What Is Fabric Sanitizer and How to Use It

Washing with detergent alone can leave behind odor causing bacteria that makes clothing smell. Fabric sanitizers make up the difference, removing odor causing bacteria and not just covering odors up.

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Washing laundry with detergent alone can leave behind odor causing bacteria, and isn’t enough to sanitize laundry. The Clorox® Fabric Sanitizer family of products is bleach free and kills 99.9% of odor causing bacteria that can make clothes and home textiles smell bad. Whether you have a single problem item you want to pretreat before washing, a whole load of stinky clothes, or home textiles you want to refresh without washing, there’s a product to help you remove unpleasant odors, and not just cover them up.

Different fabric sanitizers meet different needs

For individual items like a dress shirt with underarm odor, Clorox® Fabric Sanitizer Spray lets you target a problem area specifically. Before machine washing, spray it directly onto stinky underarms on shirts or the crotch area of polyester leggings, and then add the item along with the rest of your laundry to the clothes washer and machine wash.

When you have a lot of smelly laundry, deal with it all at once. Add Clorox® Laundry Sanitizer to the rinse cycle to kill 99.9% of odor causing bacteria. Just add the product to the fabric softener compartment in the laundry product dispenser, and the clothes washer will add it at the correct time in the cycle for odor-free laundry.

For an item that looks clean but smells bad, and you need it right away (like a uniform or a costume or even throw pillows) and don’t have time to wash it and let it dry, give it a quick refresh with Clorox® Fabric Sanitizer Aerosol. In just 30 seconds, odor-causing bacteria is eliminated, not covered up.

What you need

Steps to remove odors before washing

  1. Spray on fabric sanitizer

    Hold Clorox® Fabric Sanitizer Spray a few inches from the problem odor area and spray to saturate.

  2. Load the washer

    Add the item along with the rest of the laundry to the washer.

  3. Add detergent

    Add laundry detergent to the detergent compartment.

    Tip

    If using Clorox 2® along with the detergent, add them together in the detergent compartment, matching product forms.

  4. Select wash conditions and start the washer

    Select the warmest water possible and the appropriate wash cycle following care label instructions, and then start the washer.

  5. Dry

    If allowed, tumble dry following the instructions on the care label for dryer temperature. Otherwise, air dry.

Steps to remove odors through the wash

  1. Add laundry to the washer

    Sort dark items and mixed colors into separate loads.

  2. Add the laundry sanitizer to the softener dispenser

    Use the softener dispenser for Clorox® Laundry Sanitizer. This ensures that it is added at the correct time in the wash cycle: during the rinse cycle, not during the wash cycle.

  3. Add detergent

    Add laundry detergent to the detergent dispenser compartment. If using laundry pods, toss them in the washer before adding the laundry.

    Tip

    If using Clorox 2® along with the detergent, add them together in the detergent compartment, matching product forms.

  4. Select the wash cycle and start the washer

    Select water temperature and cycle settings that follow care label instructions, and then start the washer.

  5. Dry

    If allowed, tumble dry following the instructions on the care label for dryer temperature. Otherwise, air dry.

Steps to remove odors without washing

  1. Shake can well

    Give Clorox® Fabric Sanitizer Aerosol a good shake before spraying.

  2. Spray

    Hold can 6–8 inches from fabric and spray onto fabric until wet; do not saturate

    Tip

    Hanging a shirt from a plastic coat hanger makes uniform spraying easier.

  3. Allow to air dry

    Once the fabric has air dried it can be worn or used.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are there non-aerosol products that are bleach free and can sanitize fabric?

For people who prefer non-aerosol options, Clorox® Disinfecting and Sanitizing Mist and Clorox® Free and Clear Disinfecting and Sanitizing Mist can also be used to sanitize soft surfaces when you don’t have time to wash them.