Sodium percarbonate: a super-stain remover

Get rid of the bleach in your cupboards and switch to sodium percarbonate!

Do you know this one? Less well known than its little cousin baking soda, sodium percarbonate really deserves to be discovered. As a complement to natural detergents, it works wonders for bleaching and stain removal.

This mineral, found in white powder form, is also known as solid hydrogen peroxide, because when it comes into contact with water, it releases active oxygen, known for its bleaching and stain-removing properties.

Specifically, it’s composed of soda crystals (soda ash) and hydrogen peroxide (hydrogen peroxide). Devilishly effective.

But unlike bleach, which is harmful to both health and the environment, sodium percarbonate is non-toxic to both humans and nature. It’s ideal for baby’s white linen, for example, and over time it won ‘t turn laundry yellow, unlike bleach!

Who hasn’t struggled to remove red wine stains from tablecloths, chocolate ice cream from junior’s bodysuit, grass stains from pants or yellowed sheets?

Percarbonate will reconcile you with your white laundry for good 🙂

A word of warning! It’s only active above 40°C, so it won’t work at low temperatures. The hotter the water, the more effective it will be!

Last but not least, we only use very small quantities! So it’s super economical, and you can find it here!

Let’s take a look at a few ways to use it.

To preserve the radiance of white linen on a daily basis

…or give a new lease of life to linen that has turned grey or yellow…

-> Pour 2 tablespoons directly into the drum of your washing machine, and start your usual program at 40°C.

To remove stains from heavily soiled textiles

Percarbonate works miracles on wine, grass, blood, chocolate, grease, perspiration, tea or coffee stains… on light-colored or white textiles. Soaking colored laundry in a concentrated solution of percarbonate may alter the color.

-> Bring a pan of water to the boil, turn off the heat and pour in 2 tablespoons of sodium percarbonate. Be careful, it may foam a little!

Soak your laundry for 2-3 hours, or overnight if stains are stubborn. Rinse and machine wash as usual.

This technique also works for removing stains from cloth diapers and feminine hygiene products!

As a pre-wash stain remover

Except for fresh blood stains, which require cold water, dilute 1 to 3 tablespoons per liter of warm water.

Soak the laundry in the mixture for a few minutes. Scrub the stains, then machine wash as usual.

Revive your sponges, cloths or paper towel squares!

-> Soak your sponges in 1 liter of hot water with 1 tablespoon of percarbonate. Soak overnight, then rinse – they’ll be as good as new!

To remove traces of mould from walls or tile joints

-> Simply dilute 1 tablespoon in 3 liters of very hot water, coat the surface with a sponge, leave on for 5-10 minutes, rub in, then rinse with plenty of water.

To remove stains from your carpet

-> Dilute 2-3 tablespoons of percarbonate in 1 liter of hot water. Soak the stain in this solution and wait 5-10 minutes for the product to take effect. Rinse the stain well with clean water, then blot up the liquid with a cloth. Leave to dry, then vacuum.

Before applying your homemade stain remover, test it on an inconspicuous piece of carpet to make sure it won’t discolor.

In short, sodium percarbonate really is a super-stain remover!