How to Get Bleach Stains Out of Black Clothes

Splashed some bleach on your favorite black tee? Don’t throw it out just yet! Unfortunately, color loss from contact with undiluted bleach can’t be reversed, but here’s a life hack: keep a black permanent marker on hand to color in bleach stains on black clothes. Really – it’s that simple! This tip works best with smaller bleach splashes as larger splotches may be more difficult to match exactly. The pen marks may fade over time too, so reapply as needed. 

Other colors of clothing with bleach discoloration can also be treated this way, but you’ll just need to do a bit more work to find a marker in the exact color of your clothing. It helps if you have a well-stocked art supply store nearby, and the staff is friendly and lets you test different pens to see what works. Be sure to bring the item with you! Once you’ve got the perfect match, keep the marker available for future touch ups.  

And if you want to avoid bleach splashes in the future, check out our splash-less solutions: Clorox® Zero Splash™ Bleach Packs™, Clorox® Concentrated Bleach Powder and Clorox® Splash-Less Bleach.