"Oxygen bleach" sounds like marketing. It isn't. Sodium percarbonate is hydrogen peroxide locked into a dry crystal with washing soda. In water the two come apart: the peroxide goes after stains, the washing soda helps the formula clean, and no chlorine is involved. It is the oxygen bleach in our laundry and dish powders.
Quick facts
- What it is: a dry, crystalline adduct (a bound pair) of sodium carbonate and hydrogen peroxide, 2Na2CO3 · 3H2O2
- Its job in our products: oxygen bleach that lifts stains and brightens
- Chlorine: none
- EPA Safer Choice: green circle
- EWG grade: A (see the EWG page)
- CAS number: 15630-89-4
How it lifts stains
In water, it separates back into hydrogen peroxide and sodium carbonate. The peroxide oxidizes the part of a stain molecule that absorbs light and gives it its color, so tea, coffee, wine and many food stains fade and rinse away, and whites brighten. The sodium carbonate raises the pH, and peroxide bleaches best in alkaline water. No chlorine bleach smell.
Warm beats cold
Peroxide alone bleaches best in hot water. In our powders it is paired with TAED, a bleach activator that helps it work in warm washes. We have not found independent data on how well it removes stains in a cold wash, so for stained loads, choose warm when the care label allows.
It is gentler on colors than chlorine bleach, but dyes vary, so spot-test colored fabrics first. Skip it on wool and silk: wash those with a detergent made for them, not our Max Strength Laundry Powder.
Origin and ratings
Hydrogen peroxide is crystallized with washing soda into a stable, dry powder that is easy to measure and press into tablets. EPA gives it a green circle; EWG grades it A as sodium carbonate peroxide. Those ratings cover the raw ingredient, not our finished powders (how we vet ingredients).
Handling and safety
The pure powder is an oxidizer, can cause serious eye damage, and is harmful if swallowed. In use, the picture changes.
Skin and eyes
In the detergent industry's HERA risk assessment, even a worst-case hand-wash solution (detergent plus an added bleach booster, about 3.9 grams of sodium percarbonate per liter) was too dilute to irritate skin. Eyes are the main concern: powder or a strong solution can irritate them, and HERA expected lasting damage only from very concentrated product (above 25 percent) that is not rinsed out right away. If any gets in eyes, rinse cautiously with water for several minutes.
Mixing and soaking
Do not mix it with other cleaning products. If you dissolve the powder for a soak, use an open tub or bucket, never a closed jar or bottle, because it releases oxygen as it works.
Storage
Keep powders and tablets dry, sealed in their pouch and away from heat, up high or in a latched cabinet, out of reach of children and pets. Use them as directed. If any is swallowed, call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222.
After the wash
It does not linger as a bleach. The peroxide breaks down into water and oxygen, and HERA found that any left is broken down in wastewater treatment while the carbonate is neutralized to bicarbonate. The aquatic toxicity seen in lab tests comes from the peroxide, and HERA concluded household use has no adverse effect on aquatic ecosystems.
Where you'll find it
- Laundry: EWG Verified Max Strength Laundry Powder
- Dish: EWG Verified Dishwasher Tabs, EWG Verified Dishwasher Powder
- Kits and bundles: Home Kitchen Kit, Dish Starter Kit, Ultimate Home Bulk Bundle, Expert Home Cleaner Kit
All are fragrance-free, except that the Expert Home Cleaner Kit also includes scented sprays. Each product page has the full ingredient list.
Sources
- America's Poison Centers. (n.d.). Poison Help. https://poisoncenters.org/
- Environmental Working Group. (n.d.). EWG's Guide to Healthy Cleaning: Sodium carbonate peroxide. https://www.ewg.org/cleaners/substances/5511-SODIUMCARBONATEPEROXIDE/
- HERA Project. (2002). Sodium percarbonate (CAS 15630-89-4). Human and Environmental Risk Assessment on Ingredients of Household Cleaning Products. https://www.heraproject.com/substance/sodium-percarbonate/
- National Center for Biotechnology Information. (n.d.). PubChem compound summary: Hydrogen peroxide. https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Hydrogen-peroxide
- National Center for Biotechnology Information. (n.d.). PubChem compound summary: Sodium percarbonate. https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Sodium-percarbonate
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. (n.d.). Safer Choice: Safer Chemical Ingredients List. https://www.epa.gov/saferchoice/safer-ingredients
