Consumer Critique: Clorox 2

I've never been a big fan of using bleach, so when I had the opportunity to try out new Clorox 2, I was somewhat skeptical.

Clorox has launched a website, Dare to be Colorful, to help market this product (note: the website is not dial-up friendly). On the website, you'll find "stain wars," where people upload photos of messy kids and they're rated head-to-head style; a "how to" section, which shows commercial-style videos of Clorox 2 in action; and "ask me" (otherwise known as FAQs).

The actual Clorox home page also provides information about Clorox 2. It comes in three varieties: regular, free (no dyes or perfumes), and dry.

I always prefer to go as chemical-free as possible, so naturally "free" is my choice. It can be used as a pre-soak or just a regular additive. Both ways are effective, in my experience, with the pre-soak being especially good for stuck stains.

I didn't try any super stubborn stains (like rust), although I did have some hand-me-down clothes with stains of unknown origin that came out with Clorox 2, and a few diaper-leak-stained pants that also came clean quite well with this additive.

I still strongly prefer using the sun to brighten my clothes and eliminate the rest of stains, but that's not an option in the winter - and sometimes even the sun doesn't quite cut it. Clorox 2 did work better than not having any stain-fighting product; however, in general, I will keep using my standard methods of sun-bleaching and more natural laundry additives, and reserve Clorox 2 for only the truly stubborn stains.