Bleach may get your whites their whitest and colors their brightest, but when used incorrectly it can be lethal. Not only is bleach a potential poison, it's also an environmental pollutant and the earth certainly doesn't need more of those. For the safety of you and your family as well as for the preservation of the earth, natural bleach alternatives are the best choice. Fortunately, if you're looking for an alternative to bleach, there are other less toxic ingredients you can use as a substitute.

Why is bleach such a problem? One of the primary ingredients in conventional bleach is sodium hypochlorite. Not only is sodium hypochlorite not the most environmentally friendly chemical around, when it's mixed with household cleaners containing ammonia, chlorine gas is formed. When chlorine gas is formed, it can be easily inhaled causing damage to the respiratory tract and even death. This is obviously not something you want for you and your family, so why keep bleach in your home where the potential might exist? Even if bleach isn't mixed with ammonia based cleaning products, the hypochlorite found in conventional bleach isn't healthy. At high doses, sodium hypochlorite can injure nerve and liver cells and some people have allergic reactions to this substance.

If you don't want to expose your family to these dangers, what are some alternatives to bleach? One of the simplest bleach alternatives to use when washing clothes is to substitute a third of a cup of borax for the bleach in each load of laundry. Borax will help to keep whites clean and bright and maintain the brightness of colors. Plus, it's inexpensive. You can also add three quarters of a cup of lemon juice to your washer during the wash cycle to get clothes brighter.

How about an bleach alternative as a household cleaner? The one thing bleach has going for it is the fact that it's an effective cleaner that kills germs. One solution is to add one part lemon juice to one part white vinegar and dilute it with water. This solution can be placed into a spray bottle and used throughout the bathroom and kitchen as a safe and effective cleaner. Dilute hydrogen peroxide is also a safer alternative to bleach as a bathroom cleaner and is a good germ killer.

Another way to avoid exposure to hypochlorite and chlorine gas is to use a non-chlorine bleach. These bleach alternatives are usually hydrogen peroxide based which is a safer bleach alternative. Although hydrogen peroxide isn't a poison, it can be irritating the mucous membranes of the nose and eyes. For this reason, if using a hydrogen peroxide for cleaning purposes, always wear protective goggles and gloves.

Why take the risk of keeping bleach around your house when there are some many safer bleach alternatives? Don't take a chance with the health of you or your family. It's not worth it to get clothes a little brighter.