Prep first
Before you start
- Rinse a fresh splash with plenty of plain water right away.
- Never mix pool chemicals with each other or with any other product, and never add acid or vinegar to chlorine.
- Wear goggles and gloves and work in fresh air when handling pool chemicals.
A chlorine splash on clothes usually takes the color out of the fabric, leaving a faded patch that washing won't bring back. Fresh marks are much easier to deal with than old ones, so act quickly. If the label says dry-clean only, take the item to a dry cleaner promptly and tell them the fiber content and the stain.
Swimsuits and black clothes need their own approach, so match your item to the right steps before you start. Metal marks on shirts look different and need their own treatment, so check which mark you have before you pick a product. Keep a prewash stain remover spray for faded fabric, and see a dry cleaner if the spot survives a wash.
Before you start
What clothes can take
Safe to use3
- Water
- Soaking
- Enzyme cleaners
Use with care6
- Hot water
- Chlorine bleach
- Oxygen bleach
- Solvents (alcohol, spot removers)
- Acids (vinegar, lemon)
- Scrubbing and abrasives
Avoid1
- Heat, once the stain is out
9 items
What you'll need
Tap an item to get it on Amazon, or tick what you already have.
- Liquid laundry detergentWorks into the stain and forms the base of the wash. (opens Amazon)
- Clean white cloth or paper towelBlots up liquid without bleeding dye onto the fabric. (opens Amazon)
- Dull knifeScrapes off solids without tearing the fabric.
- Enzyme laundry presoakFor the overnight soak if the mark is still there after the wash. (opens Amazon)
- Pretreatment spray or dry-cleaning solventLifts what's left when applied from the wrong side. (opens Amazon)
- All-fabric oxygen bleachA gentler whitening option for colorfast fabric, after a hidden-area test. (opens Amazon)
- Rust removerOnly if the mark looks rusty, and always before any bleach. (opens Amazon)
- Dilute chlorine bleachThe last resort, only on colorfast items whose label allows it. (opens Amazon)
- Rubber cleaning gloves (opens Amazon)
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7 steps
Step by step
Step 1 of 7
Rinse the splash right away
Flush a fresh splash with plenty of plain water before it dries. If you're handling pool chemicals, wear goggles and gloves and work in fresh air.
Step 2 of 7
Blot, scrape and check the label
First, blot up liquid using a clean white cloth or paper towel. Press down, never rub.
Next, lift off any solids gently with a dull knife and read the care label. Test whatever product you pick on a hidden seam or hem, and if the color changes, don't use it.
For dry-clean only items, skip the home treatment. Take it to a dry cleaner now.
Tip. Colored cloths and sponges can bleed dye onto the fabric, so keep them away.
Step 3 of 730 minutes
Cold-soak the item
Soak the whole item in cold water for about 30 minutes. Cold water keeps an unidentified stain from setting, so hold off on hot water at this point.
Step 4 of 730 minutes
Work in detergent and wash
Work a little liquid laundry detergent into the stain and leave it for about 30 minutes, then rinse. Wash the item in liquid detergent at the temperature the care label recommends, and let it air-dry.
Step 5 of 7
Overnight enzyme presoak
If the mark still shows after the wash, soak the item overnight in an enzyme laundry presoak. Wash it again as before once the presoak is done.
Step 6 of 7
Pretreat, then try oxygen bleach
If the stain remains, dab a pretreatment spray or dry-cleaning solvent on from the wrong side of the fabric. For colorfast items, follow with an all-fabric oxygen bleach, and if you suspect rust, use a rust remover before any bleach.
Careful. Leave liquid or aerosol pretreatments on only as long as recommended, and keep gels on bright or fluorescent items to a few minutes; unstable dyes can change color.
Step 7 of 7
Chlorine bleach as a last resort
Only try this if the item is colorfast to chlorine bleach and the label allows it. Make a dilute solution following the package directions. Everything else has to be fully rinsed out before you use it, and never mix it with other removers.
If you'd rather buy than mix
Best products for chlorine on clothes
Choose an all-fabric oxygen bleach labeled for colors, and a pretreatment spray or dry-cleaning solvent sold for fabric.
Utopia Kitchen White Flour Sack Towels
How we picked these: each product is made for this type of stain, its maker doesn't warn against using it on clothes, and its directions fit the steps above.
Finished the steps? How does it look?
Nice work. Let it dry completely and check it again in good light before using any heat. Here is what done looks like:
How to tell it's really gone →A faint mark usually needs one more round, not a stronger product.
Heavy buildup usually takes more than one round.
Heavy or long-standing buildup →When to call a professional →How to tell it's working
The mark should look lighter after the cold soak or the detergent wash, and the fabric should feel normal rather than stiff or thin. If it stops improving after the presoak, move on to the pretreatment, because a pale patch from lost color won't refill with dye.
What changes for yours
Adjust for your clothes
Metal on clothes and shirts
Blue-green marks on light clothes are usually dissolved copper, often from corrosive water attacking copper plumbing, and they respond to the same soak and detergent steps. Shirts with a rusty tint need a different first move, so use a rust remover before any bleach.
