking soda on it to absorb the liquid and eliminate the harsh chemical odor. It works because baking soda is a base, and bleach is an acid. Bases neutralize acids.^{[1]
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- Baking soda can also neutralize oxalic acid, also known as wood bleach. Sprinkle it on the wood surface you're bleaching to halt the lightening process.^{[2]
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- Works on: All surfaces
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Sodium bisulfite or metabisulfite Sodium bisulfite is very inexpensive, and you only need a small amount to neutralize bleach. You can usually find it at dye suppliers, or you can get Camden Tablets, which are made with metabisulfite. This is a slightly different chemical, but it has the same neutralizing effect on bleach.^{[3]
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- How to mix it: Stir in 1 tsp (4.9 mL) of sodium bisulfite per 4 c (950 mL) of water.
- Works on: All surfaces
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Sodium thiosulfate Sodium thiosulfate is typically available at your local photography supply store, as it's commonly used in developing photographs. This is a more expensive option than bisulfite, and it’s not as strong, so you’ll need to use more.^{[4]
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- How to mix it: Add 1 oz by weight (30 g) of sodium thiosulfate per 1 US gal (3.8 L) of water.
- Works on: All surfaces
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Water Regular water from the tap dilutes bleach, so it loses its effectiveness. Wash wood surfaces with it after lightening the wood with bleach to stop the bleaching process partway through.^{[5]
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- Works on: All surfaces

Section 2 of 3:

How to Neutralize Bleach on Fabrics

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Rinse the fabric in cold water. Before applying a neutralizer, rinse the fabric well in cold water to remove as much bleach as possible. Fill a plastic bucket with water so you can dip the fabric in it and then squeeze the excess out.
- When you add bleach to a load of laundry, the water rinse after the wash cycle is generally sufficient to neutralize the bleach.^{[6]
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  Research source} That said, bleach is still corrosive, and used consistently over time, it will break down your fabrics.
Fill another bucket or plastic tub with water and mix in your chosen neutralizer. Submerge the fabric in the mixture and soak it for about 10 minutes.
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Wash, rinse, and dry the neutralized fabric. After the fabric is done soaking in the neutralizer, run it in a load in the washer with your regular laundry detergent. Set the temperature to cold, warm, or hot, depending on which is the safest for your fabric (check the care tag, if it has one). Tumble dry it in your dryer on medium heat or let it air dry.
- If you spill bleach on carpet, sprinkle baking soda on it to absorb the liquid and the odor, then vacuum it up. Spot clean the area with a neutralizing agent and a toothbrush or a rag.

Section 3 of 3:

How to Neutralize Bleach on Hard Surfaces

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Dump enough baking soda onto the spill that it completely absorbs all the bleach. Once it's soaked up the liquid, sweep or vacuum it and dispose of it in the garbage. Clean up any lingering bleach with a rag or sponge dipped in water or another neutralizer.^{[7]
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Wash dried bleach off hard surfaces with a sponge and a liquid neutralizer. Mix up your liquid neutralizer in a bucket or plastic tub. Soak a sponge or a rag in it, squeeze out the excess, then wash the hard surface with the rag. If it's a porous surface like wood or unglazed ceramic tile, allow it to air dry completely before using it. If it's a non-porous surface like glass, metal, glazed tile, or plastic, dry it off with a towel.
- Alternatively, fill a plastic spray bottle with the neutralizer, spray it on the hard surface, and wipe it up with a rag or paper towels.
- If you're bleaching wood or using bleach for a DIY project outdoors, rinse the surface off with hose water between every application of bleach to neutralize it.

Expert Q&A

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How can I neutralize bleach in a washing machine?

Bess Ruff, MA
Environmental Scientist
Bess Ruff is a Scientist based in Sydney, Australia. Her research interests and previous scientific experience include environmental science, geography, biotechnology, mariculture, marine spatial planning, stakeholder engagement, and spatial ecology. She is a Postdoctoral Researcher at University of Sydney and a Project Manager at Offshore Biotechnologies. Prior to her work in Sydney, Bess was a Postdoctoral Researcher for over 2 years at Florida State University. She received a PhD in Geography from Florida State University, with a doctoral dissertation entitled "Culturing a Sustainable Seafood Future: How Governance, Economics, and Society Are Driving the Global Marine Aquaculture Industry”. She received her MA in Environmental Science and Management from the University of California, Santa Barbara in 2016. She has conducted survey work for marine spatial planning projects in the Caribbean and provided research support as a graduate fellow for the Sustainable Fisheries Group.

Bess Ruff, MA

Environmental Scientist

Expert Answer

The rinse cycle of your washing machine is generally sufficient for neutralizing bleach use on your clothes.

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Question

The decorative petals of my hummingbird feeder were covered with black mold. I used bleach to clean them. The residual from the bleach is still in the tiny holes and crevices. How can I remove it?

Community Answer

Use a solution of one tablespoon lemon juice to eight ounces (one cup) water, soak for twenty minutes, and then rinse in clear water. Lemon juice is a natural cleaner and disinfectant (with the added benefit of neutralizing chlorine because of the ascorbic acid, one form of vitamin C), leaving no harmful compounds.

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I wanted to bleach a colored cotton comforter white. I used Clorox bleach mixed with water and it took the color out, but left the comforter a pale yellow. Is there any way I can make it pure white?

Community Answer

If you use pool chlorine or tablets for your toilet you might have better luck but your probably better off just buying a white one. You might also try laying it out in the sun for a day or two to see if the sunlight will turn the yellow white. Any bleach solution strong enough to turn a colored fabric white would most likely damage the fibers, greatly reducing the item's useful life. I tried a strong solution on a white towel with Kool-Aid on it. It turned yellow and disintegrated the next time I washed it.

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Warnings

Many bleach neutralizers are non-toxic, but you should still make sure to carefully follow instructions and store products out of reach of children or animals.

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Never use vinegar to neutralize chlorine bleach. The same goes for any acidic solution. The mixture of chlorine bleach and acidic substances can cause dangerous chemical reactions.^{[8]
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