OxiClean Stain Remover: How It Works and Where to Buy
OxiClean is a chlorine-free oxygen stain remover, sold mainly as a powder, that lifts food, grass, coffee, and sweat marks from washable fabrics and hard surfaces. Billy Mays made it famous in one of the loudest As Seen on TV campaigns ever aired, and the tub has stayed on laundry aisle shelves ever since.
How to Use OxiClean: Soak, Wash, or Paste
Match the method to the mess. The scoop has numbered fill lines, and the Versatile powder directions tie each job to a line and a water volume.
| Job | Mix | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Soaking one garment | Line 2 (typical) or line 4 (tough) per gallon | 1 to 6 hours, then wash |
| Boosting a full load | One scoop in the drum with detergent, before the clothes | One normal cycle |
| Grout, tile, patio furniture | Line 4 per gallon, or a thicker paste | 5 to 30 minutes, scrub, rinse |
| Carpet and upholstery | Line 1 per 16 ounces of water | Blot with a white towel, then rinse |
Warm to hot water gives the most cleaning power, though the granules dissolve at any temperature. Boiling water is out, and the care label still sets the ceiling. Set-in coffee and grass need the six-hour end of the soak. Why? The oxygen needs contact time that a 45-minute wash cycle can’t give it.
Where OxiClean Goes in a Front-Loader
Straight into the drum, never the dispenser drawer, where granules can cake. Add the powder and your laundry detergent first, then load the clothes on top.
What’s in the Tub: Sodium Percarbonate and Washing Soda
The working ingredient is sodium percarbonate, which Church & Dwight lists as sodium carbonate peroxide: washing soda bonded to hydrogen peroxide. Water splits it apart. The peroxide releases oxygen (the fizz) that breaks down colored compounds in food, tea, wine, and grass, while the soda raises the pH so detergent can lift oil and rinse it away.
The current Versatile Stain Remover ingredient disclosure also lists extra sodium carbonate, a surfactant, sodium chloride, fragrance, and a blue colorant. So is it bleach? It’s an oxygen bleach, not a chlorine one. The label calls it color safe on colorfast fabrics, so test a hidden seam on anything that might bleed.
What It Won’t Clean, and What Never to Mix It With
The label rules out a specific list, and most failed soaks trace back to one of these:
- Wool, silk, leather, and their blends: the alkaline solution damages protein fibers. Skip anything labeled dry-clean only.
- Rust and dried paint: iron oxide ignores peroxide; use an oxalic acid remover on rust.
- Dye transfer: the Versatile formula isn’t designed for a red sock that bled onto a white load.
- Ink and old grease: rubbing alcohol on ink, or dish soap on grease, should come first. Plan on a second soak.
- Jewelry, metal, finished wood, teak, and wicker: never soak metal; rinse it right away if the mix splashes.
Regular detergent is the only approved partner. Chlorine bleach and other household chemicals are off limits, and vinegar, an acid, cancels the soda’s alkalinity. Never store mixed solution in a capped bottle: the oxygen keeps releasing, and the label warns the pressure can rupture the container. Don’t let it dry on fabric, and don’t use it as a pool or hot tub sanitizer.
Which OxiClean Product Fits the Job?
| Formula | Form | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Versatile Stain Remover | Powder | Soaks, boosting, carpet, grout |
| Max Force | Spray or gel stick | Pre-treating one fresh spot |
| White Revive | Powder, liquid, or paks | Graying whites, as a bleach alternative |
| Odor Blasters | Powder or paks | Sweat and pet odor |
| Arm & Hammer Plus OxiClean | Liquid laundry detergent | Everyday loads with built-in stain fighters |
Buy one, and the Versatile tub is the pick. The same scoop will clean carpet spots, tile grout, faded patio furniture, and plastic containers tinted orange by tomato sauce. That range puts it alongside other As Seen on TV staples like Flex Shot rubber sealant and the Shark Matrix Plus 2-in-1 robot vacuum. A breakdown of whether As Seen on TV products actually work shows which pitches hold up.
Max Appel, Billy Mays, and the $325 Million Sale
Max Appel, who co-founded Orange Glo International with his wife Elaine, is credited with inventing the formula, which the company introduced in 1997. Billy Mays, one of the most famous infomercial pitchmen, became its TV face around 2000. His “Billy Mays here!” opener still sits among the most iconic infomercial catchphrases, and he kept pitching the brand until his death on June 28, 2009, at age 50.
Church & Dwight, the Arm & Hammer parent, agreed to buy Orange Glo for $325 million in cash in July 2006. Orange Glo had almost $200 million in sales the prior fiscal year, and about two-thirds came from this one brand. Few campaigns on lists of the best infomercials of all time can point to a payday that size.
Where to Buy OxiClean
It’s available at Walmart, Target, Amazon, Costco, Sam’s Club, and most grocery and drugstore chains. Club stores carry the bulk sizes, such as an 11.6-pound HE tub at Costco and an 8-pound Max Efficiency tub at Sam’s Club. Shelf prices and delivery windows shift often, so compare before you order. As an Amazon Associate, allfromtv.com earns from qualifying purchases.
- Versatile Stain Remover powder: Check price on Amazon
- Laundry stain remover spray: Check price on Amazon
- White Revive: Check price on Amazon
Start with a 3-pound tub of OxiClean and one six-hour soak at line 4 on your worst garment. If a mark survives two soaks, it’s likely rust, ink, or dye transfer and needs a different product.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is OxiClean just bleach?
No. It’s an oxygen bleach built on sodium percarbonate, which stays color-safe on most colorfast fabrics, while chlorine bleach can strip dye and weaken fibers. Never mix the two.
What stains does it remove?
It removes grass, wine, blood, coffee, and food stains from most washable fabrics. Greasy marks need a dish-soap pre-treat and a longer soak in warm water.
Can you use it in every load?
Yes. It’s sold as a laundry booster, so a scoop per load is fine. Lightly soiled clothes come out clean with detergent alone, though.
Can you mix it with vinegar?
No. Vinegar is an acid that neutralizes the washing soda, and the label says to avoid mixing it with any household chemical other than detergent.