Hi, from what I understand, BP bleaches clothing/fabrics when they come into contact with water. Water + BP = hydrogen peroxide = causes bleaching.
So, if you simply put dry BP on something and it never gets wet, it won't bleach. Is that right? I've noticed my clothes don't bleach until they get wet-- like throwing them in the washing machine, getting sweat on my face, etc.
Long story short-- I have a nice shirt that undoubtedly has some "dry BP" on it around the collar. I am afraid that when I throw it in the washing machine it will bleach out! Is there a way to minimize/prevent this? Is it possible to neutralize the dry BP before getting it wet so the hydrogen peroxide reaction doesn't occur?
Thank you so much
You could research the solubility of Benzoyl Peroxide. I did a quick search and found that it's slightly soluble in alcohol. You could buy a small amount of 100% Isopropanol or Ethanol from a chem lab supply store.
Sodium Bicarbonate is also slightly soluble in alcohol, and sodium bicarbonate is amphoteric, reacting to neutralize acids and bases, and relatively innocuous in most situations, so there is no harm in using too much.
Mix the 2 in shot glass where it easy to see when you have a 50/50 blend, or whatever ratio works to dissolve the baking soda, and it's easy to see what quantities you're working with when you add a little more alcohol, maybe to get up to a 4 to 1 ratio of alcohol to the soda. If the baking soda is slow to dissolve in the alcohol even at 5 to 1, you could heat it, in a small sealed glass jar, slowly in pan of water on the stove, maybe up to about 150 degrees. The alcohol will boil at about 170 so don't get it that hot or the jar might explode. Let it cool and see if the soda falls out of solution. If it doesn't you're good to go.
Then do a test on a small piece of pre-stained scrap cloth similar to your shirt. I've never tried this but something along these lines will work.