We tried it: Switching to oxygen bleach.

I stopped using bleach in the household some time back, when I found out that it’s not normal to be able to taste it for an hour or two after using it — I guess I’m extra-sensitive to its fumes.

But since bleach and I split, I’ve definitely noticed a decline in the brightness of the whites around here, so I was excited to take non-chlorine bleach for a spin. I tried a couple of popular brands: Molly’s Suds Oxygen Whitener and Grab Green Bleach Alternative Pods.

If you’re contemplating a breakup with bleach, step into my laundry room, and see for yourself whether non-chlorine bleach is a worthy replacement.

Non-chlorine bleach is exactly what it sounds like — bleach without chlorine in it. But, you may say (as I did), isn’t bleach just ... bleach?

Nope! But over decades of widespread use, chlorine bleach became simply, “bleach.”

So let’s back up and ask, what is bleach? Bleach is a generic term for any product that chemically removes color and/or stains from fabric. The two main types of bleach used in households and industry are chlorine-based bleach and hydrogen peroxide-based bleach.

• Hydrogen peroxide-based bleach doesn’t contain sodium hypochlorite, the active agent in chlorine bleach, so it’s known as non-chlorine bleach.
• Since the active agent in non-chlorine bleach is oxygen, it’s also widely known as oxygen bleach.
• Oxygen bleach is generally safe to use on colors (but always test first!), so it’s sometimes called color-safe bleach.

Non-chlorine bleach also commonly goes by “bleach alternative,” which isn’t technically true, since oxygen bleach is still a type of bleach.

To me, a “bleach alternative” would be more along the lines of things that aren’t bleach, but which do have whitening powers — like vinegar, borax, or baking soda.

Learn more about non-chlorine bleach from the science experts at Grove here.

Ah, that’s the catch. Oxygen bleach isn’t as effective as chlorine bleach for whitening your clothes or removing stains, in the same way rubbing alcohol isn't as effective as acetone for removing nail polish — but it’s a whole lot better for you and for the environment.

Non-chlorine bleach also doesn’t disinfect as well as chlorine bleach, which is why it’s primarily sold for doing laundry.

But, that’s why I’m here to test out oxygen bleach on some tough stains to see just what it actually does. I tried both brands of non-chlorine bleach, first as a whitener and then as a stain-remover. Here’s what happened.

I washed two loads of whites — one with Molly’s Suds, and one with Grab Green, plus my usual natural laundry detergent. Fresh out of the dryer, I could tell that both loads looked whiter and smelled cleaner, but the camera couldn’t see the difference.

So I washed two more loads. This time, I included two of the kid’s filthy stuffed animals, one pair of her befouled socks, and four of my gentleman’s laundered-but-stained, yellowed shirts that he’d tossed in the rag bag long ago.

Oh, right — the socks! I labeled them with a green Sharpie and washed each one with its corresponding load.

Oxygen bleach isn’t the stuff of laundry miracles, but it’s definitely worth keeping around for washing day. If you’re a chlorine bleach user and need more convincing, why not take non-chlorine bleach for a test-drive yourself? It’ll boost your detergent and whiten everyday loads — and if you need a little chlorine bleach fix every now and then, go for it!

Because remember: Going green doesn’t have to be all-or-nothing, or happen all at once. Here are more great simple swaps you can make to chip away at your carbon footprint, little by little.