If the mark is still there after the presoak, the pretreatment and oxygen bleach steps are the next move on colorfast fabric. Check the color of the area before any bleach goes on.
Chlorine on swimsuits and bathing suits
Chlorine bleach is off-limits on spandex, so skip the final chlorine step on any suit that has spandex in it. Rinse the suit in cold water as soon as you're out of the pool, then follow the cold soak and detergent wash.
Avoid the dryer, since heat sets what's left. If the mark stays after the presoak, use the oxygen bleach only after a test on a hidden seam.
Chlorine on white clothes
White cotton is the best candidate for the chlorine step, as long as it's colorfast and the label allows bleach. Make sure every other step has been completed and rinsed out before you reach for the chlorine bleach.
If the white item is wool, silk, mohair, leather or spandex, don't use chlorine at all, and stick to the detergent, presoak and oxygen bleach steps.
Heavy or long-standing buildup
Chlorine usually bleaches the color out for good, so with an old mark, aim to even out the area rather than restore the original dye. Blot and scrape off anything crusted first.
Then do the cold soak and the detergent wash. They're gentle, so you can repeat them if the first round helps but doesn't finish it.
Once it's dried, move to the enzyme presoak. It can sit overnight if the fabric can take it. Pretreatment or oxygen bleach come after that, only on colorfast fabric and only after you've tested a hidden area.
Has the item been through the dryer? Then heat has probably set what's left, and partial results are the best you'll get. Save chlorine bleach for dead last, and on dark or colored fabric, don't risk it.
Vinegar, baking soda, peroxide and more
Do home remedies work on chlorine on clothes?
Plenty of home remedies circulate for chlorine and pool marks, but most of them either do nothing here or can damage the fabric. Cold soaking and liquid detergent come first, with oxygen bleach only if a mark stays.
Works1Skip5
Chemical safety
Never mix these
Some products in this guide react dangerously with each other. Use them one at a time and rinse with water in between.
Chlorine bleach + Oxygen bleach (OxiClean)
Both makers advise against combining them: OxiClean says not to mix it with chlorine bleach, and Clorox says the two bleaches cancel each other out.
If they mix by accident: Don't use the mixture; ventilate the room and avoid breathing fumes or touching it; call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222 for disposal advice or if anyone feels unwell.
What makes it worse
Mistakes to avoid
Don't use hot water on the first try.
Hot water can set protein stains such as milk, egg or blood, and an unidentified stain may be one of them. Start with the cold soak, and only use the temperature the label recommends after that.
Don't dry or iron a stained item.
Heat sets the stain and can make it impossible to remove. Keep the item out of the dryer and away from the iron until the mark is completely gone.
Don't rub the stain with bar soap.
Soap sets many stains, especially a fresh mark. Use liquid laundry detergent as the steps describe.
Don't use chlorine on delicate or rusty fabric.
Chlorine bleach shouldn't touch wool, silk, mohair, leather or spandex, or any fabric that isn't colorfast. On rust, chlorine makes the mark more intense or permanent.
Don't use full-strength bleach.
Undiluted bleach can weaken fabric so it tears or wears out sooner. Always dilute it and follow the package directions.
Don't stir bleach with metal.
Metal spoons or containers should stay away from bleach. Use plastic or glass for the mix instead.
When to call a professional
Tag says 'dry-clean only'? Don't try it at home.
Get it to a professional dry cleaner fast, and say what the fiber is and what caused the stain. A big stain, a bulky item or a fragile fabric is reason enough to send a washable piece too. Suede, leather and fur trim need someone who specializes in leather or fur.
Questions
Will chlorine leave a permanent mark on clothes?
Yes, usually as lost color rather than a new mark, and that loss is often permanent. Rinse a fresh splash with plenty of plain water and start the steps before it dries.
Does pool water, pool shock, or pool chlorine stain clothes?
Pool shock and concentrated pool chlorine can bleach color out of fabric, while pool water carrying dissolved copper can leave blue-green marks. Rinse any splash promptly, and follow the steps in order whichever one you're dealing with.
Does chlorine-free bleach stain clothes?
Chlorine-free bleach, usually an oxygen bleach, is the gentler option to try before chlorine. It still needs a test on a hidden area first, since it can change color on fabric that isn't colorfast.
How do I remove chlorine stains from black clothes?
Skip chlorine bleach on black clothes, because it strips dark dye and the loss is permanent. Work through the cold soak, detergent wash and pretreatment first, then cover any small spot that's left with a matching permanent marker.
How do I get yellow or green chlorine out of clothes?
Don't guess at the cause; a blue-green mark is usually dissolved copper, and other colors need the same steps in order. If there's a rust tint, use a rust remover before any bleach, and use oxygen bleach only after a hidden-area test.
What if the stain is still there after washing?
Keep the item out of the dryer, since heat can set what's left. Repeat the enzyme presoak overnight, then move on to pretreatment and, on colorfast fabric, oxygen bleach.
Chlorine on other materials
Other stains on clothes
Start from the bigger picture
How we know this
Every method, amount and warning here comes from university extension services, industry bodies and product makers. We read them, check every step for unsafe combinations and changed amounts, and write it up so you can follow it.