Bleaching clothes in a frontloading washing machine?

Hi,

I've never used a frontloading washing machine until I came here, to the UK. And I have a load of whites that needs bleached (a couple of stains, etc). At home it'd be no problem, I'd know exactly how to do it. However .. how does one bleach here? I've read the manual but I'm still confused..

Thanks!

You may have a bleach "area" where you put in your detergent.  If you open up the drawer (or whatever) is there a place for bleach? That's what I used...and then I put it on the looooooooooongest soak I could find on the dial.

I have a question about this too because it's driving me nuts not being able to bleach my whites.  They're always a grayish colour and my partner loves to wash the whites with coloured clothing!!! 

Our front loader has three compartments, one for the prewash, one for the detergent and one for the fabric softner.  So if I were to want to put the bleach in one of the soap spots, which would it be?

I find it funny that our frontloader manual includes a diagram of laundry symbols, even those for bleach, but doesn't explain how to use bleach anywhere in the booklet!!!

Suggestions!?

I use the regular wash section where I put my detergant. I use the setting for '95 white cotton' and after the water starts running (rinsing the liquid detergant in) then opening the drawer slightly and pouring in the bleach. I've done it this way for 2 years now and the only thing that I do after the wash is done is I run a rinse cycle on the empty machine to make sure that the bleach completely rinses away and won't ruin my colors. I also use the 'super rinse' function when I do a bleach load.

Hope that helps.

I completely forgot to ask, but what kind of bleach do you use, and where can you buy it?  All I've found at Sainsbury's is Domestos and cleaning bleach...nothing for clothing.

I buy mine at Wilkinsons and it's labled as 'Thin Bleach' just their own brand and I believe I paid 69p for it. They do keep it in the cleaning supplies section near the 'Thick Bleach' like Domestos. I haven't seen bleach in with the washing powders & liquids. Which reminds me I need to get some later today.

I completely forgot to ask, but what kind of bleach do you use, and where can you buy it?  All I've found at Sainsbury's is Domestos and cleaning bleach...nothing for clothing.

Chlorine bleach is chlorine bleach... if you are washing whites, it doesnt matter if you use thick or thin... it's just bleach!

Oxygen bleach is with the laundry stuff, but wont be labelled 'oxygen bleach'... it will be in a tub, most likely called 'stain remover'.

lol, I had the same question not long ago! My adopted brit mum (from a Brit friend in the US) insists that the way to combat the gray in hardwater country is to soak the whites in a tub with a little bit of bleach BEFORE doing the actual load in the machine. Therefore, one avoids putting the bleach directly into the machine.

I imagine that this might be particularly wise as hardwater country machines take a BEATING from the water enough as it is. Longer running cycles and more chemicals in the machine might not help its longevity.

If you're a renter--this is less of a concern, of course. But if you own the machine, it is probably worth at least a year, if not three, more on the life cycle of the beast. Maybe.